lokaalokaya

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C :The Word of God

First Reading  Nehemiah 8:2-4a,5-6,8-10Ezra reads from the book of the Law and interprets it for all to understand.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 19:8,9,10,15A song in praise of the Law of the Lord
Second Reading  1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Paul explains that all were baptized into the one body of Christ.
Gospel ReadingLuke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
As Jesus stands in the synagogue, he reads from the scroll handed to him; it contains the words of the prophet Isaiah. At this early moment in his ministry, Jesus announces his mission in continuity with Israel's prophetic tradition. This reading from Isaiah defines Jesus' ministry. We will find more evidence of this as we continue to read from Luke's Gospel throughout the year. Jesus' ministry will include bringing glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, healing to the sick, freedom to the oppressed, and proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord.
Through this text from Isaiah, Jesus announces God's salvation. The “year acceptable to the Lord” is a reference to the Jewish tradition of Sabbath years and jubilee. The Sabbath year was observed every seventh year. It was a year of rest when land was left fallow and food stores were to be shared equally with all. A year of Jubilee was celebrated every fiftieth year, the conclusion of seven cycles of Sabbath years. It was a year of renewal in which debts were forgiven and slaves were freed

Second Sunday of the Ordinary Time Year C : When Jesus enters into our lives it is like 'water changed into wine'.

First Reading  Isaiah 62:1-5God delights in Israel and will rejoice as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 96:1-2,2-3,7-8,9-10A song in praise of God's marvelous deeds
Second Reading  1 Corinthians 12:4-11All spiritual gifts originate from the same Spirit.
Gospel ReadingJohn 2:1-11
Today is the 2nd Sunday of the Ordinary Time. The Gospel present a 'theophany' where Jesus manifests himself as the one who brings a new taste, a new colour and a new fragrance in to our lives. Wherever Jesus is - there is new life, where ever Jesus is - there is an abundance, wherever Jesus is - there is richness, and with whom Jesus is - their future is insured.

The Baptism of the Lord : Being the Beloved

First Reading  Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11   Isaiah tells the people to prepare a way for the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 104:1b-4,24-25,27-30   A prayer praising God's greatness
Second Reading  Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7  Jesus Christ saved us and renewed us with his Holy Spirit.
Gospel ReadingLuke 3:15-16,21-22
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. This brings to an end the season of Christmas. The Church recalls Our Lord's second manifestation or epiphany which occurred on the occasion of His baptism in the Jordan. Jesus descended into the River to sanctify its waters and to give them the power to beget sons of God. The event takes on the importance of a second creation in which the entire Trinity intervenes. At His baptism Christ was proclaimed the "Beloved Son" of the Father; at our Baptism we become the adopted sons of God. At Christ's baptism the heavens were opened; at our Baptism heaven was opened to us. At His baptism Jesus prayed; after our Baptism we must pray to avoid actual sin.

The Feast of the Epiphany: follow the star

The Feast of the Epiphany could be understood by the three S. The first S is, to See. The wise men saw the star and they followed. God speaks to us through signs. Are we able to see and understand those sings? God tells us not to see with our physical eyes but to see with our hearts. The second S is Search. The wise men were searching for Christ. Once we have found the star we have to hvae a great desire to put our desire into action and seek after that sign. The last S is Submit or to obey. The wise men did this once they found Jesus and offered to Him the best of everything. All signs finally lead us to worship the Lord. Is there a star out there beckoning you? The star is the good out there to be sought, the truth to be embraced. Even our regrets about our weaknesses and sinfulness which can sometimes stir up our conscience could be that twinkling star. It may be a feeling of anger or guilt, or perhaps a sense of loss. Let that not frighten you. Let it not create clouds to hide it from you. Follow where that star leads and when it stops, go into the house, prostrate yourself and offer your gifts. The Eucharist that we celebrate today can be itself an epiphany, an encounter with that Star, a marvellous revelation of the love of Jesus in Word and Sacrament, for those who believe. May our celebration today be an epiphany that leads us to see God more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly.

