Reflections on Daily Readings 2026
May 31st - June 27th, 2026
May 31 – June 6, 2026
9th Week of Ordinary Time | Readings: Sunday Cycle A; Weekday Cycle 2.
The Most Holy Trinity
Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; Psalm Daniel 3; 2Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18
In the first reading from the Old Testament Book of Exodus we see Moses going back to the Lord with the two tablets to receive the Law from a tender and compassionate God. The God who gives the Law to his people is one who does so out of love for his people that – through observance of the Law – they may be drawn into his love and live in happiness. The second reading is quite Trinitarian in its closing words to the people of Corinth, a closing which we use at the start of the Eucharist, and which is a common feature of St Paul’s letters. The Gospel tells us that God sent his Son to redeem and to save the world. We are told that God did this because he wanted all people to “have eternal life.” All who believe in Jesus and who live out that belief, will one day be joined with the Trinity in eternal life.
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Peter 1:2-7; Psalm 90; Mark 12:1-12
St Peter tells us in the first reading for today that all we need for living has been given to us by Christ. It is all to be found in his words recorded in the Gospels. The author also sets out certain virtues which we should all have as Christians and which reinforce our own faith and the faith of others. In the Gospel from St Mark, we have the parable of the vineyard in which Christ tells a story about his Father and his dealings with humankind. The two readings today call us to be faithful and totally committed to Christ and to say, with conviction, the response to today’s psalm – “My God, in you I trust.”
Memorial of St Justin, Martyr
Born to pagan parents in Nablus, Palestine, Justin became a Christian when he was about 30 years old. He was a well-known philosopher and was known as “the Philosopher.” He wrote many works in defence of the faith and some of these – the Apologies and the Dialogue with Trypho – survive today. He also wrote our earliest account of baptism and of the Sunday Mass. He was martyred in Rome in 165, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, by being beheaded along with five men and a woman.
Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Peter 3:11-15, 17-18; Psalm 89; Mark 12:13-17
In our first reading, St Peter is telling us that we must be living lives worthy of God while waiting for his Day to come. Even though we have been redeemed we must still live lives worthy of that redemption. The author also warns against listening to those false preachers who may preach in such a way so as to delay or prevent our entry into the kingdom. In the Gospel, the scribes and elders are trying to catch Jesus out and ask him about paying tax to Caesar. He tells them that they should pay money to Caesar because his head is on the coin, but they must give to God what belongs to him – faith and praise – for everything we have is his and from his bounty.
Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12; Psalm 122; Mark 12:18-27
St Paul is writing to St Timothy in today’s first reading to strengthen Timothy in the faith and to encourage him to build up the faith he has already received. He is also telling him that the Spirit he has received is not to be kept quiet, but is to speak out through him and proclaim Christ and his message. At the time he was writing the letter, Paul was in prison in Rome and was unable to proclaim the Good News and so had to encourage others like Timothy to continue the work in his place. In the Gospel text, Christ is telling his listeners that God is the God of the living and that those who have died – such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – are alive with God. This is the great promise which awaits us. We have a duty to tell the world of this promise so that more people may become worthy of it and receive the promise themselves.
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.
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Timothy 2:8-15; Psalm 24; Mark 12:28-34
Again today, St Paul is encouraging St Timothy (his successor in Ephesus) in the faith and helping to strengthen him by explaining some of the mysteries about Christ and about our redemption. Though a prisoner in Rome, Paul is aware that he can still live out his vocation as a messenger of the Gospel by encouraging others, like Timothy, by providing them with inspiration through his writings and by explaining key passages in the life of Christ and of the Christian. In the Gospel, Christ gives us the great commandment to love one another, which is second only to the commandment to love God above all else. These are still the greatest commandments for us today and from them all other commandments and precepts for living flow.
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.
Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Timothy 3:10-17; Psalm 118; Mark 12:35-37
St Paul continues to teach St Timothy about the faith in today’s first reading. He tells him that all of scripture is inspired by God and, therefore, we can trust it and draw closer to Christ by reading it carefully. Paul also talks about the persecutions he faced while on his missionary work as an inspiration for those who are being persecuted for the faith to continue on for the prize which is unmatched by humans. Our Gospel text today is a rather difficult one. The scribes seem to have a very narrow definition of ‘Messiah’ and the cornerstone of that definition was that the Messiah would be a son of David. In our text, Christ is pointing out that this alone is not adequate and that the definition of Messiah is greater than they were used to. It is easy for us to understand because we know that he is the Messiah, though not the Messiah that the scribes wanted.
