Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality

MASS READINGS AND COMMENTARY | JUNE 9, 2020

 

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 1 KGS 17:7-16

The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry,
because no rain had fallen in the land.
So the LORD said to Elijah: 
“Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.
I have designated a widow there to provide for you.”
He left and went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
“Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
“Please bring along a bit of bread.”
She answered, “As the LORD, your God, lives, 
I have nothing baked;
there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die.”
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid. 
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
‘The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’”
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

Responsorial Psalm PS 4:2-3, 4-5,7B-8   

R. (7a) Lord, let your face shine on us.
When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart?
Why do you love what is vain and seek after falsehood?
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
Tremble, and sin not;
reflect, upon your beds, in silence. 
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart,
more than when grain and wine abound.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

Alleluia MT 5:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your light shine before others
That they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:13-16  

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”
II. Handing on the Faith: Catechesis

4 Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church’s efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ.

 

TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH Mt. 5: 13-16 “You are the light of the world. Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

  • Light – what a lovely thing light is. There is no shining light in all creation lovelier than the Blessed Virgin Mary! She alone is the Immaculate Conception, preserved from original sin at the moment of her conception in the womb of Saint Anne and preserved from the stain of sin her whole life! In Mary’s pure light, we see clearly the darkness in ourselves. Thus the poet Wordsworth called Mary “our tainted nature’s solitary boast!”
  • The Angel Gabriel greeted her, “Hail Mary, full of grace!” (Lk. 1:28) She was the first light of dawn dispelling the darkness, giving way to the refulgence of the Light of the Son of God! As the moon reflects the light of the sun, Mary is the perfect reflection of the Son of God. Her presence gives warmth to hearts grown cold, healing to hearts that are wounded, valor to the faint-hearted, and the Christ Light to souls darkened by sin.
  • The Light of Christ first shone forth from the womb of Mary. Through Mary, the Star proclaiming Christ’s birth first penetrated the womb of Elizabeth, causing the baby within her to leap for joy! The light guiding us through the tempests and storms of life is Mary, Star of the Sea! The light in the window welcoming us home is the light of Mary’s motherly love for each one of us, shining from our true home in her Immaculate Heart where she forms her children in the image and likeness of her Divine Son, Jesus.
  • The Light of Christ that enlightens our minds first illumined the mind of Mary. When the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus communicated His inscrutable wisdom and truth to Mary, which she imparts to those who fervently ask for it, freeing them from the darkness of ignorance and error, the lies and deceits of the enemy. (As revealed in The Three Hail Marys devotion given to Saint Mechtilde by the Blessed Virgin Mary.)
  • Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, stood at the foot of the cross and willingly suffered all the agonies of her Son’s Passion and death for love of us and for our salvation. St. Louis de Montfort says that Mary is a Martyr because all that Jesus suffered in His Passion and death on the cross, Mary suffered in her Immaculate Heart.
  • Mary wants to comfort and console us. She wants us to bring our fears and anxieties to her. She wants us to find rest in her Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She assures us of the eternal value of every tear we shed for our salvation and the salvation of many others. And that even now, our Good God is working everything for our good and the good of those we love.
  • The saints say that in heaven our only regret will be that we didn’t suffer more, so that even more souls could be saved. “When it is all over you will not regret having suffered; rather you will regret having suffered so little, and suffered that little so badly.” (St. Sebastian Valfre)
  • The Light begins with Jesus and Mary. They shed their light upon us – we shed the light of Jesus and Mary upon others – who then shed the light upon still others! Thus the circle of light keeps expanding until someday the whole world will bask in the Light and Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

Mary, Star of the Sea… From a homily of St. Bernard of Clairvaux  

If squalls of temptations arise, or you fall upon the rocks of tribulation, look to the star, call upon Mary. If you are tossed by the waves of pride or ambition, detraction or envy, look to the star, call upon Mary. If anger or avarice, or the desires of the flesh, dash against the ship of your soul, turn your eyes towards Mary. If troubled by the enormity of your crimes, ashamed of your guilty conscience, terrified by dread of the judgment, and you begin to sink into the gulf of sadness or the abyss of despair, think of Mary. In dangers, in anguish, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let her be ever on your lips, ever in your heart; and the better to obtain the help of her prayers, imitate the example of her life.