The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God: The Blessing

In the first reading we find the ancient prayer of blessing which God gave to Moses to hand on to Aaron and his sons: “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Num 6:24-25). There is no more meaningful time than the beginning of a new year to hear these words of blessing: they will accompany our journey through the year opening up before us. The Mother of God is the first of the blessed, and it is she who bears the blessing; she is the woman who received Jesus into herself and brought him forth for the whole human family. Thus we can say that the message of hope contained in this blessing was fully realized in Mary. This was the very experience that the shepherds of Bethlehem too had, who reappear in today’s Gospel. They had the experience of standing in God’s presence and seeing the Blessing. Let us ask the grace to behold this Blessing, to receive that blessing and to be a blessing to all whom we meet.

The Feast of the Holy Family

First ReadingGenesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3(or the first reading from Cycle A: Sirach 3:2-7,12-14)God fulfills his promise to Abraham, and Sarah gives birth to a son.
Responsorial PsalmPsalm 105:1-6,8-9 (or the psalm from Cycle A: Psalm 128:1-5)A prayer of thanksgiving to God for his faithfulness to his covenant.
Second ReadingHebrews 11:8,11-12,17-19 (or the second reading from Cycle A: Colossians 3:12-21)Paul examines Abraham's example of faith.
Gospel ReadingLuke 2:22-40 (or shorter form: Luke 2:22,39-40)
 
 
This Feast of the Holy Family can help us see that families can be holy. The story of the Holy Family is the story of life not always turning out the way you expected. It’s the story of a teenage mother, conceiving a child before she was married.  It’s the story of an anxious father, confronting scandal, planning on divorce. It’s the story of a family forced to become refugees, living as immigrants in the land that once held their ancestors as slaves.  It’s the story of a missing child, and days of anxious searching by his parents. The Holy Family has to go through all the difficulties and challenges like a normal human family. But there had two great qualities: Trust in God and sacrificial love. These are the same two qualities which will bring happiness and fulfilment to our families as well. 

The Nativity of our Lord: God enters our messy world

First ReadingIsaiah 9:1-6To those in darkness, a child will be born who will have dominion over the earth.
Responsorial PsalmPsalm 96:1-2,2-3,11-12,13Sing a new song to the Lord.
Second ReadingTitus 2:11-14God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.
Gospel ReadingLuke 2:1-14
 
Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger. Why did God chose this messy condition, this dirty place to be born? The crib/the stable is a symbol. It is a symbol of our tainted nature, symbol of our wounded humanity and messy world. God wanted to be a part of this messy and sinful world. God wanted to be born to a broken and a wounded world. If the Word truly dwelt among us, then he was part of a family that, like most, was fairly dysfunctional, a mix of the good and bad, the saintly and the sinful, the glorious and the not so glorious. And this is such good news for us. The good news of Christmas is that God himself pushed into the dysfunctional and ambiguous family of man. And he continues to join us, even though we, like so many of his Israelite ancestors, are unworthy of him. Like them, we are flawed, compromised, half-finished. But he becomes our brother anyway. That's the amazing grace of the Incarnation. What appears to be our most chaotic, congested, convoluted times in our lives might be the best time for God to enter and be born (and flood us with his saving grace). 

Fourth Sunday in Advent - Nothing is impossible with God

 
 
Today’s Gospel presents to us the Annunciation to Mary by archangel Gabriel. Mary knew that from the human point of view she may not even be able to bring her pregnancy to its full term but she had faith to believe that what is impossible for us is possible for God. And so with that faith she said “yes.” She surrendered into the hands of God, and it really was surrendering because she did not know what the consequences would be. But she had faith to believe that no matter what difficulties would follow, God would provide a way out and a remedy. Mary’s final words to the angel are a model for each of us, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) And because Mary surrendered to God, Jesus came. Mary shows us how to be a follower of Jesus, making a loving surrender into the hands of God who loves us. When we wonder if we can make such an act of trust and abandonment into the hands of God let us remember that when God calls us he also gives us the grace.