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.
Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Timothy 4:1-8; Psalm 70; Mark 12:38-44
In today’s first reading and final passage from his second letter to St Timothy, St Paul is encouraging Timothy to go out and preach about Christ and to make that his life’s work. He also speaks about his impending death and says that he is happy to die for the faith. In the Gospel, Christ warns about being too ‘showy’ in our religious practice. Instead, we must give all that we can but quietly and without attracting the wrong sort of attention. He uses the image of a poor widow giving all she has as the image we should try to emulate.
June 7 – June 13, 2026
10th Week of Ordinary Time | Readings: Sunday Cycle A; Weekday Cycle 2.
The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; Psalm 147; 1Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58
The first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy tells us that God humbled the people in the desert to see if they would be faithful to him or not. Throughout their wanderings he kept his people alive with manna – bread from heaven. The Gospel passage comes from St John’s Bread of Life discourse. In the section we have today, Jesus tells us that he is unlike the bread – the manna – which the Jews received from God in the wilderness. The bread in the wilderness only satisfied them for a while whereas the food which Christ gives us is his own flesh and blood – food which will bring the believer to union with Christ and eternal life with the Father. In the second reading from his first letter to the Corinthians, St Paul tells us that while there may be many of us, through receiving the body of Christ we are all made one and become a single body, which has Christ as its head. Today’s feast has the Last Supper on Holy Thursday night as its backdrop and origin but we celebrate it today in thanksgiving for the great gift we receive through the body and blood of Christ given for us.
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 17:1-6, Psalm 120; Matthew 5:1-12
We turn back to the Old Testament for our first readings for the coming weeks and in today’s reading from the first Book of the Kings we see Elijah answering God’s call and doing God’s will. This takes place about the year 850 BC when Ahab and his pagan wife, Jezebel, ruled the country. The queen persecutes the Jews and Elijah warns the king that there will be a drought unless he relents. Elijah leaves his home and goes east for refuge. In the Gospel from St Matthew, we have the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. These short phrases give us the perfect blueprint for living and for serving God. Elijah, even though he never heard Christ’s sermon, lived out the Beatitudes in his life and in his dealings with people. We are called to be like him and to put our trust in God, serving him alone.
Feast of St Columba (Colum Cille), Abbot & Missionary, Secondary Patron of Ireland
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.
Readings
Colossians 1:24-29; Psalm 15; Mark 10:17-30
In our first reading St Paul tells us that he became the servant of the Church to deliver God’s message to the people. In the gospel we see the rich young man asking Jesus what he must do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him that he must give all he has to the poor and then follow Christ. These readings are very apt for the feast of St Colum Cille for he 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.
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 18:20-39; Psalm 15; Matthew 5:17-19
We read in the first reading today of the slaughter of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel by Elijah and how he won back the people for the Lord, even though he was the only true prophet left alive in Israel. The event takes place about three years into the famine brought on the people by the actions of King Ahab and his pagan wife, Jezebel. The Psalm for today could quite easily have been the prayer on Elijah’s lips as he called on God for strength and guidance. Today’s Gospel tells us that the Law and the Prophets are still to be obeyed because Christ did not come to abolish them but to complete them, for they contained some inaccuracies which had crept in over the years. It is not enough to observe the mere letter of the Law but also the broader interpretations of the Laws. We are called on to be like Elijah and to stand up for God in the midst of adversity and to obey the Law and the teachings in all things.
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.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Psalm 102; 1John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30
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. In the first reading today from the Book of Deuteronomy we are told that God has chosen us out of his love for us despite all our faults. The Psalm continues this theme of God’s love for his people. The second reading from St John tells us that love comes from God and is a love which surpasses all others. In the Gospel from St Matthew, Christ is calling us to himself and tells us to place in his care all our worries and troubles. In his great love for us he will ease our burdens. We too are called to love our fellow men and women, and Christ above all else.
