Mass Reading: Sunday - 02nd July 2023

First reading
2 Kings 4:8-11,13-16
This is a holy man of God; let him rest here

    One day as Elisha was on his way to Shunem, a woman of rank who lived there pressed him to stay and eat there. After this he always broke his journey for a meal when he passed that way. She said to her husband, ‘Look, I am sure the man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God. Let us build him a small room on the roof, and put him a bed in it, and a table and chair and lamp; whenever he comes to us he can rest there.’ One day when he came, he retired to the upper room and lay down. He said to his servant Gehazi, ‘Call our Shunammitess. Tell her this: “Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us, what can we do for you? Is there anything you would like said for you to the king or to the commander of the army?”’ But she replied, ‘I live with my own people about me.’ ‘What can be done for her then?’ he asked. Gehazi answered, ‘Well, she has no son and her husband is old.’ Elisha said, ‘Call her.’ The servant called her and she stood at the door. This time next year,’ he said ‘you will hold a son in your arms.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 88(89):2-3,16-19

    I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
    through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
    that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

    I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

Happy the people who acclaim such a king,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
who find their joy every day in your name,
    who make your justice the source of their bliss.

    I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

For it is you, O Lord, who are the glory of their strength;
    by your favour it is that our might is exalted;
for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord;
    our king in the keeping of the Holy One of Israel.

    I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

________

Second reading
Romans 6:3-4,8-11
When we were baptised we went into the tomb with Christ, so that we too might live a new life

    When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life.

    But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:
1P2:9

Alleluia, alleluia!

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, 
a people set apart to sing the praises of God,
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 10:37-42
Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it

    Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

    ‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.

    ‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.

    ‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 02nd July 2023

2 KGS 4:8-11, 14-16A; PS 89:2-3, 16-19; ROM 6:3-4, 8-11; MT 10:37-42

Today’s readings take us back to some basics of stewardship living. The First Reading shows us the necessity and power of hospitality. The Second Reading reminds us what it is that makes us disciples and Christian stewards in the first place (hint: it’s our Baptism). Finally, in today’s Gospel, Christ teaches us how to live daily life as His stewards. 
 
Our First Reading, from 2 Kings, tells the story of a woman who showed loving hospitality to a visitor, inviting him to dinner with her family and arranging a room for him in their home so that he would have a comfortable place to stay during his travels through her town. She reached out to the man in a simple and practical manner to make him feel welcome. That is the essence of Christian hospitality. As it turns out, this man was none other than the prophet Elisha. He rewarded her kindness by interceding with God to obtain for her the miracle of a baby boy after long years of infertility.
 
In our Second Reading, from the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us of the power of our Baptism and how it is that this sacrament makes us disciples and therefore stewards. He says that through Baptism “into Christ Jesus” we were both buried with Christ and now are alive in Christ. We are literally new creations, marked for all eternity as one of His own. What does that mean for us here and now? St. Paul tells us very clearly: “You too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.” We must live for Christ! Nothing less will do. 
 
Our Lord Himself proclaims this same instruction in a rather shocking way in our Gospel passage from Matthew: “Whoever loves father or mother… son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” And, “Whoever finds his life [by living for oneself] will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” How can all all-loving Lord say such things? Precisely because He is the source of all love — He is love incarnate. We can only love others, and even ourselves truly, if we allow ourselves to be emptied of self-love and filled with God’s love. 
 
This is why our Lord tells us we must “lose our lives.” Putting ourselves or others — even those dearest to us — above God simply cannot give us the ultimate fulfillment and peace of soul that we all want. Only God can do that. Only loving God first and living for Christ — “losing our life” — can do that.
 
But how do we know if we love God more than “father or mother or son or daughter”? Jesus tells us in the next verses. And the fascinating genius of it all is that it is precisely through loving actions towards others, loving them as if they were Christ, that we demonstrate our love for Christ! “Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple… he will surely not lose his reward.”
 