Third Sunday of Advent : Shine Jesus Shine

First Reading  Isaiah 61:1-2a,10-11The Lord's salvation will be made known to the poor and the oppressed.
Responsorial Psalm  Luke 1:46-50,53-54Mary sings praise to God.
Second Reading  1 Thessalonians 5:16-24Paul encourages the Thessalonians to rejoice and pray always.
Gospel Reading  John 1:6-8,19-28
Today we celebrate Gaudate Sunday, the Sunday of Joy in the midst of the Advent penitential season. We rejoice because the Lord is near to us in the coming celebration of his birth, made present for us now. Today’s Gospel presents John the Baptist once again but this time, as a wonderful companion and friend to Jesus. He made no exaggerated claims of his greatness but claims the truth in clear terms. He could have lied and pretended to be the Christ to gain cheep popularity. But John always spoke the truth and said that he was only the voice but the Word was Jesus, that he was only the messenger but the Message was Jesus, that he was only a shadow but the light was Jesus. In keeping with the life example of John the Baptist the Gospel invites us to let Jesus shine in and through us. Can we allow Jesus to shine in us? That’s the lesson we learn from John the Baptizer.

Second Sunday of Advent : Prepare the way; metanoia

First Reading Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11Isaiah tells the people to prepare a way for the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 85:9-14The Lord's salvation is near.
Second Reading  2 Peter 3:8-14Peter teaches that we must always be holy because the return of the Lord cannot be predicted.
Gospel ReadingMark 1:1-8
 
The message of Advent can never change or be changed: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John preaches repentance, metanoia, change, renewal, and return to God. “Change yourselves from deep within”, is the focus of his message. Our preparation is an essentially an opening of our inner being to God’s comforting and healing presence so that the Holy Spirit can transform and make a new creation of us. Repentance begins with recognizing our need for change and renewal, with dissatisfaction with who and what we are, and with the progress we have made in following Christ. This recognition of our unsatisfactory spiritual condition is basic to desire, and desire is what Advent preparation is all about. 
 

First Sunday of Advent - Year C

First Reading  Jeremiah 33:14-16The Lord will fulfill his promises to Israel and Judah.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 25:4-5,8-9,10,14The Lord will teach us his paths.
Second Reading  1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2Paul encourages the Thessalonians to be holy and to please God.
Gospel ReadingLuke 21:25-28,34-36Jesus teaches his disciples to be vigilant so that they will be ready when the Son of Man comes in glory.
In this new liturgical year that begins this week, the Gospel of Luke will be the primary Gospel proclaimed (Lectionary Cycle C). This week we hear Jesus speak to his disciples about the need for vigilance and prayer as they wait for the coming of the Son of Man in glory. This passage marks the conclusion of a lengthy dialogue in which Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, warns about the persecution and tribulations to follow, and identifies the signs that will signal the coming of the Son of Man in glory

July 24 - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 
First Reading    Genesis 18:20-32Abraham pleads with God to save the innocent people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
 
Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 138:1-3,6-8Lord, on the day I cried for help, you answered me. 
 
Second Reading     Colossians 2:12-14You were buried with Christ in Baptism and also raised with him. 
 
Gospel ReadingLuke 11:1-13Jesus teaches the disciples about prayer.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
Luke gives more attention to Jesus' teachings on prayer than any other Gospel writer. He also mentions Jesus at prayer more than the others. In today's reading, from the beginning of Chapter 11 of his Gospel, Luke presents the core of Jesus' teaching on prayer. It consists of Jesus teaching a prayer to his disciples, a parable on the persistent neighbor, and assurances that God hears our prayers.
The disciples notice Jesus praying “in a certain place.” They ask him to teach them to pray just as John the Baptist had taught his disciples. Jesus teaches them a simple version of the most famous Christian prayer, the Our Father, or the Lord's Prayer. Matthew's version shows signs of being shaped by public prayer. Luke's version is probably closer to the original form that Jesus taught. Stripped of much of the language we are used to, Luke's version seems simple and direct. We pray that God's name will be recognized as holy and that his rule over all will be established. This is followed by petitions for our needs for bread, for forgiveness, and for deliverance. Luke uses the more theological language of “sins” rather than “debts,” which is used in Matthew's version.
Having taught his disciples a simple, daily prayer, Jesus goes on to reassure them that God answers prayers. First he tells a parable about a persistent neighbor who asks a friend for bread at midnight. The friend is already in bed and has no desire to disturb his family by opening the door. But because the neighbor is persistent, the sleeping man gets up and gives him all that he needs. If a neighbor is willing to help us if we are persistent enough, how could God not respond to our requests?
This teaching concludes with the reminder that if we seek, we will get a response. If a human father, with all his faults, knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more will our heavenly Father give us? Instead of good gifts, however, Luke substitutes the word Holy Spirit. This foreshadows the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is central to Luke's theology and who will play an important role in the growth of the early Church after Pentecost.
The parable and the concluding teaching in this section should not lead us to think of prayer as a series of requests presented to God. Rather, as Jesus teaches in his model prayer, prayer consists in recognizing God's holiness and his rule over all things.