Following her, you will not stray. Invoking her, you will not despair. Thinking of her, you will not wander. Upheld by her, you will not fall. Shielded by her, you will not fear. Guided by her, you will not grow weary. Favored by her, you will reach the goal. And thus you will experience in yourself how good is that saying: And the Virgin’s name was Mary!

 

 

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MASS READINGS AND COMMENTARY | JUNE 8, 2020

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 KGS 17: 1-6 

Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:
“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,
during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”
The LORD then said to Elijah:
“Leave here, go east
and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
You shall drink of the stream,
and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.”
So he left and did as the LORD had commanded.
He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,
and bread and meat in the evening,
and he drank from the stream.

Responsorial Psalm PS 121:1BC-2, 3-4,5-6,7-8 

R. (see 2)  Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Alleluia MATTHEW 5:12A 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad;
for your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

3 Those who with God’s help have welcomed Christ’s call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world. This treasure, received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ’s faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.

 

MONDAY, JUNE 8TH   Mt. 5: 1-12   Eight Beatitudes: Eight Blessings and Eight Challenges

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”

  • Are we poor in spirit? Could we lose what we have today and say with Job, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
  • Do we possess our possessions or do they possess us? Do we cling to people more than we cling to the Lord? A bird can’t fly if its leg is tied by a rope or a string!
  • Attachments to persons, places, and things are what cause us sadness and hold us back from soaring high in the spiritual life! It is a paradox that losing them can make us sad, but possessing them can make us sad as well! The rich young man in the Gospel went away sad for he had many possessions. (Mt. 19:22) Why? Because he wasn’t free.
  • Jesus wants us to hold everyone and everything loosely in our hands, so He is free to rearrange things, to add things, and to take things away. We may feel sad at first, but when we are docile to His will, we find that He never takes something away, without giving us something better.
  • Sometimes that something better is a deeper, more abiding friendship with Jesus! Lord, help us cling only to you and to our dearest Mother Mary, so we may experience the freedom and joy of the sons and daughters of God!

2. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

  • Do we mourn? It is true we mourn many kinds of losses. The death of loved ones is perhaps the most painful. Though as believers, we have hope that we will see our loved ones again.
  • There is another kind of death we should mourn. Do we mourn falling into serious sin? Do we mourn knowing that our sins and the sins of others, mortal or venial, grieve the hearts of Jesus and Mary?
  • Do we make a perfect Act of Contrition, also known as a contrition of love? Love for God who created us out of love – love for Jesus who suffered and died on the cross for love of us – love for Mary, our Mother, who entered into the Passion and death of Jesus on the cross for love of us?
  • Do we pray the Daily Examen Prayer to thank God for the blessings we receive each day? To see where we cooperated with His grace to avoid sin, where we shunned His grace and gave into sin? Do we take time to consider why we fell – the steps that led to our fall? Do we have a plan to avoid falling into the same sins again?
  • Do we beg Jesus to forgive us and pour forth His never failing mercy upon us? Do ask for His grace and help to avoid near occasions of sin tomorrow, to make our day and our life more pleasing to God?
  • Do we console the hearts of Jesus and Mary everyday by offering prayers and sacrifices in reparation for our sins and the sins of others? Do we pray and offer sacrifices that a soul may get out of purgatory this day? That no sinner will die in unrepented mortal sin this day?
  • Sacrifices are both voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary means the sacrifices and good works we choose to do. This should always include a concrete plan to work against our capital sins and imperfections! Involuntary means those sufferings God chooses for us, that we willingly accept. With Saint Paul, let us say: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” (Col. 1:24)

3. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.”

  • Are we meek? Meekness is not weakness, but great passion under control! If you think meek is weak, try being meek for a week! The seed is patience, the full grown tree is meekness! The meek are slow to anger and rich in kindness! They do not seek their own comfort, honor, or glory. They seek only to give glory and honor to God in all that they say and do! Because they seek nothing for themselves, they will receive everything from Jesus!

