2011 Jun 1 Wed: Justin, mt M Acts 17: 15. 22 -- 18: 1

Ps 148: 1-2. 11-12. 13. 14

Jn 16: 12-15 

12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Reflection: ‘Your Example Makes A Difference’

At one time or another, in great ways or small, you are an example, a role model, even an inspiration for others. This is true even when you are unaware of the impact you are having. In the First Reading from Acts, St. Paul comes across as a realist, yet his deep faith allows him to know that ‘Hope’ is more real than ‘Despair’; ‘Faith’ more real than ‘Distrust’ and ‘Love’ more real than ‘Fear’. So, despite the skepticism and being laughed at by the Greeks at Athens, he is certain that the Paraclete – the Spirit of Truth will guide him and bring Jesus’ teachings to life afresh with new understanding. It is this spiritual realism that helps him continue despite setbacks and oppositions.

Today, those like St. Paul who keep speaking about the ‘Son’ while walking under a cloudy sky are ‘messengers of hope’; true saints of our day. Are you a ‘messenger of hope?’

2011 Jun 2 Thu: Easter Weekday/ Marcellinus and Peter, mts Acts 18: 1-8

Ps 98: 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4

Jn 16: 16-20 

16 ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’ 17Then some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean by saying to us, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”; and “Because I am going to the Father”?’ 18They said, ‘What does he mean by this “a little while”? We do not know what he is talking about.’19Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, ‘Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little 

while, and you will see me”? 20Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.

Reflection: ‘Live Gladly In The Knowledge Of God’s Love’

Most people want more. When that is not enough, they want better, and when better is not enough they want different. When different is not enough they become sad.

Joy is the by-product of a meaningful life. A joyful life begins with a deep appreciation of Christ’s supreme revelation of God’s love expressed visibly in His own self-offering on the Cross. This is the basis of our happiness and hope. It teaches us that what is needed is a noble purpose in life and a spirit of fidelity to the duties of the present moment.

2011 Jun 3 Fri: Charles Lwanga & co., mts M Acts 18: 9-18

Ps 47: 2-3. 4-5. 6-7

Jn 16: 20-23 

20Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. 21When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. 22So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23On that day you will ask nothing of me.  Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

Reflection: ‘Make Your Voice Heard’

“If we would only testify to the truth as we see it, it would turn out at once that there are hundreds, thousands, even millions of other people just as we are, who see the truth as we do … and are only waiting, again as we are, for someone to proclaim it.” – Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom Of God Is Within You

Drawing inspiration from St. Paul (today’s First Reading) and Ss. Charles Lwanga and Companions, let us speak up for our beliefs. As we speak up for our beliefs, we will become more aware of our potential for good. Let us not be afraid to set our

goals high. God has given us an opportunity to help make a better world. So let’s stand up, speak out, take action. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide you and you’ll be amazed at what you can do

2011 Jun 4 Sat: Easter Weekday Acts 18: 23-28

Ps 47: 2-3. 8-9. 10

Jn 16: 23b-28 

23On that day you will ask nothing of me.   Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

25 ‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.  28I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.’

Reflection: ‘The Father Delights In You’

There are two ways of considering the nature of God. Viewed negatively, God is a scowling, demanding taskmaster, quick to anger and slow to forgive. From a positive viewpoint, God is a loving Father, slow to anger and quick to forgive. A positive spirituality is optimistic about human nature. Jesus encouraged this optimism: “Ask and you will receive”. A positive spirituality knows that ‘Love’ is God’s essence and is more apt to imagine God smiling because in love there is no fear.

Jesus wants to share His special knowledge of the Father. He wants us to know that God loves each of us in a special way. Let us be prepared today and everyday to accept the fact that God delights in loving us.

2011 Jun 5 SUN: ASCENSION OF THE LORD S (Seventh Sunday of Easter) Acts 1: 1-11

Ps 47: 2-3. 6-7. 8-9 (6)

Eph 1: 17-23

Mt 28: 16-20 

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Reflection: ‘A New Ardour Of Evangelization’

Before his ascension into heaven, our Lord entrusted to His disciples the mission of making disciples of all the nations (Mt 28:19). Today, a new ardour is needed in the Church to deal with the unprecedented world situation of secularization and religious indifference, moral and religious relativism, consumerism and sexual immorality, terrorism and violence and unethical power and scientific progress.