July 17 - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 
First Reading     Genesis 18:1-10aAbraham entertains three strangers and is promised a son.
 
Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 15:2-5Those who do justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
 
Second Reading     Colossians 1:24-28The mystery hidden from ages past has now been revealed in Christ.
 
Gospel ReadingLuke 10:38-42Jesus visits the house of Martha and Mary.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
The story of Jesus in the home of Martha and Mary complements the story of the Good Samaritan, which immediately precedes it in Luke's Gospel. Both stories are unique to Luke. The story of the Samaritan opens with the words “a certain man.” Today's reading opens with the words “a certain woman.” The Samaritan is an example of how a disciple should see and act. Mary is an example of how a disciple should listen. Mary, a woman, is a marginalized person in society, like the Samaritan. Both do what is not expected of them. As a woman, Mary would be expected, like Martha, to prepare hospitality for a guest. Here again Jesus breaks with the social conventions of his time. Just as a Samaritan would not be a model for neighborliness, so a woman would not sit with the men around the feet of a teacher.
Both stories exemplify how a disciple is to fulfill the dual command which begins chapter 10—love of God (Mary) and love of neighbor (the Samaritan). These are the two essentials of life in the kingdom. By using the examples of a Samaritan and a woman, however, Jesus is saying something more. Social codes and boundaries were strict in Jesus' time. Yet to love God with all one's heart and one's neighbor requires breaking those rules. The Kingdom of God is a society without distinctions and boundaries between its members. It is a society that requires times for seeing and doing and also times for listening and learning at the feet of a teacher.

June 10 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 
First Reading     Deuteronomy 30:10-14Moses reminds the people that God's commandments are not remote but are already in their hearts.
 
Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 69:14,17,30-31,36-37Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
 
Second Reading     Colossians 1:15-20Jesus is the head of the body, the Church.
 
Gospel ReadingLuke 10:25-37The parable of the Good Samaritan
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
As Jesus continues his journey to Jerusalem, he is confronted by a scholar of the law who wants to test him. In the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment. Here, in Luke's Gospel, the lawyer asks what we must do to inherit eternal life. In the other two Gospels, Jesus answers the question by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, on loving God with all your heart, and Leviticus 19:18, on loving your neighbor. Here Jesus asks the expert to answer this question, “What is written in the law?” The man is caught and responds with Deuteronomy 6:5. This verse is one of the most important prayers in Judaism, and it was said twice a day in Jesus' time. Love of God and love of neighbor are what is required for eternal life. Jesus' response is simple, “Do this and you will live.”
Having been shown up by Jesus, the lawyer tries another question: Who is my neighbor whom I must love like myself? In the society of Jesus' time, with its distinctions between Jews and Gentiles, men and women, clean and unclean, this was a trick question. Jesus responds with one of the most beautiful of all the parables, the Good Samaritan. It is found only in Luke's Gospel.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho descends 3,300 feet in just 17 miles. Its narrow passes and rocky terrain made it an easy place for bandits to wait for travelers. The traveler in this parable is identified only as “a certain man.” Luke uses this phrase in many of his parables so that the audience, Jew or Gentile, could identify with the man. After the attack, the man is left for dead, naked and bleeding on the side of the road. A priest comes along, but rather than helping, as one might expect, he moves to the other side of the road. Another religious person comes along, a Levite who assists in the Temple. His reaction is the same as the priest's. Both of them choose to not even find out if the man is alive. A third person comes along. The listeners would probably expect him to be an Israelite. This would make the parable a criticism of the religious leadership. Instead he is a Samaritan, an Israelite's most hated neighbor. Samaritans were descendents of Jews from the northern part of the country, who had intermarried with Gentiles and did not worship in Jerusalem. The Samaritan not only goes over to the injured man but cleans his wounds, puts him on his own animal, takes him to an inn to recover, and promises to pay all his expenses. The hated enemy is the compassionate neighbor in this parable.
Jesus has demolished all boundary expectations. It is not social definitions such as class, religion, gender, or ethnicity that determines who is our neighbor. A neighbor is a person who acts with compassion toward another. The point becomes not who deserves to be loved as I love myself, but that I become a person who treats everyone with compassion.
When Jesus asks the lawyer who was the neighbor in the story, the lawyer can't bring himself to say it was the Samaritan. All he says is that it was “the one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus' response was similar to that of the first discussion: “Go and do likewise.” The lawyer, and we, know what is right. The key is to do it.
 