So, we have come full circle to the importance of hospitality, and to putting God first in our lives because we have become disciples of Christ through our Baptism. We put God first by serving others as if we were serving Christ Himself, thus losing a self-centered life and finding our true fulfillment.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 25th June 2023

First reading
Jeremiah 20:10-13
He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men

Jeremiah said:

I hear so many disparaging me,
‘“Terror from every side!”
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him
and take our revenge!’
But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered the soul of the needy
from the hands of evil men.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 68(69):8-10,14,17,33-35

In your great love, answer me, O Lord.

It is for you that I suffer taunts,
    that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
    and taunts against you fall on me.

In your great love, answer me, O Lord.

This is my prayer to you,
    my prayer for your favour.
In your great love, answer me, O God,
    with your help that never fails:
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
    in your compassion, turn towards me.

In your great love, answer me, O Lord.

The poor when they see it will be glad
    and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
    and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise,
    the sea and all its living creatures.

In your great love, answer me, O Lord.

________

Second reading
Romans 5:12-15
The gift considerably outweighed the fall

    Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.

    Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn1:14,12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Word was made flesh and lived among us:
to all who did accept him 
he gave power to become children of God.

Alleluia!

Or:
Jn15:26,27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 10:26-33
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body

    Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.

    ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

    ‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 25th June 2023

 JER 20:10-13; PS 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35; ROM 5:12-15; MT 10:26-33

Today’s readings call us to tackle the challenging issues of fear and trust — two concepts on opposite sides of the same coin. They must be confronted and dealt with by all of us who wish to live the stewardship way of life.
 
In our first reading, from Jeremiah, the prophet expresses sentiments we have all felt at some point in our lives, when he says, “I hear the whispering of many: 'Terror on every side!'” Perhaps this “whispering” comes from the culture that insists we must think of ourselves, our own interests, our financial comfort first — only when we are certain that our own needs are met can we think of serving God and sharing with others. 
 
Perhaps when we consider stepping out of our comfort zones, the fear-inducing whispers come from within us — “you’re too weak, too selfish, too broken to really live as Christ’s disciple.”
 
Yet, just when Jeremiah is nearly overcome with fear, he remembers the truth, and it is just as true for us today. “The Lord is with me, like a mighty champion.” Of course! 
 
St. Paul reminds us in our second reading, from the letter to the Romans, just how amazing this Mighty Champion is. “For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.” In other words, the safest and sanest move we can make is to put all our trust in the Lord who is so good to us, this God who cannot be outdone in generosity.
 
Even so, the Lord knows that facing down our fears and choosing to trust Him with all areas of our lives is an ongoing challenge for us. He is generous with reassurances to us throughout the Scriptures. Today’s Gospel passage from Matthew is a case in point. In the span of eight verses, Jesus addresses the topic of fear four times.
 
— “Fear no one.”
— “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
— “Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body.”
— “So do not be afraid.”
 
And the reassurance continues. “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted.” Notice that Jesus says, “your Father” in describing God’s intimate knowledge and tender care for each one of us. He is truly “Abba,” our Dad, Who knows us inside and out. In fact, this intimate knowledge and tender care are precisely why He reassures us over and over again not to fear, but to trust in Him.
 
With that, let us all breathe a huge sigh of relief. All is well. Our Father knows us through and through, sent His Son to save us, and will always take care of us. 
 
Let’s stop wasting any more time with fear. Instead, let’s put all our energy, all our time, our talents and our treasure into trusting this great God, and using all that we are and all that He has given us to bring Him glory.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 18th June 2023

First reading
Exodus 19:2-6
I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation

    From Rephidim the sons of Israel set out again; and when they reached the wilderness of Sinai, there in the wilderness they pitched their camp; there facing the mountain Israel pitched camp.

    Moses then went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Say this to the House of Jacob, declare this to the sons of Israel, “You yourselves have seen what I did with the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself. From this you know that now, if you obey my voice and hold fast to my covenant, you of all the nations shall be my very own for all the earth is mine. I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation.”’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 99(100):2-3,5 

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
    Serve the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing for joy.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.
    He made us, we belong to him,
    we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,
    eternal his merciful love.
    He is faithful from age to age.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

________

Second reading
Romans 5:6-11
Now we have been reconciled by the death of his Son, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son

    We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man – though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die – but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, 
says the Lord, 
I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mk1:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The kingdom of God is close at hand:
repent, and believe the Good News.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 9:36-10:8
The harvest is rich but the labourers are few

    When Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

    He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.

