Daily Bible Readings for Monday June 27, 2011

Reading 1, Gn 18:16-33

16 From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them to speed them on their way.

17 Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,

18 as Abraham will become a great and powerful nation and all nations on earth will bless themselves by him?

19 For I have singled him out to command his sons and his family after him to keep the way of Yahweh by doing what is upright and just, so that Yahweh can carry out for Abraham what he has promised him.'

20 Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,

21 that I shall go down and see whether or not their actions are at all as the outcry reaching me would suggest. Then I shall know.'

22 While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.

23 Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Will you really destroy the upright with the guilty?

24 Suppose there are fifty upright people in the city. Will you really destroy it? Will you not spare the place for the sake of the fifty upright in it?

25 Do not think of doing such a thing: to put the upright to death with the guilty, so that upright and guilty fare alike! Is the judge of the whole world not to act justly?'

26 Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place because of them.'

27 Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust and ashes:

28 Suppose the fifty upright were five short? Would you destroy the whole city because of five?' 'No,' he replied, 'I shall not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'

29 Abraham persisted and said, 'Suppose there are forty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the forty.'

30 Abraham said, 'I hope the Lord will not be angry if I go on: Suppose there are only thirty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'if I find thirty there.'

31 He said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there are only twenty there?' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the twenty.'

32 He said, 'I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the ten.'

33 When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 10-11

1 [Of David] Bless Yahweh, my soul, from the depths of my being, his holy name;

2 bless Yahweh, my soul, never forget all his acts of kindness.

3 He forgives all your offences, cures all your diseases,

4 he redeems your life from the abyss, crowns you with faithful love and tenderness;

8 Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger and rich in faithful love;

9 his indignation does not last for ever, nor his resentment remain for all time;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve, nor repay us as befits our offences.

11 As the height of heaven above earth, so strong is his faithful love for those who fear him.

Gospel, Mt 8:18-22

18 When Jesus saw the crowd all about him he gave orders to leave for the other side.

19 One of the scribes then came up and said to him, 'Master, I will follow you wherever you go.'

20 Jesus said, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.'

21 Another man, one of the disciples, said to him, 'Lord, let me go and bury my father first.'

22 But Jesus said, 'Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.'

Daily Bible Readings for Thursday June 23, 2011

Reading 1, Gn 16:1-12, 15-16

1 Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no child, but she had an Egyptian slave-girl called Hagar.

2 So Sarai said to Abram, 'Listen, now! Since Yahweh has kept me from having children, go to my slave-girl. Perhaps I shall get children through her.' And Abram took Sarai's advice.

3 Thus, after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years, Sarai took Hagar her Egyptian slave-girl and gave her to Abram as his wife.

4 He went to Hagar and she conceived. And once she knew she had conceived, her mistress counted for nothing in her eyes.

5 Then Sarai said to Abram, 'This outrage done to me is your fault! It was I who put my slave-girl into your arms but, now she knows that she has conceived, I count for nothing in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you!'

6 'Very well,' Abram said to Sarai, 'your slave-girl is at your disposal. Treat her as you think fit.' Sarai accordingly treated her so badly that she ran away from her.

7 The angel of Yahweh found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur.

8 He said, 'Hagar, slave-girl of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?' 'I am running away from my mistress Sarai,' she replied.

9 The angel of Yahweh said to her, 'Go back to your mistress and submit to her.'

10 The angel of Yahweh further said to her, 'I shall make your descendants too numerous to be counted.'

11 Then the angel of Yahweh said to her: Now, you have conceived and will bear a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for Yahweh has heard your cries of distress.

12 A wild donkey of a man he will be, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him, living his life in defiance of all his kinsmen.

15 Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave his son borne by Hagar the name Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

12 Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem, Zion, praise your God.

13 For he gives strength to the bars of your gates, he blesses your children within you,

14 he maintains the peace of your frontiers, gives you your fill of finest wheat.