 

July 3 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 
First Reading     Isaiah 66:10-14cI will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river.
 
Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 123:1-4Our eyes are fixed on the Lord.
 
Second Reading     Galatians 6:14-18May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Gospel Reading     Luke 10:1-12,17-20Jesus sends out 72 people to announce the coming kingdom.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today's Gospel begins immediately after the final verse in last Sunday's Gospel. After strong language about the difficulties of discipleship, Jesus immediately appoints 72 people to go ahead of him to every town and place he plans to visit, proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is at hand. He sends them in pairs. In the Law of Moses two witnesses were needed for a testimony to be credible. It was probably also a safer way to travel.
Jesus admits it will be difficult, that he is sending them out like lambs among wolves. Yet they are to bring nothing with them, not even a money bag or sandals. They are to greet no one on the way so as not to be distracted from their mission. When they enter a house, their message is simply “peace.” The response they will receive may be positive or negative. Either way, they are to know that the Kingdom of God is at hand. They are not to demand special treatment but eat and drink whatever is given them. They are to stay in one house and are not to look around for one that provides better accommodations. They are to heal the sick as a sign that the Kingdom of God is at hand for them. Like Jesus' miracles, healing is a sign of the coming of the kingdom. If the town will not receive them, they are to shake the dust from their feet and move on. Even in the case of such rejection they should know that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
When they return from their journeys, they are rejoicing because their mission has been successful. Demons were under their power because of Jesus' name. Jesus may have sent them out as lambs among wolves, but at the conclusion of this passage he assures them that they have been given power over the enemy and nothing will harm them, not even serpents and scorpions.
A key theme of today's Gospel and last Sunday's Gospel is discipleship—its challenges, its difficulties, and its rewards. Sharing in the mission of Jesus is difficult, but everyone is called to do it, not just some professionals trained for ministry. Even for us today, the harvest is plentiful. We should pray to the master of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.

June 26 - Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 
First Reading     1 Kings 19:16b,19-21Elijah anoints Elisha as his successor.
 
Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-11I set the Lord ever before me.
 
Second Reading     Galatians 5:1,13-18Christ has set us free.
 
