The Word today, CorpusChristiB

June 03 - June 08, 2024

Monday 03 June

St Kevin, abbot

2 Peter 2:1-7 Each of us is in this reading today. Firstly, we are there as receivers of great gifts from God. Secondly, as people called upon to live up to these great gifts.

Mark 12:1-12 It is important not to leave this parable safely in the past. Have I heard the teaching of the prophets? Am I open to the coming of God’s Son today?

Tuesday 04 June

Sts. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs

2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18 Our attitude to time says a lot about us. The reading today asks us to see each day as a gift and an opportunity.

Mark 12:13-17 It is easy to recognize what “belongs to Caesar”? What about what “belongs to God”? What is God asking of me, personally, right now?

Wednesday 05 June

St Boniface, bishop and martyr

2 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12 There are sentiments in this reading that make it sound like it was written for us today: am I sometimes ashamed of the Gospel myself ? Do I need to fan into a flame the calling I have received?

Mark 12:18-27 Some Sadducees present Jesus with a fairly absurd argument. Notice, however the force of the present tense in Jesus’ response: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. He is God, not of the dead, but of the living.

Thursday 06 June

St Norbert, bishop or St Jarlath, bishop

2 Timothy 2:8-15 At the Centre of our reading today, the writer quotes some poetic lines from an early Christian hymn. The affirmations are powerful and, at the same time, unsettling.

Mark 12:28-34 It is really good to ask ourselves from time to time what is at the very heart of our faith, what is at the Centre. Jesus’ response still speaks to us today.

Friday 07 June

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8-9 We tend to think of the God of the OT as remote and violent. This delightful reading from Hosea should put us right.

Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19 You can feel the writer’s sense that the love of God in Jesus is thrilling, even overwhelming at times.

John 19:31-37 The symbolism should be clear: the blood stands for Jesus’ costly gift of himself; the water stands for the gift of life which is ours as a consequence.

Saturday 08 June

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

2 Timothy 4:1-8 The reading from 2 Timothy — written in the name of Paul but not by him — expresses the feeling of loss after the death of the great apostle, something we can call empathize with. At the same time, it reflects the later time of “institutionalization” in language foreign to Paul. The faith is now a sort of deposit to be kept…quite different to Paul’s own world of understanding.

Luke 2:41-51 This short vignette — unique to Luke’s Gospel — serves a double purpose. The child Jesus foreshadows his future ministry and role. At the same time, the portrait of Mary shows us how to respond to the wonderful things God has done for us.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024av, June 2). The solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060224.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/

SOCL, CorpusChristiB

Sunday June 02, 2024

I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

See

Hospitality is deeply embedded in human nature and to say someone is hospitable is a welcome compliment. It is no accident that Jesus made use of table fellowship to give people a concrete experience of the indiscriminate love and universal compassion of God. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we experience again that proclamation of the Kingdom. We join our prayer with the prayer of Jesus and the great events of salvation are made present in our time and place. Welcomed as we have been, it is our calling then to show the same love and compassion in our daily lives.

Listen

Exodus 24:3-8; Psalm 116 (115); Hebrews 9:11-15; Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

Reflect

(Mark 14:12-16, 22-26)

-The symbolic gesture of Jesus at the Last Supper symbolized the offering of himself that he would make on Calvary, giving his life for others. Sometimes we also are called to give our lives for others. We can do this grudgingly or with a generous heart. What difference has it made for you when you were able to give yourself freely?

-In his encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is essentially fragmented.” What has helped you to be aware of the importance of the link between the Eucharist and your lifestyle?

-Jesus involved his disciples both in the preparation for the Last Supper and in its celebration. Recall times when you had a heightened awareness of participation and involvement in the Mass. What helped to give you this awareness? Are there lessons from these experiences that you can bring with you to the Sunday Mass?

Pray

God ever faithful, you have made a covenant with your people in the gift of your Son, who offered his body for us and poured out his blood for all. As we celebrate this Eucharistic sacrifice, build up your Church by deepening within us the life of your covenant and by opening our hearts to those in need.

Act

-Include Others: Invite colleagues, neighbors, or friends to join you for meals or coffee, fostering a sense of community and belonging.

-Create a Welcoming Space: Dedicate a part of your home as a cozy, inviting area for guests, reflecting warmth and hospitality.

-Perform Acts of Kindness: Regularly show kindness and compassion through small gestures like helping others, listening attentively, or volunteering.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024av, June 2). The solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060224.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/

The Word today, TrinityB

May 27 - June 01, 2024

Monday 27 May

St Augustine of Canterbury, bishop

1 Peter 1:3-9 We read this week from 1 Peter, an early Christian document aimed at encouraging the faithful in times of trial. Our reading is marked by warm words of encouragement and a deep sense of faith: You did not see him, yet you love him!

Mark 10:17-27 Here we have an attractive and yet unsettling story. The man is the story is obviously good and a little naive. He doesn’t seem to know himself. Jesus’ penetrating glance of love sees great potential in him. Suddenly, it is too much and the man slinks away. We too can fool ourselves. We too need the penetrating glance of love which lays bare the cost of discipleship.

Tuesday 28 May

1 Peter 1:10-16 Having reflected yesterday on the role of the Father and Christ, today’s reading goes deeply into the role of the Holy Spirit. The practical consequences are, well, practical!

Mark 10:28-31 After the story of the rich man, the question of Peter is simply and natural. The reply of Jesus, on the other hand, is many-layered, full of promise and challenge ship.

Wednesday 29 May

St Paul VI, bishop of Rome

1 Peter 1:18-25 Using Old Testament language of ransom, the writer wants us to be aware of the cost of salvation — and the preciousness of the gift bestowed on us.

Mark 10:32-35 This story can still shock because of the bald ambition of the disciples. It leads to a clear teaching on service.

Thursday 30 May

1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12 A powerful reading, taking up images from the Old Testament and applying them to the whole people of God.

Mark 10:46-52 The story of Bartimaeus closes the teaching on discipleship which started with the healing of the blind man in two stages. The lectionary translation misses the force of the last line. It should read: he followed him along The Way.

Friday 31 May

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Zephaniah 3:14-18 The note of joy at the coming of the Lord anticipates today’s Gospel, with its own note of joy at the coming of Jesus.

Luke 1:39-56 This gospel passage — like others in Luke — has inspired Christian prayer. In this case, the Hail Mary and the Magnificat.

Saturday 01 June

St Justin, martyr

Jude 1:17-, 20-25 Jude is a very brief letter, perhaps a late Christian one. It is written to a community which tends to deny the Second Coming and the Last Judgment. As a result, their morals are weakened.

Mark 11:27-33 The question asked in this Gospel is the right one: by what authority does Jesus speak and act? We too have to ask ourselves the very same question about Jesus in our own lives.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024at, May 26). The solemnity of the most Holy Trinity. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052624.cfm

--Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/