15 He sends his word to the earth, his command runs quickly,

19 He reveals his word to Jacob, his statutes and judgements to Israel.

20 For no other nation has he done this, no other has known his judgements.

Gospel, Mt 7:21-29

21 'It is not anyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.

22 When the day comes many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?"

23 Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, all evil doers!

24 'Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.

25 Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.

26 But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand.

27 Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!'

28 Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people

29 because he taught them with authority, unlike their own scribes.

Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday June 21, 2011

Reading 1, Gn 13:2, 5-18

2 Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold.

5 Lot, who was travelling with Abram, had flocks and cattle of his own, and tents too.

6 The land was not sufficient to accommodate them both at once, for they had too many possessions to be able to live together.

7 Dispute broke out between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and those of Lot. (The Canaanites and Perizzites were living in the country at the time.)

8 Accordingly Abram said to Lot, 'We do not want discord between us or between my herdsmen and yours, for we are kinsmen.

9 Is not the whole land open before you? Go in the opposite direction to me: if you take the left, I shall go right; if you take the right, I shall go left.'

10 Looking round, Lot saw all the Jordan plain, irrigated everywhere -- this was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah-like the garden of Yahweh or the land of Egypt, as far as Zoar.

11 So Lot chose all the Jordan plain for himself and moved off eastwards. Thus they parted company:

12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan; Lot settled among the cities of the plain, pitching his tents on the outskirts of Sodom.

13 Now the people of Sodom were vicious and great sinners against Yahweh.

14 Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had parted company from him, 'Look all round from where you are, to north and south, to east and west,

15 for all the land within sight I shall give to you and your descendants for ever.

16 I shall make your descendants like the dust on the ground; when people succeed in counting the specks of dust on the ground, then they will be able to count your descendants too!

17 On your feet! Travel the length and breadth of the country, for I mean to give it to you.'

18 So Abram moved his tent and went to settle at the Oak of Mamre, at Hebron, and there he built an altar to Yahweh.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

2 Whoever lives blamelessly, who acts uprightly, who speaks the truth from the heart,

3 who keeps the tongue under control, who does not wrong a comrade, who casts no discredit on a neighbour,

4 who looks with scorn on the vile, but honours those who fear Yahweh, who stands by an oath at any cost,

5 who asks no interest on loans, who takes no bribe to harm the innocent. No one who so acts can ever be shaken.

Gospel, Mt 7:6, 12-14

6 'Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.

12 'So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the Law and the Prophets.

13 'Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it;

14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Daily Bible Readings for Sunday June 19, 2011

Reading 1, Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9

4 So he cut two tablets of stone like the first and, with the two tablets of stone in his hands, Moses went up Mount Sinai in the early morning as Yahweh had ordered.

5 And Yahweh descended in a cloud and stood with him there and pronounced the name Yahweh.

6 Then Yahweh passed before him and called out, 'Yahweh, Yahweh, God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in faithful love and constancy,

8 Moses immediately bowed to the ground in worship,

9 then he said, 'If indeed I do enjoy your favour, please, my Lord, come with us, although they are an obstinate people; and forgive our faults and sins, and adopt us as your heritage.'

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

52 May you be blessed, Lord, God of our ancestors, be praised and extolled for ever. Blessed be your glorious and holy name, praised and extolled for ever.

53 May you be blessed in the Temple of your sacred glory, exalted and glorified above all for ever:

54 blessed on the throne of your kingdom, exalted above all, glorified for ever:

55 blessed are you who fathom the abyss, enthroned on the winged creatures, praised and exalted above all for ever:

56 blessed in the expanse of the heavens, exalted and glorified for ever.

Gospel, Jn 3:16-18

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

17 For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.

18 No one who believes in him will be judged; but whoever does not believe is judged already, because that person does not believe in the Name of God's only Son.