Gospel ReadingLuke 9:51-62Jesus resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today's Gospel reading begins a long section unique to Luke's Gospel. Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, which will end with his ministry in Jerusalem. We read that Jesus' days for being “taken up” were fulfilled. The Greek word that Luke uses for “taken up” is the same word he uses to describe the Ascension. We also read that Jesus is determined to journey to Jerusalem. For Luke, Jesus ministry begins in Galilee and then is one long journey to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem he will meet his death but also enter into his glory. Only in Luke does Jesus then spend 40 days in Jerusalem instructing his disciples. It is in Jerusalem that his disciples wait after his Ascension to be sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. And it is from Jerusalem, in Luke's second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, that the Good News is spread to Rome and the ends of the earth.
Immediately Jesus is met with rejection, as a Samaritan village will not receive him because he is going to Jerusalem. There was animosity between Samaritans who worshiped on Mount Gerazim and Jews who worshiped in Jerusalem. Jesus was also rejected as he began his ministry in Galilee in Chapter 4. And he will be rejected for the last time when he reaches Jerusalem. James and John want to call down fire from heaven to destroy the people in the village, but Jesus rebukes them and moves on. There is often the temptation to use violence to achieve right. Jesus has come to break this temptation. He is aware that he must undergo violence himself before he can enter his glory.
The rest of today's reading is about the radical demands of discipleship. The three people who volunteer to become disciples on this journey show that they do not understand the demands Jesus will make of them. Neither care of self, care for the dead, nor care of one's family (as required by the Fourth Commandment) can come before the demands of discipleship. Jesus reminds the first volunteer, who would go wherever Jesus goes, that animals in the wild have more security than do Jesus and his followers. The second, who wants to bury a parent, is reminded that the demands of proclaiming the Kingdom of God take precedence. And the third, who wants to say farewell to his family, is reminded that once you put your hand to the plow you cannot look back or the furrow will be crooked. Such a person is not ready for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus seems harsh here, but he is only asking of his disciples what he asks of himself. Jesus' unconditional commitment to God's saving work will demand of him his life. He knows this, but the disciples do not understand. Jesus does not want anyone to rush into discipleship, because the demands of discipleship require everyone considering it to be aware of the cost, make Jesus and his mission central to his life, and then go forward without looking back

June 19 - The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year C

 
First Reading    Genesis 14:18-20Melchizedek, king of Salem, blessed Abram.
 
Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 110:1-4You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek. 
Second Reading     1 Corinthians 11:23-26As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
 
Gospel ReadingLuke 9:11b-17They all ate and were satisfied.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today, the second Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate a second solemnity, which marks our return to Ordinary Time. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. At one time, this day was called Corpus Christi, Latin for “the Body of Christ.” In the most recent revision of the liturgy, the name for this day is expanded to be a more complete reflection of our Eucharistic theology.
The feeding of the 5,000 is the only one of Jesus' miracles to appear in all four Gospels. Luke places it between Herod's question, “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” and Peter's response to Jesus' question about who he thought Jesus was: “You are the Messiah of God.” In Luke the feeding is not the result of Jesus' compassion for the crowd but is instigated by the disciples. They wanted Jesus to send the crowd away to town. Instead Jesus tells the disciples to give them some food on their own.
The passage is meant to remind us of two feedings in the Old Testament: the feeding of the Israelites in the desert and Elisha's feeding of 100 people with 20 loaves in 2 Kings 4:42-44. It is also connected to the institution of the Eucharist. As in the Last Supper accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke and in Paul's account in 1 Corinthians 11:23-24, Jesus takes bread, looks up to heaven, blesses the bread, breaks it, and then gives it to the disciples. In using this exact language, Luke is reminding his readers that in this miracle Jesus is doing more than feeding hungry people as God did for the Israelites and the prophet Elisha did as well. The bread he gives is his body, which he will continue to give as often as the community breaks bread in remembrance of him in the Eucharist.

June 12 - Solomnity of the most sacred Trinity

 
First Reading    Proverbs 8:22-31Wisdom was born before the earth was made.
 
Responsorial Psalm    Psalm 8:4-9 O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
 
Second Reading     Romans 5:1-5We boast of our afflictions.
 