    These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:

    ‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 18th June 2023

 Ex 19:2-6a; Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5; Rom 5:6-11; Mk 1:15; Mt 9:36-10:8

As Catholics, we are called to live lives of stewardship and discipleship, recognizing that our faith is not just a set of beliefs, but a way of life. The readings for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time provide us with profound insights into these essential aspects of our Christian journey. Let us reflect on the messages contained within these readings and consider how they relate to our role as stewards and disciples.
 
In the first reading from Exodus, we witness the encounter between God and His chosen people at Mount Sinai. The Lord, through Moses, reminds the Israelites of His faithfulness and the covenant He has established with them. This covenant is not merely a contract, but a sacred relationship built on love and trust. This reminds us of our vocation as stewards and disciples. They invite us to embrace the call to stewardship by recognizing our responsibility to care for God's creation and to generously share our gifts with others. Furthermore, they inspire us to deepen our commitment to discipleship, seeking to live in accordance with God's will and growing in our relationship with Him.
 
In practicing stewardship, we recognize that our resources are not ours alone, but gifts entrusted to us by God. We are called to use these resources wisely, responsibly, and selflessly, considering the needs of others and promoting the common good. Our discipleship, on the other hand, challenges us to continually seek the transformative power of God's love in our lives, as we strive to imitate Christ and spread His message of hope and salvation.
 
In our second reading from Romans, St. Paul beautifully articulates the depths of God's love for humanity. He reminds us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, reconciling us with God and offering us the gift of salvation. These verses reveal the heart of the Gospel message and provide us with a foundation for understanding stewardship and discipleship.
 
We are reminded of the transformative power of God's love and the essential role stewardship and discipleship play in our Christian journey. As stewards, we are called to gratefully recognize God's abundant love and respond by using our gifts and resources to build His kingdom. We are invited to be active participants in sharing the Good News, embracing reconciliation, and extending God's love to others. Through discipleship, we become vessels of God's love, imitating Christ's self-sacrificial nature. Our lives bear witness to the transformative power of God's grace, drawing others closer to Him. In our stewardship and discipleship, we discover the joy of participating in God's redemptive work, bringing hope and healing to a broken world.
 
The Gospel reading from Matthew recounts how Jesus is moved with compassion as He sees the crowds who are like sheep without a shepherd. He commissions His disciples, empowering them to continue His mission of healing and preaching the Kingdom of God. These verses reveal important insights into stewardship and discipleship within the context of our Catholic faith.
 
Stewardship calls us to imitate the compassion of Christ towards others. Like the Good Shepherd, we are called to have hearts filled with empathy and concern for those who are lost, suffering, or in need. Stewardship challenges us to extend a helping hand, offer comfort, and meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Stewardship and discipleship are intimately connected in our Catholic faith. Stewardship is not limited to the responsible use of material possessions but extends to the care and love we show towards all of God's creation. As disciples, we are called to embrace the responsibility of being stewards of God's gifts, utilizing them for the benefit of others and the greater glory of God.
 
Today’s gospel invites us to reflect on the inseparable relationship between stewardship and discipleship. As stewards, we are called to cultivate a heart of compassion, recognize the needs of others, and respond with selfless acts of love and service. We are entrusted with the responsibility of caring for one another, especially the most vulnerable in society.
 
As disciples, we are called to actively participate in Christ's mission, sharing the Good News and bringing the light of the Kingdom of God into the world. Our discipleship demands that we live in accordance with Christ's teachings, serving as His ambassadors of love, mercy, and reconciliation.
 
By living a life of stewardship and discipleship, we are challenged to move beyond our comfort zones, embracing the call to serve and witness to the transformative power of Christ's love. This requires a willingness to step out in faith, be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and to be instruments of God's grace and healing.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 11th June 2023

 DT 8:2-3,14B-16A; PS 147:12-15,19-20; 1 COR 10:16-17; JN 6:51-58

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Our readings are focused on the gifts of the Word of God and the Eucharist. This feast has deep significance to those of us living the stewardship way of life. 
 