Reading 2, 2 Cor 13:11-13

11 To end then, brothers, we wish you joy; try to grow perfect; encourage one another; have a common mind and live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet one another with the holy kiss. All God's holy people send you their greetings.

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

Love within Trinity overflows into forgiveness for man, Pope says

The love that exists inside the Holy Trinity overflows into love and forgiveness for man, as shown by Christ’s death on the cross. That was the message of Pope Benedict XVI in his Trinity Sunday sermon throughout his visit to the tiny European state of San Marino June 19.

“So, in the mystery of the cross, there are three Divine Persons,” he told the 25,000 strong congregation at the country’s Serravalle Stadium.

“The Father, who gave his only begotten Son for the deliverance of the world, the Son, who carries out the will of the Father to the very end and the Holy Spirit - poured out by Jesus at the instant of his death - who comes to render us participants in divine life, to transform our lives, so that our lives are lively by divine love.”

San Marino is located in the north-eastern part of the Italian peninsula and is one of just three independent states in the world to be totally surrounded by another country, in this case Italy. It has a population of only 30,000. Pope John Paul II also visited San Marino back in 1982. That visit was for just one day, as is Pope Benedict’s today.

Daily Bible Readings for Friday June 17, 2011

Reading 1, 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30

18 So many people boast on merely human grounds that I shall too.

21 I say it to your shame; perhaps we have been too weak. Whatever bold claims anyone makes -- now I am talking as a fool -- I can make them too.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 Are they servants of Christ? I speak in utter folly -- I am too, and more than they are: I have done more work, I have been in prison more, I have been flogged more severely, many times exposed to death.

24 Five times I have been given the thirty-nine lashes by the Jews;

25 three times I have been beaten with sticks; once I was stoned; three times I have been shipwrecked, and once I have been in the open sea for a night and a day;

26 continually travelling, I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from brigands, in danger from my own people and in danger from the gentiles, in danger in the towns and in danger in the open country, in danger at sea and in danger from people masquerading as brothers;

27 I have worked with unsparing energy, for many nights without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty, and often altogether without food or drink; I have been cold and lacked clothing.

28 And, besides all the external things, there is, day in day out, the pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

29 If anyone weakens, I am weakened as well; and when anyone is made to fall, I burn in agony myself.

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of all the ways in which I am weak.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

2 I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his name together.

4 I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears.

5 Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame.

6 A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles.

7 The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.

Gospel, Mt 6:19-23

19 'Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and thieves can break in and steal.

20 But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworm destroys them and thieves cannot break in and steal.

21 For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be too.

22 'The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is clear, your whole body will be filled with light.

23 But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkened, what darkness that will be!

Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday June 15, 2011

Reading 1, 2 Cor 9:6-11

6 But remember: anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well -- and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well.

7 Each one should give as much as he has decided on his own initiative, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8 God is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in all kinds of good work.

9 As scripture says: To the needy he gave without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever.

10 The one who so freely provides seed for the sower and food to eat will provide you with ample store of seed for sowing and make the harvest of your uprightness a bigger one:

11 you will be rich enough in every way for every kind of generosity that makes people thank God for what we have done.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 112:1-2, 3-4, 9

1 Alleluia! How blessed is anyone who fears Yahweh, who delights in his commandments!

2 His descendants shall be powerful on earth, the race of the honest shall receive blessings:

3 Riches and wealth for his family; his uprightness stands firm for ever.

4 For the honest he shines as a lamp in the dark, generous, tender-hearted, and upright.

9 To the needy he gives without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever; his reputation is founded on strength.

Gospel, Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

1 'Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.

2 So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

3 But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing;

4 your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

5 'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

6 But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

16 'When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.

17 But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face,

18 so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

New evangelization must start with the heart, Pope teaches

The effort to renovate the evangelization of mankind begins in the human heart, Pope Benedict XVI told the clergy, religious and laity of the Diocese of Rome, June 13.