Today, ‘Making disciples’ would entail an intense pastoral attention by the Church to the family, women and the youth; integration of social communications and mass media into her evangelistic and pastoral planning and activity in order to safeguard human rights and promote truth and justice in public life; reaching out in solidarity to the marginalized of society; addressing the social evils of alcoholism, drug addiction and child abuse and infusing cultures with the values of the Kingdom.

2011 Jun 6 Mon: Easter Weekday/ Norbert, bp, rf Acts 19: 1-8

Ps 68: 2-3ab. 4-5acd. 6-7ab

Jn 16: 29-33 

29 His disciples said, ‘Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! 30Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.’ 31Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? 32The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’

Reflection: ‘Discovering Peace’

Jesus says: “I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me … Take courage, I have conquered the world”

People who know how to eliminate from their lives those things that dissipate their inner strength walk through life with strength of character. Be aware of eight enemies of the soul, lest they quickly flinch your peace, upset your poise and diminish your spiritual strength: Lingering Resentment, Fear, Self-Centredness, Unresolved Guilt, Undisciplined Desires, Conformity, Mixed Motives, Ignorance or Lack of Judgement. With Jesus as your guide, you will ‘Know Peace’

2011 Jun 7 Tue: Easter Weekday Acts 20: 17-27

Ps 68: 10-11. 20-21

Jn 17: 1-11a 

17After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all people,  to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 

6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Reflection: ‘Focus Not On Your Hardships But On Serving The Lord’

As we see in today's first reading, St. Paul knew that going to Jerusalem would mean "chains and hardships", so why did he go? Couldn't he be just as useful to the Lord if he stayed where he was accepted and appreciated? What makes a person willing to say ‘yes’ to God's calling when it's a certainty that it won't always be easy; when being safe in God does not mean being safe from persecution and hardships?

Paul answered this question with: "I put no value on my life. I only value finishing the service that the Lord Jesus has assigned to me." Jesus also answered it in

today's Gospel passage: "I have given you glory, Father, by accomplishing the work you gave me to do."

Don't focus on the hardships; keep your eyes on the goal - the finish line - and on the Lord for whom you're doing this. Only in God are we truly safe. He heals our wounds and raises us above the trials into His warm and gentle lap, where we are always safely loved.

2011 Jun 8 Wed: Easter Weekday Acts 20: 28-38

Ps 68: 29-30. 33-35a. 35bc-36ab

Jn 17: 11b-19 

11bHoly Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12While I was with them, I protected them in your name that  you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost,  so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.  14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.  16They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Reflection: ‘Consecrate Every Moment To God Now’

We have been baptized into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, but have we consciously consecrated our life to Him? So let's take up the challenge and consecrate EVERY MOMENT to God NOW.

Jesus wishes that we are consecrated to the truth – His Word. It means putting God in charge of what we do, so that our activities are ordered according to His will and desire. It means identifying what we're attached to in this world and then reprioritizing so that we become attached to God alone.

It means continually asking ourselves, in each and every situation, "Am I sharing God's love right now? If not, what must I do to change?"

2011 Jun 9 Thu: Easter Weekday/ Ephrem of Syria, d, dr Acts 22: 30; 23: 6-11

Ps 16: 1-2a and 5. 7-8. 9-10. 11

Jn 17: 20-26 

20 ‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,   so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 

25 ‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’

Reflection: ‘Called To A Mutual Indwelling With God’

You are very special to God. You belong to him. Are you aware of living in a special love relationship with each Person of the Trinity? The Father is our own very special "Abba", who provides for our every need. The Holy Spirit embraces us and comforts us and teaches us everything we need to know so we can live in the joy of a life that's full of love. And in that love, Jesus sacrificed himself for us so that we can follow Him to eternal joy with the Father.

You are called to be a part of this mutual indwelling. Through Jesus, you and I are united to the Father, and the Father extends himself to the world through us. Through us, the Father continues doing miracles, the humanly impossible works. Only someone who believes in Jesus and relies on His Holy Spirit can continue spreading the values of the Kingdom of God.

2011 Jun 10 Sat Easter Weekday

Acts 25: 13b-21

Ps 103: 1-2. 11-12. 19-20ab

Jn 21: 15-19 

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 16A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know 

that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ 17He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. 18Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ 19(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’

Reflection: ‘Jesus Heals Our Brokenness’

It is not easy to forgive or to ask for forgiveness when one is confronted with an act of betrayal. The hurt can be extreme. Yet with God’s grace, the help of others and your own courage, you can free yourself from letting circumstances rule your life. What is needed: ‘Making constructive choices and taking risks’; ‘Adapting to the reality of what cannot be changed’ and ‘Being grateful for having being forgiven and blessed’.