Why? As stewards, we recognize that all that we are and all that we have been given are gifts from God. We are called to treasure these gifts and use them for God’s glory. Aside from life itself, the most precious gifts God has given us are His Word and His Body and Blood. Our Solemnity today and the readings for this week invite us to a deeper gratitude and better stewardship of these two sublime gifts. 
 
In our first reading, from Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people that God “let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna… in order to show you that not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord. Do not forget the Lord your God.” Our Heavenly Father is such a good teacher. He reminds His people that just as we experience physical hunger from lack of food, we become spiritually malnourished through a lack of feeding on the Word of God. It is that important. 
 
God’s Word is alive and He intends for us to feed on it daily. Yet, it is a gift that is easy to neglect. In this noisy modern world, it can be challenging to even recognize our spiritual “hunger pangs.” And it is easier to feed them with the junk food of mindless distraction and entertainment. As Christian stewards, we must recognize our dependence on God’s Word, and treasure this priceless gift — out of gratitude to the Giver and so that we can share it with others.
 
Our Lord reveals the full meaning of this gift in our Gospel passage from John. He says to the crowds, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” In the Old Testament, God fed His people with manna. Now, He feeds us with the very Flesh and Blood of His Son.
 
And, just as the Word of God is vital to our spiritual nourishment, so, too is the nourishment of the Eucharist. 
 
Jesus could not make this any clearer to us: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Without the Eucharist, we die spiritually. But through the Eucharist, we experience a taste of heaven right now. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” Notice that Christ does not say those who partake of His Body and Blood will have eternal life, but that they have eternal life — right here and right now! It is no wonder then, that the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Eucharist as the “source and summit of our faith” (1324).
 
In the gifts of the Word of God and the Eucharist, we have everything we need to sustain us in this world and guide us to heaven. Let us resolve to steward them well with all our hearts, always.

Mass Readings: Sunday - 11th June 2023

First reading
Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16
He fed you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known

    Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart – whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

    ‘Do not become proud of heart. Do not forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
    Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
    he has blessed the children within you.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He established peace on your borders,
    he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
    and swiftly runs his command.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He makes his word known to Jacob,
    to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
    he has not taught them his decrees.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

________

Second reading
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
That there is only one loaf means that, though we are many, we form one body

    The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

The word of the Lord.

________

Sequence
Lauda, Sion

The Sequence may be said or sung in full, or using the shorter form indicated by the asterisked verses.

Sing forth, O Zion, sweetly sing
The praises of thy Shepherd-King,
    In hymns and canticles divine;
Dare all thou canst, thou hast no song
Worthy his praises to prolong,
    So far surpassing powers like thine.

Today no theme of common praise
Forms the sweet burden of thy lays –
    The living, life-dispensing food –
That food which at the sacred board
Unto the brethren twelve our Lord
    His parting legacy bestowed.

Then be the anthem clear and strong,
Thy fullest note, thy sweetest song,
    The very music of the breast:
For now shines forth the day sublime
That brings remembrance of the time
    When Jesus first his table blessed.

Within our new King’s banquet-hall
They meet to keep the festival
    That closed the ancient paschal rite:
The old is by the new replaced;
The substance hath the shadow chased;
    And rising day dispels the night.

Christ willed what he himself had done
Should be renewed while time should run,
    In memory of his parting hour:
Thus, tutored in his school divine,
We consecrate the bread and wine;
    And lo – a Host of saving power.

This faith to Christian men is given –
Bread is made flesh by words from heaven:
    Into his blood the wine is turned:
What though it baffles nature’s powers
Of sense and sight? This faith of ours
    Proves more than nature e’er discerned.

Concealed beneath the two-fold sign,
Meet symbols of the gifts divine,
    There lie the mysteries adored:
The living body is our food;
Our drink the ever-precious blood;
    In each, one undivided Lord.

Not he that eateth it divides
The sacred food, which whole abides
    Unbroken still, nor knows decay;
Be one, or be a thousand fed,
They eat alike that living bread
    Which, still received, ne’er wastes away.