“To be effectual the proclamation of faith must begin with a heart that believes, hopes, loves, a heart that loves Christ and believes in the power of the Holy Spirit!” the Pope told those gathered at St. John Lateran Cathedral for the Rome diocese’s annual convention.

The Pope sharp to how St. Peter’s proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection at Pentecost was “not limited to a simple list of facts” but “cut to the heart” of those who heard him.

“The resurrection of Jesus was able and is able to light up human existence. In fact, this event has seen a new understanding of the self-respect of man and his eternal destiny.”

Mindful of his liability to lead the 2.5 million Catholics in the Diocese of Rome, Pope Benedict told those in St. John Lateran that there was a real danger to the health of the Church if it downplays the religion of Jesus Christ.

“If people forget God it is also because the person of Jesus is often abridged to that of a wise man and his divinity is weakened, if not denied. This way of thinking prevents people from greedy the radical novelty of Christianity, because if Jesus is not the only Son of the Father, then God never came to visit the history of man.”

Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday June 14, 2011

Reading 1, 2 Cor 8:1-9

1 Next, brothers, we will tell you of the grace of God which has been granted to the churches of Macedonia,

2 and how, throughout continual ordeals of hardship, their unfailing joy and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

3 I can testify that it was of their own accord that they made their gift, which was not merely as far as their resources would allow, but well beyond their resources;

4 and they had kept imploring us most insistently for the privilege of a share in the fellowship of service to God's holy people-

5 it was not something that we expected of them, but it began by their offering themselves to the Lord and to us at the prompting of the will of God.

6 In the end we urged Titus, since he had already made a beginning, also to bring this work of generosity to completion among you.

7 More, as you are rich in everything-faith, eloquence, understanding, concern for everything, and love for us too -- then make sure that you excel in this work of generosity too.

8 I am not saying this as an order, but testing the genuineness of your love against the concern of others.

9 You are well aware of the generosity which our Lord Jesus Christ had, that, although he was rich, he became poor for your sake, so that you should become rich through his poverty.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 146:2, 5-6, 7, 8-9

2 I will praise Yahweh all my life, I will make music to my God as long as I live.

5 How blessed is he who has Jacob's God to help him, his hope is in Yahweh his God,

6 who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. He keeps faith for ever,

7 gives justice to the oppressed, gives food to the hungry; Yahweh sets prisoners free.

8 Yahweh gives sight to the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down.

9 Yahweh protects the stranger, he sustains the orphan and the widow. Yahweh loves the upright,but he frustrates the wicked.

Gospel, Mt 5:43-48

43 'You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy.

44 But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you;

45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much?

47 And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional?

48 Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.'

Massive 'Christ of the Pacific' statue to be unveiled in Peru

The 121-foot-tall “Christ of the Pacific” sculpture will be unveiled on a hilltop overlooking the city of Lima, Peru on June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The induction of the massive statue was announced on June 10 by President Alan Garcia of Peru, who said it was his dream to raise a statue on the Pacific coast comparable to the one atop Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. “I have dubbed it the Christ of the Pacific … and on June 29, the day of the Pope and of Sts. Peter and Paul, we will install this statue.”

The inauguration will also agree with the 60th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s ordination to the priesthood. The Pope was intended together with his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, at the Cathedral of Freising in Germany on June 29, 1951.

According to the Andina news agency, President Garcia said the statue was not built using tax-payer dollars but in its place through donations from individuals and companies. Garcia himself donated $36,000 of his own money for the project.

“I want it to be a statue that blesses Peru and protects Lima,” Garcia told RPP News.

The large figure shows Christ standing with his arms extended. It was built in Brazil and then brought to Peru in several pieces. The statue will sit on a 49-foot concrete base and will be illuminated by a 26-color lighting system. It will be observable from every point in the Peruvian capital.