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.
June 14 – June 20, 2026
11th Week of Ordinary Time | Readings: Sunday Cycle A; Weekday Cycle 2.
The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Exodus 19:2-6; Psalm 99; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8
The theme of our readings today is very much one of calling. We are called to live as sons and daughters of God and to keep his commandments and the covenant in constant faith and truth. Not only that, we are also called to go out ourselves and to proclaim the Good News and so make the kingdom visible. While all may not be able or called to do so as ordained ministers and religious, all are called to do so by the example of how they live their lives and in their dealings and relations with others. In our gospel text for today from St Matthew, we have the naming of the Twelve Apostles and the instruction to them to go out and spread the Good News. At the end of the text we are reminded that what we have received, we have received without charge and so we must pass that on without charge.
The second reading from the letter to the Romans reminds us that as Christ died to make us righteous in the eyes of God that he will not fail to save us should we go astray. We must remain faithful to him and live the kind of life he wants us to live. There will be times when we will go astray but we must always make the effort to secure our place in the kingdom.
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.
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 21:1-16; Psalm 5; Matthew 5:38-42
Today’s first reading sees Naboth – a just man – being stoned to death so that the king can have himself a vegetable garden. Naboth refused to hand over what had been handed down to him by his forefathers and even Ahab acknowledges this to be right. However, Queen Jezebel arranged for false accusations to be made against Naboth so that he could be tried as a traitor and the lands confiscated. In the Gospel from St Matthew, Christ tells us to always turn the other cheek to the wicked. Naboth could be seen as a forerunner to Christ for both were wrongly accused and wrongly put to death. We are reminded of what lies can do and how they can destroy lives.
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 21:17-29; Psalm 50; Matthew 5:43-48
Our reading today from the Kings is a continuation of yesterday’s text, and in it we see Elijah confronting King Ahab. He accuses Ahab of killing Naboth and of doing what was wrong in the eyes of God. Having heard the predicted doom, Ahab repents. The Psalm is one of pleading for mercy and would have been quite fitting if spoken by the king. Christ, in the Gospel, tells us that we must love our enemies no matter what they have done to us. Only when we love them are we living truly Christian lives.
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
2 Kings 2:1, 6-14; Psalm 30; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Today’s first reading sees Elijah being assumed into heaven – his work on earth now completed. In his place, Elisha takes over from his master as the foremost prophet in the land. In our Gospel text, Christ is telling the disciples that they should not parade their religious practice in front of others or use it to show off. They should pray and fast quietly because God sees all that they do. Christ did not do away with prayer and fasting but changed how it should be done. We are called on to fast and to pray to our Father in heaven but without drawing attention to ourselves.
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 48:1-14; Psalm 96; Matthew 6:7-15
Today’s reading from Ecclesiasticus is a hymn of praise for Elijah and Elisha and their service for the Lord. The author emphasises how the two prophets never tired of bringing the people back to God’s way of living even when that work brought them great danger. The text from St Matthew’s Gospel sees Christ teaching his followers how to pray and in it he gives them the “Our Father” – the Lord’s Prayer. We are called on to pray to the Father and to serve him as did Elijah and Elisha. We are also asked to think carefully about the words of the Lord’s Prayer and to try to fulfil each of its phrases.
Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20; Psalm 131; Matthew 6:19-23
The reading from the second book of the Kings sees Queen Athaliah seizing power by slaying her grandsons. However, one male heir – Jehoash – is hidden by his aunt and survives the queen’s massacre. Eventually the people revolt against her tyrannical rule and Jehoiada, the priest, has her removed from power and establishes a new covenant with God while destroying the temple of the Baals which Athaliah had built. In the Gospel, we are told that we should not store up treasure for ourselves on earth for they are worthless. Rather, we are to store up treasure in heaven and this is done through upright living in the sight of God.