The good, the guilty share therein,
With sure increase of grace or sin,
    The ghostly life, or ghostly death:
Death to the guilty; to the good
Immortal life. See how one food
    Man’s joy or woe accomplisheth.

We break the Sacrament, but bold
And firm thy faith shall keep its hold,
Deem not the whole doth more enfold
    Than in the fractured part resides
Deem not that Christ doth broken lie,
’Tis but the sign that meets the eye,
The hidden deep reality
    In all its fullness still abides.

– – – – – –

*Behold the bread of angels, sent
For pilgrims in their banishment,
The bread for God’s true children meant,
    That may not unto dogs be given:
Oft in the olden types foreshowed;
In Isaac on the altar bowed,
And in the ancient paschal food,
    And in the manna sent from heaven.

*Come then, good shepherd, bread divine,
Still show to us thy mercy sign;
Oh, feed us still, still keep us thine;
So may we see thy glories shine
    In fields of immortality;

*O thou, the wisest, mightiest, best,
Our present food, our future rest,
Come, make us each thy chosen guest,
Co-heirs of thine, and comrades blest
    With saints whose dwelling is with thee.

Amen. Alleluia.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn6:51

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, 
says the Lord.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 6:51-58
My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink

Jesus said to the crowd:

‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.’

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 04th June 2023

First reading
Exodus 34:4-6,8-9
'Lord, Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion'

    With the two tablets of stone in his hands, Moses went up the mountain of Sinai in the early morning as the Lord had commanded him. And the Lord descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there.

    He called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘Lord, Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.’ And Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ he said ‘let my Lord come with us, I beg. True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:52-56

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

Blest your glorious holy name.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the temple of your glory.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest who gaze into the depths.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the firmament of heaven.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

________

Second reading
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
The grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

Brothers, we wish you happiness; try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Greet one another with the holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings.

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

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Rv1:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 3:16-18
God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 04th June 2023

 EX 34:4B-6, 8-9; DN 3:52-56; 2 COR 13:11-13; JN 3:16-18

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the Holy Trinity is the “central mystery of the Christian faith” (261). The concept of the Triune God — Three Persons in one God — is truly a mystery, almost too lofty for us ordinary people to even begin to grasp. Can the truth of the Holy Trinity teach us anything as everyday Christian stewards? Actually, yes!
 
St. John Paul II described the Holy Trinity as a “Divine Family,” a community of Persons Who give themselves completely to each other and Who wishes to share Itself, Its life, with us. These concepts are at the very heart of the stewardship way of life. As stewards, we too are called to share ourselves and our lives with others. As a stewardship parish, we are called to invite others into our community through the gift of hospitality.
 
These characteristics of our Triune God — offering Himself to us through intimacy with Him in His Divine life — are made manifest from the earliest passages of Scripture as we see in today's first reading, from the Book of Exodus. Earlier in Exodus, God had already developed a close relationship with Moses. Today we read that “Having come down in a cloud, the Lord stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, ‘Lord.’” He even goes on to describe Himself as “a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” The God of the universe “comes down” to His people, He tells them His name and He tells them some (wonderful) things about Himself. The Father wants to be known and to give Himself to His people! 
 
Our second reading, from 2 Corinthians, carries this theme even further, as St. Paul prays that, “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” will be with all of us. In other words, we are invited into an ever-deepening intimacy with this Divine Family, this community of Persons. We are reminded that this Triune God already dwells within us through our Baptism. This divine intimacy we are offered should motivate us to do as St. Paul instructs at the beginning of this passage, to “mend [our] ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace.”
 
Finally, our Gospel passage from John reminds us that the stewardship way of life is nothing more and nothing less than the imitation of our Most Holy Trinity. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes might not perish but might have eternal life.” He gave Himself, in the Person of His Son, for love of us. We must love this God back now by giving ourselves, our lives, to Him.
 
Amazingly, the more we give of ourselves to God in love, the more we will find the “grace of the Lord, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit within us.” The God of the universe — this mysterious, Triune God — invites us to an ever-deepening intimacy with Him when we make our lives a loving gift to Him and to others through the stewardship way of life.