Daily Bible Readings for Monday June 13, 2011

Reading 1, 2 Cor 6:1-10

1 As his fellow-workers, we urge you not to let your acceptance of his grace come to nothing.

2 As he said, 'At the time of my favour I have answered you; on the day of salvation I have helped you'; well, now is the real time of favour, now the day of salvation is here.

3 We avoid putting obstacles in anyone's way, so that no blame may attach to our work of service;

4 but in everything we prove ourselves authentic servants of God; by resolute perseverance in times of hardships, difficulties and distress;

5 when we are flogged or sent to prison or mobbed; labouring, sleepless, starving;

6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness; in the Holy Spirit, in a love free of affectation;

7 in the word of truth and in the power of God; by using the weapons of uprightness for attack and for defence:

8 in times of honour or disgrace, blame or praise; taken for impostors and yet we are genuine;

9 unknown and yet we are acknowledged; dying, and yet here we are, alive; scourged but not executed;

10 in pain yet always full of joy; poor and yet making many people rich; having nothing, and yet owning everything.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

1 [Psalm] Sing a new song to Yahweh, for he has performed wonders, his saving power is in his right hand and his holy arm.

2 Yahweh has made known his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see,

3 mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel. The whole wide world has seen the saving power of our God.

4 Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth, burst into shouts of joy!

Gospel, Mt 5:38-42

38 'You have heard how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.

39 But I say this to you: offer no resistance to the wicked. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well;

40 if someone wishes to go to law with you to get your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

41 And if anyone requires you to go one mile, go two miles with him.

42 Give to anyone who asks you, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away. 

Daily Bible Readings for Sunday June 12, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11

1 When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together,

2 when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire house in which they were sitting;

3 and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them.

4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.

5 Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven,

6 and at this sound they all assembled, and each one was bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language.

7 They were amazed and astonished. 'Surely,' they said, 'all these men speaking are Galileans?

8 How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language?

9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; residents of Rome-

11 Jews and proselytes alike -- Cretans and Arabs, we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

1 Bless Yahweh, my soul, Yahweh, my God, how great you are! Clothed in majesty and splendour,

24 How countless are your works, Yahweh, all of them made so wisely! The earth is full of your creatures.

29 Turn away your face and they panic; take back their breath and they die and revert to dust.

30 Send out your breath and life begins; you renew the face of the earth.

31 Glory to Yahweh for ever! May Yahweh find joy in his creatures!

34 May my musings be pleasing to him, for Yahweh gives me joy.

Gospel, Jn 20:19-23

19 In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, 'Peace be with you,'

20 and, after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord,

21 and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you. 'As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.'

22 After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.

Reading 2, 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

3 Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no one who says 'A curse on Jesus' can be speaking in the Spirit of God, and nobody is able to say, 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit.

4 There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit;

5 there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord.

6 There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all.

7 The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good.

12 For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts -- all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body -- so it is with Christ.

13 We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink. 

Pentecost shows universality of the Church, Pope declares

Pentecost shows the Holy Spirit shaped the Catholic Church for all people, Pope Benedict said in his homily to mark Pentecost Sunday June 12.

“From the first moment, in fact, the Holy Spirit created (the Church) as the Church of all people. It embraces the whole world, transcending the boundaries of race, class, nation - it breaks down all barriers and unites people in the profession of the Triune God. From the beginning, the Church is one, catholic and apostolic,” said the Pope to a packed congregation within St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Pentecost is the one of the most well-known feast days in the Christian calendar. It is frequently referred to as the “birthday of the Church.”

It marks the day, nearly 2,000 years ago, when the Holy Spirit descended ahead the Apostles who had been living in fear for 50 days following the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The Holy Spirit emboldened them and the same disciples then set forth to tell all people in Jerusalem of the Resurrection. All nationalities present could appreciate them in their own mother tongue.

“With this we are told something very important: that from the outset the universality of the Catholic Church is not the result of the enclosure of subsequent communities,” explained the Pope.