This was Jesus’ message to Peter and it is the same message to each one of us today.

2011 Jun 11 Sat: Barnabas, ap M Acts 11: 21b-26; 13: 1-3

Ps 98: 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4. 5-6

Jn 21: 20-25 

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?’ 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’ 22Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!’  23So the rumour spread in the community    that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?’* 

24 This   is  the disciple who  is  testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that  his testimony is true.  25But there are also many other things that Jesus did;  if  every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. 

Reflection: ‘Are You Testifying To Jesus?’

Jesus’ final words to Peter are the last words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John: ‘Follow Me’. It is a call not merely to ‘follow’ but to ‘testify’. How are you

"testifying to Jesus"? We are witnesses of the truth whenever we act upon our faith in the circumstances of daily life. We advocate the truth whenever our behaviours reveal the advantages of believing in Christ. Everything we do and say should reflect who Jesus really is. Are there any words that come out of your mouth that testify against Jesus? Have any of your recent decisions testified against his trustworthiness? Does the way you handle difficult people testify against His love?

2011 Jun 12 SUN: PENTECOST S Vigil: Gn 11: 1-9 or Ex 19: 3-8a. 16-20b or Ez 37: 1-4 or Jl 3: 1-5

Ps 104: 1-2. 24. 35. 27-28. 29. 30

Rom 8: 22-27

Jn 7: 37-39. Day: Acts 2: 1-11

Ps 104: 1. 24. 29-30. 31. 34

1 Cor 12: 3b-7. 12-13

Sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus

Jn 20: 19-23 

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Reflection: ‘A New Vision, A New Life, A New Direction’

How did Christians, who came from different races, language groups and social classes, become one Church - “one heart and one soul”? The answer lies in a new vision, a new life, a new direction.

Jesus' followers “had their eyes opened”. Think of a person blind or colour blind from birth who is suddenly blessed with sight. What incredible marvels to take in! The new light showed a beauty, a greatness, a lovability in one another that people had never noticed while blind. Something of the tender, divine way Jesus had of

looking at people had "rubbed off" and changed the vision of the believers. The apostles were a bunch of unlikely characters that formed the first teaching Church. They were men of different temperaments, social classes, degrees of refinement. What moulded them into unity was not similarity of views or an attraction for one another, but the shared call by Jesus to repent. In repentance in the new life, we discover a whole new way of seeing people. There are no more “outsiders” and “insiders”, “them” and “us”. Each person is a divinely treasured individual in whom Jesus is personally interested.

2011 Jun 13 Mon: Anthony of Padua, p, r, dr M (Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time) 2 Cor 6: 1-10

Ps 98: 1. 2b. 3ab. 3cd-4

Mt 5: 38-42 

38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Reflection: ‘Be An Actor, Not A Reactor’

One could see today’s Gospel as a description of a ‘Victim’ or as a ‘Ministry’ by being a follower of Jesus. When we suffer because we choose to turn an injustice into a ministry, for the sake of "enriching many", we are "sorrowful yet always rejoicing." God joins us in our pain and celebrates our desire to offer the other cheek and go the extra mile. He's delighted that He can -through us - reach out to others with His sacrificial love. Jesus is not telling His disciples to let evil have its way. He is requiring of them that in resisting evil, they must not only refuse to do evil themselves, but they must continue to do good. Therefore, be an ‘Actor’ and not a ‘Reactor’ in the face of evil.

2011 Jun 14 Tue: Ordinary Weekday 2 Cor 8: 1-9

Ps 146: 2. 5-6ab. 6c-7. 8-9a

Mt 5: 43-48 

43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,  what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Reflection: ‘The Proof Of An Authentic, Loving Response’

It would be good to ask ourselves this question:"Am I a good representative of Jesus? Can the world around me discover that God is real by watching me?"

Loving unconditionally does not mean loving without boundaries. Healthy boundaries need to be established. We should say "No! Enough!" out of love for ourselves and other victims or potential victims. At the same time, our "No!" can come with great love for the abuser.