 4. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be satisfied.”

  • Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do we hunger and thirst for holiness in spirit and truth? Do we pray the Rosary daily, make our daily holy hour, make frequent confessions, go to Mass and Holy Communion as often as possible?
  • No Sacraments? Even during the Coronavirus sheltering-in-place, we can do our daily Examen prayer to examine our conscience and make a perfect act of contrition of love. Receive a spiritual Holy Communion every day, even more than once a day! Make our holy hour an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament live on line! We may even have time to pray more than one Rosary a day! How about a family Rosary, with everyone participating. Family members taking turns leading a decade and naming the intention for that decade. Even more graces can be earned during these difficult times, when we are not taking the Lord for granted!
  • Are we faithful to the duties of our vocation in life? Are we generous in serving God by serving others? Do we try to love others as God loves them, with all their faults and failings and with a keen awareness of our own!
  • Finally, Saint Louis de Montfort reminds us of the one true vocation we all share, regardless of our state in life: “It is certain that growth in the holiness of God is your vocation. All your thoughts, words, actions, everything you suffer or undertake must lead you toward that end. Otherwise you are resisting God in not doing the work for which He created you and for which He is even now keeping you in being!”   

5. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

  • Are we merciful? The merciful accuse themselves and excuse others. How often do we find ourselves doing the exact opposite, excusing ourselves and accusing others! How often do we judge others because they sin differently than we do? The merciful forgive the offenses of others because they are keenly aware of their own faults, failings, and sins.
  • With one exception, Immaculate Mary, we are all sinners. No one is free of guilt. Each one of us has pounded the nail into Jesus’ hand! Jesus taught us to pray: “Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We should tremble every time we pray these words for the many times we fail to forgive others! Lord, help us to keep our sins always before our eyes, so that we may be merciful to others and receive your mercy!

David’s Act of Contrition (Psalm 51 excerpt)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, my sin is always before me. Against you alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge me. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

6. “Blessed are the pure of heart for they will see God.”

  • Are we pure of heart? We are all born with original sin, and though Baptism removes it from our soul, its effects remain.
  • CCC 1263 and 1264: By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. Yet certain temporal consequences of sin remain in the baptized, such as suffering, illness, death, and such frailties inherent in life as weaknesses of character, and so on, as well as an inclination to sin, that Tradition calls concupiscence, metaphorically “the tinder for sin” (fomes peccati); since concupiscence “is left for us to wrestle with, it cannot harm those who do not consent but manfully resist it by the grace of Jesus Christ.”
  • However, it is not enough to banish sinful thoughts or images from our mind – we have to replace them with virtuous thoughts and images! The man who swept his house clean of one devil, ended up having seven devils return! (Lk 11:24-26)
  • It’s not about what the man did, it’s about what he didn’t do! He left his house empty! If we banish bad thoughts and images from our mind, and leave our mind empty or idle – bad thoughts and images will return in spades!
  • Do we make an effort at all times to fill our eyes, ears, mind, and heart with good and holy thoughts, desires, intentions, and affections that are pleasing to God? Or do we allow worldly, even sinful thoughts, images, desires, and pleasures to distract and overtake us? We will know our minds and hearts are pure when we can see God in all things, and all things in God!

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

  • Are we peacemakers? Do we make peace or disturb the peace – in our home, at work, at church, with our neighbors? Do we create unity or cause division? Do we build bridges or barriers? Do we use our tongue to build up or tear down? Are we more likely to encourage or criticize?
  • We are all a work in progress! Conversion is God’s work and He is not finished with us yet. Our work is to listen always to others, speak the truth when necessary, and pray ceaselessly that in God’s time and with God’s grace, their eyes, as well as our own,, will be opened a little to a greater truth.
  • Ignatius of Loyola says of his own conversion, “my eyes were opened a little”. St. Paul says: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” (1 Cor. 3:6)
  • Being a peacemaker isn’t about compromising the truth. It is about recognizing that we are all sinners in need of conversion. Being a peacemaker is related to being merciful – God’s greatest attribute.
  • Words of wisdom from Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen. “A person is merciful when he feels the sorrow and misery of another as if it were his own. Disliking misery and unhappiness, the merciful person seeks to dispel the misery of his neighbor just as much as he would if the misery were his own. That is why, whenever mercy is confronted not only with pain, but with sin and wrongdoing, it becomes forgiveness which not merely pardons, but ever rebuilds into justice, repentance, and love.” 