He added that the Catholic Church refers to itself as holy “not because of the merits of its members, but since God himself, with his Spirit, is always creating and sanctifying.”

Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday June 08, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 20:28-38

28 'Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the guardians, to feed the Church of God which he bought with the blood of his own Son.

29 'I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock.

30 Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them.

31 So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three years I never slackened in counselling each one of you with tears.

32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.

33 'I have never asked anyone for money or clothes;

34 you know for yourselves that these hands of mine earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions.

35 By every means I have shown you that we must exert ourselves in this way to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." '

36 When he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed.

37 By now they were all in tears; they put their arms round Paul's neck and kissed him;

38 what saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 68:29-30, 33-35, 35-36

29 from your temple high above Jerusalem. Kings will come to you bearing tribute.

30 Rebuke the Beast of the Reeds, that herd of bulls, that people of calves, who bow down with ingots of silver. Scatter the people who delight in war.

33 the Rider of the Heavens, the primeval heavens.Pause There he speaks, with a voice of power!

34 Acknowledge the power of God. Over Israel his splendour, in the clouds his power.

35 Awesome is God in his sanctuary. He, the God of Israel, gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.

Gospel, Jn 17:11b-19

11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us.

12 While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except one who was destined to be lost, and this was to fulfil the scriptures.

13 But now I am coming to you and I say these things in the world to share my joy with them to the full.

14 I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world.

15 I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the Evil One.

16 They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.

17 Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world,

19 and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth. 

Pope hopes Croatia trip will collision all of Europe

Pope Benedict said on June 8 that he hopes his visit to Croatia this past weekend “will bear plentiful fruit for Croatian families, the entire nation and throughout Europe.”

The Pope said at the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square that the June 4-5 visit was characterized by what he called “an intense spirit of faith.” In today's appraisal of the trip, he said that he primarily wanted to highlight his message to families delivered at the first annual Croatian National Family Day on Sunday morning.

In an era of divorce and separation, the Pope said that “the loyalty of spouses has become in itself a significant sign of the love of Christ.” He described this witness as “the first education in the faith” by which “children learn, without anything being said, that God is love, loyal, patient, respectful and generous.”

“Faith in the God, who is love, is mainly transmitted through the testimony of a faithful conjugal love, which obviously translates into love for children, the fruit of such a union.”

Pope Benedict also recalled with affection his gathering with over 50,000 youngsters in Zagreb’s Ban Jelacic Square on Saturday night.

“There I was able to meet the new Croatian generation, and I felt the full force of their young faith, animated by a great eagerness for life and its meaning, for the good, for freedom, that is to say for God.”

Daily Bible Readings for Monday June 06, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 19:1-8

1 It happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples.

2 When he asked, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?' they answered, 'No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.'

3 He asked, 'Then how were you baptised?' They replied, 'With John's baptism.'

4 Paul said, 'John's baptism was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him -- namely Jesus.'

5 When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus,

6 and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy.

7 There were about twelve of these men in all.

8 He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out fearlessly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. He did this for three months,

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 68:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

2 You disperse them like smoke; as wax melts in the presence of a fire, so the wicked melt at the presence of God.

3 The upright rejoice in the presence of God, delighted and crying out for joy.

4 Sing to God, play music to his name, build a road for the Rider of the Clouds, rejoice in Yahweh, dance before him.

5 Father of orphans, defender of widows, such is God in his holy dwelling.

6 God gives the lonely a home to live in, leads prisoners out into prosperity, but rebels must live in the bare wastelands.

7 God, when you set out at the head of your people, when you strode over the desert,

Gospel, Jn 16:29-33

29 His disciples said, 'Now you are speaking plainly and not using veiled language.

30 Now we see that you know everything and need not wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you came from God.'

31 Jesus answered them: Do you believe at last?

32 Listen; the time will come -- indeed it has come already -- when you are going to be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

33 I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous: I have conquered the world.