This is what it means to "be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Perfection in the Bible does not mean committing no sins and making no mistakes. Spiritual perfection means love that is balanced, full, unlimited, and merciful towards all.

This message of transforming love has to be lived in our everyday lives. We have to overcome our own behaviours that work against unity in our families, our friendships, our relationships with co-workers and in our parish activities. We have to live out Matthew 5:43-48 in each situation that we face.

2011 Jun 15 Wed: Ordinary Weekday 2 Cor 9: 6-11

Ps 112: 1bc-2. 3-4. 9

Mt 6: 1-6. 16-18

6‘Beware of practising your piety before others  in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 ‘So  whenever   you   give   alms,   do  not   sound   a   trumpet   before   you,   as   the  hypocrites   do   in   the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*

5 ‘And  whenever   you  pray,  do  not  be   like   the  hypocrites;   for   they   love   to   stand  and  pray   in   the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

16 ‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Reflection: ‘Be Other-Centred, Not Self-Centred’

Jesus is clear about the fact that serving God is done for love of God, not personal gain. Generosity is to be done with humility, not for our own glory, and not with expectations of reward. When we give alms, pray or fast in order to reap abundantly, we become self-centered. But when we give alms, pray or fast generously because we love others, we reap from God's generosity. Love is the answer to overcoming the fear of being generous.

Love is what frees us to be cheerful givers. It aids our conversion. Almsgiving converts our hearts by sacrificing our selfish attachment to materialism for the sake of loving others. Praying converts our hearts by sacrificing our selfish use of time for the love of God. Fasting converts our hearts by sacrificing our selfish pleasures, for the strengthening of our spiritual nature and our holiness.

2011 Jun 16 Thu: Ordinary Weekday 2 Cor 11: 1-11

Ps 111: 1b-2. 3-4. 7-8

Mt 6: 7-15 

7 ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 

9 ‘Pray then in this way:Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come.  Your will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread.* 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.*14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Reflection: ‘We Dare To Say “Our Father”’

There are times no other words speak more powerfully to my emotions - God, as FATHER - Sometimes I sense Him so near, I can feel His warmth. When I meet Him in prayer, I can feel Him draw me into His arms. If I listen carefully, I hear Him whisper, "I will never leave you. I will never forsake you."

What do you think about when you think about God as your FATHER? Perhaps your relationship mirrors mine. Maybe it is better, or much worse. Whatever our memory, of one thing we can be certain: Calvary proves for all time and into eternity, "Even if my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will never forsake us"(Psalm 27:10). Through Isaiah, God promised, "Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of My hands I have written your name" (Isaiah 49:15-16). As we pray ‘The Our Father’ - we remind ourselves that the God of the universe is our Father – our Abba.

2011 Jun 17 Fri: Ordinary Weekday 2 Cor 11: 18. 21-30

Ps 34: 2-3. 4-5. 6-7

Mt 6: 19-23 

19 ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rus t consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust 

consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

22 ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; 23but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 

Reflection: ‘Appreciating The Treasures We Have’

If we cannot see or envision what our real treasures are, then we're blind, says Jesus in today's Gospel passage. Take a close look - in the Light of Christ - at your treasures, your real treasures. What talents do you have? They are gifts from God. What pearls of wisdom or gems of unconditional love or diamonds of trust have you gained from hardship? They will last forever and eternally benefit others if you use them well. How do your weaknesses become treasures that glorify God? If you learn from mistakes, or if you overcome a sinful tendency, or if you crumble in trials but return to your daily pressures with strength from the Holy Spirit, you're collecting treasures beyond measure. The value of these treasures is in the good that they do for others. Only by spreading the love of God do we accumulate treasures that we'll be able to enjoy for all of eternity. And if we have to endure hardships and make sacrifices to get it done, foregoing our selfish desires for an easy, comfortable life, then the treasures are precious indeed!

2011 Jun 18 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM 2 Cor 12: 1-10

Ps 34: 8-9. 10-11. 12-13

Mt 6: 24-34 

24 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God  and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Reflection: ‘Worry Is Irreverent, Irresponsible And Irrelevant’

The Gospel of today is full of truth that will help you overcome the effects of worry. Worry is irreverent because it fails to recognize that God is working in this world. Worry is irresponsible because it wastes our energy. Worry is irrelevant because it cannot change anything. So ‘trust God’ for the things that are beyond your control. Keeping your focus on God will help you keep your mind off worry. Take life as it comes, one day at a time. Remember, Fog can be seven blocks wide and 100 feet deep, but the water will condense down into one cup. With God on our side, we can overcome any challenge that might cause us to worry.