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
2 Chronicles 24:17-25; Psalm 88; Matthew 6:24-34
In our reading from the second Book of the Chronicles, Jehoiada the priest – who had crowned Joash as king and who had made the covenant between God and the king – dies and quickly the people abandon the faith. King Joash has Zechariah – son of Jehoiada – put to death in Jerusalem about 796BC because he spoke out against the king and the people for their transgressions and abandonment of the true faith. As a result, the land is taken over and plundered by the Aramaeans who are small in number, and the king himself dies at the hand of his own people for his murder of Zechariah. The Psalm is a reminder to be faithful to the covenants made with God. In the Gospel, Christ tells us that we cannot serve two masters – we can only serve one. That master should be God. If we serve him faithfully then we will never have to worry about anything or even about tomorrow, for the Lord will look after us in all things. We are called to put our complete trust in God and never forget the Covenant he has made with us in the blood of his Son.
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.
June 21 – June 27, 2026
12th Week of Ordinary Time | Readings: Sunday Cycle A; Weekday Cycle 2.
The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 68; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33
In our first reading we see the Prophet Jeremiah speaking of all those who are looking to bring him down. Yet in the second half of the reading he says that God is on his side and therefore he has nothing to fear. Our Psalm could easily have been the words spoken to God by Jeremiah as he asked for help. In the gospel passage from St Matthew, Christ tells the Twelve that the soul is far more important than the body and it is the soul which they must be concerned with for the body is but a passing thing, the soul an eternal thing. The Lord is always at our side and therefore we must always be on our guard against anything that would lead us away from him. We must listen carefully and believe in his opening words: “Do not be afraid.” We must let go of all that holds us back and become the people he wants us to be.
In the passage from the letter to the Romans, St Paul tells us that sin has always been in the world – even before the Law was set out. What is more significant than the presence of sin in the world is the fact that we have been redeemed by Christ’s gift of his own life.
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18; Psalm 59; Matthew 7:1-5
We see in today’s first reading that even though God had freed his people from the slavery in Egypt they soon fell away from the Covenant and so we see them again going into exile for their transgressions. The northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians about the year 721 BC. Only the southern tribe of Judah remained faithful and free. Our Gospel text tells us that we should never judge others but should look after ourselves. When we see faults in others we should realise that there are bigger faults to be found in ourselves. Today’s readings give us a choice – be faithful to the Lord and his Word and thus live in peace and righteousness, or turn from him and suffer.
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36; Psalm 47; Matthew 7:6, 12-14
Despite being attacked by a more powerful nation in our reading from the second book of the Kings, Hezekiah prays to the Lord for deliverance for his people and, as a result of his trust in God, is delivered safely. The Assyrians – who had over-run the northern kingdom – were now attacking the southern kingdom and only one city remained free – Jerusalem. One could easily imagine today’s Psalm being sung following the defeat of Sennacherib. In the Gospel, Christ tells us to treat others as we would have them treat us. We are reminded to always remain faithful to the Word of God and to always put our trust in him.
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.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Kings 24:8-17; Psalm 78; Matthew 7:21-29
The city of Jerusalem and the people go into exile in Babylon in our first reading from the second book of the Kings. This is about the year 597 BC – 125 years after the northern kingdom had been over-run for the same reason, which was that the people and their king had turned from God and no longer trusted him. The magnificent Temple built by King Solomon is stripped of its glory. Our Gospel tells us that we must build our house on solid ground if it is to remain standing and we are to be safe. The solid foundation is the Word of God in which we must place all our faith and trust. If we walk away from it, we will be no better than King Jehoiachin and his people who fell to the Babylonians.
Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Kings 25:1-12; Psalm 136; Matthew 8:1-4
Today we read of the total destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The once magnificent Temple of Solomon lies in ruins as do the city walls. The countryside becomes a barren wasteland – all because the people abandoned their God. The Psalm is quite appropriate for this reading. Jesus cures a leper in our Gospel text and what is important is that he did so because he wanted to. Christ always wants to help us but he will not force that help on any of us. He will give us his help only if we believe in him and ask for his help.
Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Psalm 73; Matthew 8:5-17
In today’s first reading we read of the people’s lament for all that has happened to them and the destruction of their nation because of their sinful ways. The text makes for sad reading as we hear what has happened to the people and the Promised Land. The Psalm continues this theme. We again see Jesus curing the sick in today’s Gospel. The important key in today’s reading is faith – the centurion had faith that Jesus could cure his servant even if Jesus never came near the house. That is the faith that we are asked to have in God and in his Son.