8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

  • If we sincerely embrace and strive to live the first seven Beatitudes, we will experience the eighth – persecution for what we believe, how we speak and act, how we live and love –  that is to say, grounded in truth that produces true freedom!
  • To those who persevere in God’s truth and love, Jesus says: “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven!” (Mt. 5:11-12) 

Christ is calling us today to accept Eight Great Challenges and reap Eight Even Greater Blessings! What is your answer???

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
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MASS READINGS AND COMMENTARY | JUNE 7, 2020

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Reading 1 EX 34: 4B-6, 8-9

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai
as the LORD had commanded him,
taking along the two stone tablets.

Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there
and proclaimed his name, “LORD.”
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
“The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.”
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O Lord,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own.”

Responsorial Psalm DN 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!

Reading 2 2 COR 13: 11-13

Brothers and sisters, rejoice.
Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in peace,
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the holy ones greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Alleluia CF. RV 1:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
to God who is, who was, and who is to come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 3: 16-18 

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2 So that this call should resound throughout the world, Christ sent forth the apostles he had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Strengthened by this mission, the apostles “went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it.”

SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH   Jn. 3:16-18   Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Today we celebrate the revelation of the Most Holy Trinity.

CCC 221. God’s very being is love. By sending His only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed His innermost secret: God Himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and He has destined us to share in that exchange.

God in His very nature is a Communion of Love. We are called to participate in this Communion of Love by our Baptism.

CCC 1265: Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte “a new creature”, an adopted son of God, who has become a “partaker of the divine nature”, member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.

This is our Triune God who created each one of us out of love, and who desires our love in return. How well do I receive His love? How well do I love Him in return?

God revealed in the Old Testament…  

  • God gradually revealed Himself to mankind. He made known His Oneness and Transcendence. Unlike the world, He was not created, He always existed: “I Am Who Am.” (Ex 3:14) He is not limited in time, space, or power. He protects His people “with strong hand and outstretched arm” (Ps. 136:12).
  • He revealed His tender love. “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me! You know when I sit and when I stand. You discern my thoughts from afar. You created my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wondrously made.” (Ps. 139:1-2, 12-14)
  • He revealed His compassion and mercy. “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are renewed every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:22-23)
  • He revealed His providence. “The Lord is my shepherd, nothing shall I want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. Even though I walk through the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil, for you are at my side. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps. 23 excerpt)

God revealed in the New Testament…

  • “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—and I lay down my life for the sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (Jn. 10: 14-15, 27-30)
  • “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (Jn. 13:1)
  • “Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house there are many mansions; if that were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (Jn. 14:1-3) 
  • “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (Jn. 14:16-17)
  • “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (Jn. 14:25-26)
  • “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (Jn. 15: 9-10)
  • “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (Jn. 15:12-15)
  • “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (Jn. 15:16)
  • “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33)
  • “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (Jn. 17:24)
  • Today, let us rejoice in our Triune God who first loved us, and who desires our love in return! Love is shown in thought, word, and deed! Mary is the Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, and Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Mary, my Mother, help me to love and to serve the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit with the purity of your Heart and docility of your Will, so that they may be loved and served worthily. Amen!
Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
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MASS READINGS AND COMMENTARY | JUNE 6, 2020

Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
2 TM 4: 1-8

Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine
but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.
For I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well;
I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.


Responsorial Psalm PS 71: 8 -9, 14-15, AB, 16-17, 22

R. (see 15ab)  I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
with your glory day by day.
Cast me not off in my old age;
as my strength fails, forsake me not.