2011 Jun 19 SUN: THE HOLY TRINITY S Ex 34: 4b-6. 8-9

Dn 3: 52. 53. 54. 55. 56 (52b)

2 Cor 13: 11-13

Jn 3: 16-18 

16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 

17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Reflection: ‘The Trinity = Relationship’

The Trinitarian God, is a God who contains within himself, who is within himself a relationship of love, a communion of love. Today the Entrance Antiphon joyfully declares: Blessed be God the Father and his only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit: for he has shown that he loves us.

How wonderful! The God who is Love loves us; we are loved by Love. He has created us in love, He has redeemed us in love, He has destined us for love. This interior call to communion with our Creator is at the same time gift. It is the daily guarantee of His love for us and gives direction and meaning to our every moment. The return He asks is not only that we love Him but that we love one another. This, indeed, is the decisive ‘yes’ we must arrive at.

Trinitarian love excludes no part of what it has created; the divine mercy continues to reach out to our freedom and we must do likewise to all in our lives and communities. In a practical way this means unrelenting forgiveness towards those who offend us, as well as unrelenting hope that those who at present seem to reject the love of God may one day happily yield to it.

2011 Jun 20 Mon: Ordinary Weekday (Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time) Gn 12: 1-9

Ps 33: 12-13. 18-19. 20 and 22

Mt 7: 1-5 

7‘Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and 

the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s  eye, 

but do not notice the log in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your neighbor,  “Let me take the 

speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your 

own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s  eye.

Reflection: ‘Be Slow To Judge Others’

A judge is one who has the authority to impose sentence. Only God has that authority, for only God is free of sin. The Scriptures remind us that God as Judge is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, great in kindness, good to the sinner, etc. We are quick to condemn. God is not. We get frustrated when people don't get the punishment they deserve. Yet, how grateful we are that he does not condemn us so quickly! As Christians, we are called to put on the mind of Christ, so let us remember what is uppermost in Christ's mind: "I did not come to the world to condemn it, but to save it." We become obstacles in His way when we condemn people for their sins. Redemption and justice only occur when we let Jesus decide how to make good come from every evil.

2011 Jun 21 Tue: Aloysius Gonzaga, r M Gn 13: 2. 5-18

Ps 15: 2-3a. 3bc-4ab. 5

Mt 7: 6. 12-14 

6 ‘Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.

12 ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. 

13 ‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy  that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

Reflection: ‘Stay With Jesus Along The Narrow Way’

Have you ever felt lonely because of your Christian faith? Holiness is a rough road to travel, not only because we keep tripping over our own tendencies to sin, but also because we meet co-journeyers who choose not to stay the course. We also run into the dogs and swine that Jesus mentioned - people who don't want to accept the truth about life in Christ nor put full effort into holiness. They either attack the faith or they attack us and leave us sitting on the curb weary and wounded. Trust in Jesus who is right beside us, holding our hand, kissing our wounds, crying with our hurts, laughing at our jokes, dancing in our joys.

2011 Jun 22 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Paulinus of Nola, bp/ John Fisher, bp, mt, and Thomas More, mm, mt Gn 15: 1-12. 17-18

Ps 105: 1-2. 3-4. 6-7. 8-9

Mt 7: 15-20 

15 ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17In the same 

way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad 

fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and 

thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will know them by their fruits.

Reflection: ‘Let God Be Your Shield’

The reading of today, call on us to have ‘God as our shield’. What does it mean for God to be our shield? At first thought, we might assume that Jesus the Good

Shepherd should shield us from the wolves who make our lives difficult and painful. But that's the mentality of a person who's caught in the snare of modern society; we want everything to be done for us. Jesus didn't say he will keep the wolves from coming into our lives. He said, "Watch out!"

If we're not watching, if we're not vigilantly on the alert at all times, we let our shields down. If God is our shield, we need to keep him in front where He protects us. We must develop a good relationship with Him which requires conscious and constant effort. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, we become vulnerable to lies and deceptions and the trickery of the false prophets. The goal is not to avoid the wolves. The true goal of Christian living is to recognize the wolves and remain in God's love and holiness.

