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Friday June 28, 2019 – Sacred Heart of Jesus (Solemnity) Reflection

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June 28, 2019

In today’s Gospel, the good shepherd goes in search of the lost sheep, and, after finding it, rejoices with his neighbours. Through this parable, Jesus reveals his compassionate love towards those who go astray.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is also a symbol of God’s tender love, compassion and mercy. Although we claim to have faith in the Sacred Heart, we sometimes hold the mistaken belief that God is like a policeman, watching our every move and punishing us when we fail.

Our devotion to the sacred Heart of Jesus should lead us rather to trust more in the love and forgiveness of God, who desires our salvation and well- being. As Disciples of Christ, we should also make an effort to become more compassionate and forgiving towards those who go astray.

Friday June 28, 2019 – Sacred Heart of Jesus (Solemnity) Prayer of the Faithful

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June 28, 2019

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PRIEST: My brothers and sisters, God our Father loved us so much that he sent his only Son to be the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for us. We make our prayers to our loving Lord for all the needs of our Church and world.

READER: For leaders of the Church, (pause) may they, imitating the Good Shepherd, be loving and compassionate towards those committed to their care, and for whom they give their lives in loving service. Father, be with us; to love and lead us we pray Oh Lord.

For leaders of nations traditionally distrustful to each other, (pause) may the break down barriers which divide, build bridges which unite and reconcile, and seek a just compromise by which their countries may learn to live in lasting peace. Father, be with us; to love and lead us we pray Oh Lord.

For those who suffer physical or mental illness, (pause) may they be encouraged by the love of Jesus to unite their suffering with the Sacred Heart of him who died in order to reconcile them to the Father. Father, be with us; to love and lead us we pray Oh Lord.

For a sprit of joy in the community, (pause) may the amazing grace won for us by Christ be our source of joy, so that nothing casts us down or separates us from his love. Father, be with us; to love and lead us we pray Oh Lord.

We make our private petitions in silence to God, who knows the hidden secrets of our hearts.

PRIEST: Father, you love and care for us, and with confidence in your unfailing tenderness, we have made our prayers to you Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

See Today’s Reflection

Friday June 28, 2019 – Sacred Heart of Jesus (Solemnity) Readings

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June 28, 2019

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FIRST READING: Ezekiel 34:11—16
“Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.”
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 23:1-3a.3b-4.5.6 (R. I)
R. The Lord is my shepherd,
there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me;
he revives my soul. R.

He guides me along the right path,
for the sake of his name.
Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death,
no evil would I fear, for you are with me.
Your crook and your staff will give me comfort. R.

You have prepared a table before me
in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing. R.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for length of days unending. R.

SECOND READING: Romans 5:5b- 11
Brethren: God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man — though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.
The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Matthew 11:29ab
Alleluia. Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: Luke 15:3-7
At that time: Jesus told the Pharisees and the scribes this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. ’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

See Prayer of the Faithful for today

Thursday 27 June 2019 Reflection

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June 27, 2019

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In today’s reading, Jesus warns his disciples not to be taken in by false prophets. There are many persons who possess spectacular gifts like speaking in tongues, prophesying, casting out demons and working signs. We need to remember that a spiritual gift is given freely by God, regardless of the merit of a person. Gifts are not definite signs of holiness or of being a true apostle of Christ.

Jesus instead points out to the hallmark of a true disciple – listening to God’s word and doing his holy will. A person who consistently acts according to Jesus’ teaching grows in faith, and will be able to hold firm even in times of trial and temptation.

May we become true disciples of Jesus by building our lives on the rock of his holy word.

Thursday 27 June 2019 Readings

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June 27, 2019

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FIRST READING: Genesis 16:1-12.15-16
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; and Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ishmael; because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 106:lb-2.3-4ab.4c-5 (R. 1b)
R/. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the Lord’s mighty deeds,
or recount in full his praise? R.

Blessed are they who observe what is just,
who at all times do what is right.
O Lord, remember me
with the favour you show to your people. R.

Visit me with your saving power,
that I may see the riches of your chosen ones,
and may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
boasting in the glory of your heritage. R.

ALLELUIA John14:23
Alleluia. If a man loves me, he will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. Alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 7:21-29
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came; and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C. May 19, 2019

Sunday Readings

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May 19, 2019

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FIRST READING: Acts of the Apostles14:21b-27.
In those days: Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every Church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed. Then they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And when they arrived, they gathered the Church together and declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: 145:8-9.10-11.12-13ab.
R/. I will bless your name forever, my king and my God.
Or: Alleluia.

SECOND READING: Revelation 21: 1-5a.
I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
The word of the Lord.

HOLY GOSPEL:John 13:31-33a.34-35.
When Judas had gone out [from the upper room,] Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The Gospel of the Lord.