Gospel ReadingJohn 16:12-15Whatever the Father has is mine. The Spirit of truth will guide us.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
This week we return to the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. This Sunday and next Sunday, however, are designated as solemnities, special days that call our attention to central mysteries of our faith. Today, on the first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast invites us to consider what we believe about God, who has revealed himself to us in the Trinity—one God in three persons.
The verses of today's Gospel come near the end of Jesus' long discourse at the Last Supper. In the early part of this discourse, as we saw last week on Pentecost, Jesus offers assurances to the disciples. Even though he must leave the disciples, he tells them that they will have a future because of the help he will send them in the Holy Spirit. In this section he focuses more on the shape of the future, which will include Jesus' victory over the world that they will share in. The disciples of Jesus cannot know the future. They can only know that, whatever shape the future takes, they will not have to face it alone. They have the Spirit of Truth, who will continue to provide the teaching of Jesus in the future.
Reading this passage on Trinity Sunday reinforces our understanding of the unity shared by the members of the Trinity. Although the idea of one God in three persons remains a mystery, we have the assurance that, as Jesus and the Father share all, Jesus and the Spirit share all.

June 5 - Pentecost Sunday, Year C

 
First Reading    Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11The Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles gathered in Jerusalem.
 
Responsorial Psalm    Psalm 104:1,24,29-31,34God's Spirit renews the earth.
 
Second Reading    1 Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13 or Romans 8:8-17We are all one in Christ Jesus.
 
Gospel ReadingJohn 20:19-23Jesus appears to his disciples and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
The season of Easter concludes with today's celebration, the feast of Pentecost. On Pentecost we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem; this event marks the beginning of the Church. The story of Pentecost is found in the Acts of the Apostles, today's first reading. The account in today's Gospel, taken from the Gospel of John, also recounts how Jesus gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to his disciples. There is no need to try to reconcile these two accounts to each other. It is enough to know that, after his death, Jesus fulfilled his promise to send to his disciples a helper, an advocate, who would enable them to be his witnesses throughout the world.
We previously heard today's Gospel on the second Sunday of Easter. At that time, we also heard the passage that follows, which describes Jesus' appearance to Thomas. In that context, we were led to reflect on belief and unbelief.
In the context of the feast of Pentecost, this reading reminds us about the integral connection between the gifts of peace and forgiveness and the action of the Holy Spirit. Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace. Jesus then commissions his disciples to continue the work that he has begun, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” As he breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, Jesus sends his disciples to continue his work of reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins.
This Gospel reminds us that the Church is called to be a reconciling presence in the world. This reconciling presence of Christ is celebrated in the Church's sacramental life. In the Sacrament of Baptism, we are washed clean from sin and become a new creation in Christ. In the Sacrament of Penance, the Church celebrates the mercy of God in forgiving sins. This reconciling presence is also to be a way of life for Christians. In situations of conflict, we are to be agents of peace and harmony among people.

May 29 - The Ascension of the Lord, Year C

 
First Reading     Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11Jesus is taken up to heaven in the presence of the Apostles.
 
Responsorial Psalm    Psalm 47:2-3,6-9Sing praise to God as he mounts his throne.
 
Second Reading      Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand.
 
Gospel ReadingLuke 24:46-53Jesus is taken to heaven and the disciples remain in Jerusalem awaiting his sending of the Spirit.
 
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today is our liturgical celebration of the Ascension of the Lord, when Jesus was taken to heaven on the 40th day after Easter. In Cycle C, our Gospel is taken from the conclusion of the Gospel of Luke.
There are similarities in the reports of Jesus' Ascension found in the Synoptic Gospels—Mark, Matthew, and Luke. In each account, Jesus assigns his disciples the task of proclaiming the Gospel to the entire world. There are also notable distinctions. In the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, the disciples are sent by Jesus to baptize as well as to preach. In Luke's Gospel, however, this commission to baptize is absent. Instead, Jesus directs the disciples to return to Jerusalem to await the fulfillment of his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. Curiously, only Mark and Luke actually report Jesus' Ascension into heaven. Matthew's Gospel concludes with Jesus' promise to remain with his disciples forever. Only the Gospel of Mark notes that Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God. In noting this, Mark teaches that Jesus' Ascension affirms the glory Jesus received from God after his death and Resurrection.
Those who believe in Jesus will be empowered to do what Jesus himself has done. Already in Mark's Gospel, during his ministry, Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, to heal, and to drive out unclean spirits. Now, they are sent again to do these things and more. From his place with God in heaven, Jesus helped his disciples, and he continues to help us as we try to live as his followers.