2011 Jun 23 Thu: Ordinary Weekday 

Gn 16: 1-12. 15-16

Ps 106: 1b-2. 3-4a. 4b-5

Mt 7: 21-29 

21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22On 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 deeds of power in your name?” 23Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.” 

24 ‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’ 

28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Reflection: ‘Build A Solid Relationship With God’

It is not enough to claim to be a disciple of Jesus nor is it enough to recognize Him as ‘Lord’, nor enough to point out all that we have done in His name. We need to demonstrate by our actions that we are committed to doing the will of His Father. A solid relationship with God enables us to trust in His mercy and compassion. In a solid relationship with God, we are not discouraged by what we see during the trial, because we remain certain that God is doing something wonderful that we

cannot yet see. In a solid relationship with God, understanding comes not in our minds but in our hearts, where love helps us realize the help He is giving.

2011 Jun 24 Fri: NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST S Vigil: Jer 1: 4-10

Ps 71: 1-2. 3-4a. 5-6ab. 15ab and 17

1 Pt 1: 8-12

Lk 1: 5-17. Day: Is 49: 1-6

Ps 139: 1b-3. 13-14ab. 14c-15

Acts 13: 22-26

Lk 1: 57-66. 80 

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.  58Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ 61They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ 62Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63He asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed. 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. 80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

Reflection: ‘God Has A Special Purpose For You’

God had a special purpose for John the Baptist since before he was born and it is the same with us. Since the moment of your conception, God created you with a special purpose in mind. God has given you a sharp-edged sword, i.e., the ability to speak the truth. He gave you this gift during your baptism when you received the Holy Spirit.

The Lord is concealing you in the shadow of his arm. No matter how hard your life has been, and no matter how many times you strayed from the Lord, you still belong to him. Even though you have sometimes toiled in vain and your efforts to do God's work have seemingly been for nothing, He will give you recompense.

Whatever you can imagine doing for the Lord is "too little" compared to what He knows you can do. He has bigger plans for you, a more important use for your gifts and talents and experiences and training than what you've done so far. Allow His light to shine ever brighter through you!

2011 Jun 25 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM Gn 18: 1-15

Lk 1: 46-47. 48-49. 50 and 53. 54-55

Mt 8: 5-17 

5 When  he entered  Capernaum,  a  centurion  came to  him,  appealing   to  him  6and  saying,   ‘Lord,  my servant is lying at home paralysed, in terrible distress.’ 7And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ 8The centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ 10When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in no one  in Israel have I found such faith. 11I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 13And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.’ And the servant was healed in that hour. 

14 When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever;  15he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. 16That evening they brought to him many who were possessed by demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. 17This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’

Reflection: ‘Be Steadfast In Faith’

Today’s Gospel reminds us: ‘Unless your faith is firm, there is very little chance that you will be firm’. How can our faith remain steady when we allow circumstances in our lives to take our eyes off Jesus? Unless we focus on Him, we are weak and vulnerable and easily shaken by the struggles and anxieties we face.

Trust is a choice. Fear tells us to distrust God and trust our own assumptions, which are based on limited evidence. Fear is a feeling, but trust is a decision. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, He gives us divine evidence that contradicts any discouraging evidence, although often it comes in ways that are, at first, easy to overlook. What trials are you enduring right now? In the midst of the frightening, burdensome and frustrating events that spell out bad news, look for evidence that

God has been at work, for there you will find good news and then like the Centurion you too will trustfully say: ‘Only say the Word and I shall be healed’

2011 Jun 26 SUN: THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST S Dt 8: 2-3. 14b-16a

Ps 147: 12-13. 14-15. 19-20 (12)

1 Cor 10: 16-17

Optional Sequence Lauda, Sion

Jn 6: 51-58 

51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ 

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ 53So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’

Reflection: ‘Jesus Gifts Us HIMSELF’

Jesus reminds us that without Him we cannot live. Jesus offered different kinds of ‘bread’ to people satisfying their many hungers. To people who were starving in to the desert, He offered ordinary bread and so satisfied their physical hunger. To the leper whose body was falling apart, He offered the only bread that mattered – the bread of physical healing. To the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, He offered the bread of human kindness and acceptance. To sinners He offered the bread of forgiveness. To the rejects and outcasts, by mixing with them, He offered the bread of companionship. To the widow of Nain, and Martha and Mary, who had lost someone dear to them, He offered the bread of compassion. To the thief who died by His side, He offered the bread of reconciliation with God. What bread are we looking for? Only Jesus can offer us that bread.