R. I will sing of your salvation.
But I will always hope
and praise you ever more and more.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.

R. I will sing of your salvation.
I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

R. I will sing of your salvation.
So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,
for your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing your praises with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel!

R. I will sing of your salvation.


Alleluia MT 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel MK 12: 38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said,
“Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext,
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation.”

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood.”


Catechism of the Catholic Church

PROLOGUE

“FATHER,… this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”1“God our Saviour desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”2“There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”3 – than the name of JESUS.

I. The life of man – to know and love God

1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

Mk. 12:38-44   “A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.”

  • There was no paper money at the time of Christ – Syrian, Roman, and Jewish coins were the common currency. According to Biblical scholars, the outer wall of the temple treasury was fitted with trumpet-shaped receptacles where people placed their offerings. Large offerings created a clamoring echo in the horn as the coins cascaded to an opening at the bottom, then into a secure strongbox. 
  • Those making large offerings would draw the attention of standers-by. Whereas the offering of the widow’s two small coins wouldn’t be noticed by anyone, except Jesus who sees everything, even the intentions of our heart. It is this contrast to which the Lord draws our attention. Related to the Gospel, we can examine ourselves on three points.
  • First, do we have a right intention in the practice of our faith – in our prayers, our sacrifices, and our good works? Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 6:1)
  • We grow in right intention by praying for the grace, and by rejecting discouragement! Yes, our intentions are not as pure as we would like. Yes, our motives may be mixed. But St. John Vianney reminds us, “God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry!” What we lose in purity, we can gain in humility! Let us consecrate our prayers, sacrifices, and good works each day to Our Blessed Mother, knowing our tainted gifts will be well-received by her Son when they come from her hands!
  • Second, are we generous? Do we give from our surplus or from our poverty? In other words, do we give until it hurts? And not just money, though it’s important to support our parish and worthy charities. Do we give of ourselves starting in our home and family, do we give of our time and abilities? Do we live to serve or to be served? What about our heart? Are we compassionate, finely tuned to the sufferings of others, like the hearts of Jesus and Mary? Are we quick to give an encouraging word? Do we readily extend a helping hand? Do we carry the concerns and needs of others in our heart, bringing them before the Lord in our prayers?
  • Jesus promised: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Lk. 6:38)
  • Third, do we sincerely strive to give God what is due to Him – nothing less than loving Him with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength! Do we love Him as He asked us to: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn. 14:15) And, “A new commandment I give you, as I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (Jn. 13:34) And He loved us, even to death on the cross. Do we manifest a self-giving, sacrificial love for God and neighbor?
  • Are we obedient to God in all things? Do we strive to keep the Ten Commandments? Do we live according to the teachings of His holy Church directed by our Holy Father and guided by our good priests? Do we receive with a merciful and loving heart every person He puts in our path? Do we accept with a willing spirit all He permits to happen in our daily life? Do we do what God wills and not what we prefer? Do we accept God’s vision for our life or do we create our own? St. Ignatius refers to this spirit of detachment as Holy Indifference!
  • Let us beg now for the grace to grow in right intention, generosity in giving of our means and of ourselves, and loving obedience to His holy will, preferring all that God prefers and has chosen for us, for our eternal salvation and the salvation of the whole world. “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
  • God sees what others cannot see – what is in our heart and what it costs us to give our “widow’s mite.” St. Faustina give us these words of wisdom: “As the soul continues to immerse itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His omnipotence to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon earth, it can only be a truly humble soul. At first, one’s self-love suffers greatly on this account, but after a soul has struggled courageously, God grants it much light by which it sees how wretched and full of deception everything is. God alone is in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God. God defends the humble soul and lets Himself into its secrets, and the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which no one can comprehend.” (St. Faustina Diary 593)
  • “God never violates our free will. It is up to us whether we want to receive God’s grace or not. It is up to us whether we will cooperate with it or waste it.” (St. Faustina Diary 1107)
Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
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