2011 Jun 27 Mon: Ordinary Weekday/ Cyril of Alexandria, bp, dr (Thirteenth

Week in Ordinary Time) Gn 18: 16-33

Ps 103: 1b-2. 3-4. 8-9. 10-11

Mt 8: 18-22 

18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ 20And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ 21Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ 22But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’

Reflection: ‘How Much Would You Stake For Jesus?’

God never abandons us. The fact is, WE need to abandon everything that is not Godly. Everything is less important than our obedient dependence upon God. Nothing really matters but God. We can lose everything, and as long as we still have God, we are doing exceedingly well.

Today's Gospel passage reminds us that we have to lose everything to follow Jesus, who gave up His home, His career in carpentry, and His very life for our sake. Whenever we look back at what we give up to follow Him into holiness and heaven, wishing to have that which does not come from Him, we turn away from God. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. By abandoning everything into His hands, He gives back to us whatever truly is right and good.

2011 Jun 28 Tue: Irenaeus, bp, mt M Gn 19: 15-29

Ps 26: 2-3. 9-10. 11-12

Mt 8: 23-27 

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24A gale arose on the lake, so great that the 

boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him up, saying, 

‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ 26And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he 

got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27They were amazed, saying, 

‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’

Reflection: ‘What Storm Are You Trying To Survive?’

What storm are you living through right now? When we try to survive the storms the way we're told to handle it by our worldly training or by our selfish passions, things only get worse, or at best, peace is delayed. If we fail to let the teachings of Jesus transform us, the troubles that come along will destroy us; they'll destroy our peace, our joy and our awareness that God loves us.

If we depend only on ourselves to fight the storms that rage in our lives, we end up in greater difficulty because we kick up new storms. But when we quit fighting God and His ways, the turmoil subsides. His love takes over. He becomes the source of our happiness and we stop relying on others for our peace.

2011 Jun 29 Wed: PETER AND PAUL, APS S Vigil: Acts 3: 1-10

Ps 19: 2-3. 4-5

Gal 1: 11-20

Jn 21: 15-19. Day: Acts 12: 1-11

Ps 34: 2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9

2 Tm 4: 6-8. 17-18

Mt 16: 13-19 

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say 

that the Son of Man is?’ 14And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others 

Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ 15He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ 16Simon Peter 

answered, ‘You are the Messiah,  the Son of the living God.’ 17And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, 

Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18And I 

tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock  I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail 

against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be 

bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

Reflection: ‘Every Encounter With Jesus Transforms’

Peter the fisherman and Paul the tentmaker. According to ancient tradition, Peter was crucified and Paul was beheaded. Two men, very different men, yet what binds them together is their deep love for Jesus.

Two men, very different men … and the Lord brings them to Himself in equally different ways. There is a message in this for us: He comes to all those who are sincerely open to Him as in the case of the repentant Peter. He also manifests His presence and transforming power in the lives of those who are closed to Him. Paul’s conversion is testimony to the fact that God can break through our human weakness, our selfishness and our stubbornness.

2011 Jun 30 Thu: Ordinary Weekday/ First Martyrs of the Church of Rome Gn 22: 1b-19

Ps 115: 1-2. 3-4. 5-6. 8-9

Mt 9: 1-8 

1And after getting into a boat he crossed the water and came to his own town. 

2 And just then some people were carrying a paralysed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’ 3Then some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ 4But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5For which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he then said to the paralytic—‘Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.’ 7And he stood up and went to his home. 8When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Reflection: ‘Faith Expresses Itself Through Love’

Abraham in the First Reading points out that ‘True obedience to the laws of God is true faith’. The First Reading reminds us that faith expresses itself through love. Since God is Love and every law of His is based on love and brings love more completely to the world, any obedience that is done in love brings us closer to the Author of Love.

Jesus points out in today's Gospel reading the fallacy of legalistic obedience: It fails to change us on the inside. The attitude of the Scribes was quite condescending toward Jesus, proof that they were more concerned about rituals than about people. When we love the Law more than we love people, the Law itself becomes

our god. We must care enough about others to put aside legalism, in imitation of Christ, when the person's salvation or basic needs are at stake.

To fulfill the law faithfully, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, for He showed us by his example how to be truly obedient.