Mass Reading: Sunday - 25th May 2025

 

First reading
Acts 15:1-2,22-29
It has been decided by the Spirit and by ourselves not to burden you with any burden beyond these essentials

    Some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.’ This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.

    Then the apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:

    ‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us; and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter. It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 66(67):2-3,5-6,8

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

O God, be gracious and bless us
    and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
    and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult
    for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
    you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
    till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

________

Second reading
Apocalypse 21:10-14,22-23
He showed me the holy city coming down out of heaven

    In the spirit, the angel took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

    I saw that there was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple, and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light, since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the Lamb was a lighted torch for it.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.’

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 14:23-29
A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
And my word is not my own:
it is the word of the one who sent me.
I have said these things to you while still with you;
but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Sixth Sunday of Easter ACTS 15:1-2, 22-29; PS 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8; REV 21:10-14, 22-23; JN 14:23-29 The concept of hospitality is fundamental to a stewardship way of life. When we envision hospitality, we naturally think of offering a sincere and warm welcome — to those new to our parish, for instance. We picture inviting them in and making them feel at home and at ease in our presence, communicating to them that they are highly valued. Today’s Gospel reading from John invites us to think of hospitality in a slightly different way. In it, we hear Jesus speaking this to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Jesus is asking that we permit the Blessed Trinity to come and dwell within us. This is a stunning request. It tells us that our first and most privileged form of hospitality should be directed towards God Himself. How does one show hospitality to God? How do we make God “at home and at ease” within us? How can we communicate to God that He is “highly valued” by us? Jesus tells us how: we are to keep His word, to follow HIs teachings. To keep His word, we must know His word. This takes discipline and effort on our part. We must make the study of Scripture and Church teaching a priority in our daily lives. This can be done in small and simple ways. Perhaps you can commit to setting your alarm ten minutes early to meditate on the day’s Gospel. Perhaps you could read a paragraph of the Catechism with your family at dinner. You could pray over a portion of the Psalms before going to bed at night. You can join (or start!) a Bible study right here at the parish. There are many ways to grow in knowledge and love of God’s word. Over time these simple practices can radically change one’s life. We will begin to more easily think like Jesus, respond like Jesus, and live like Jesus. We really will form our minds, hearts, and souls into a place where the Blessed Trinity is pleased to dwell. How is this possible? Because we have an Unseen Teacher with us as we seek to know and keep God’s word. Jesus tells us so later in this same Gospel passage. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Ask the Holy Spirit to show you when and how you can get to know God’s word in your particular circumstances and then commit to it! If we want our parish to be a place of genuine Christian hospitality, we must be sure that our own hearts are hospitable dwelling places for the Blessed Trinity. Then our smiles and words, our greetings and ministries will radiate with the warmth of God’s love. And our parish family will become at least a little bit like Heaven on earth. This is the simplicity and glory of a stewardship way of life.

 

ACTS 15:1-2, 22-29; PS 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8; REV 21:10-14, 22-23; JN 14:23-29

The concept of hospitality is fundamental to a stewardship way of life. When we envision hospitality, we naturally think of offering a sincere and warm welcome — to those new to our parish, for instance. We picture inviting them in and making them feel at home and at ease in our presence, communicating to them that they are highly valued.

Today’s Gospel reading from John invites us to think of hospitality in a slightly different way. In it, we hear Jesus speaking this to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

Jesus is asking that we permit the Blessed Trinity to come and dwell within us. This is a stunning request. It tells us that our first and most privileged form of hospitality should be directed towards God Himself.

How does one show hospitality to God? How do we make God “at home and at ease” within us? How can we communicate to God that He is “highly valued” by us? Jesus tells us how: we are to keep His word, to follow HIs teachings.

To keep His word, we must know His word. This takes discipline and effort on our part. We must make the study of Scripture and Church teaching a priority in our daily lives. This can be done in small and simple ways. Perhaps you can commit to setting your alarm ten minutes early to meditate on the day’s Gospel. Perhaps you could read a paragraph of the Catechism with your family at dinner. You could pray over a portion of the Psalms before going to bed at night. You can join (or start!) a Bible study right here at the parish. There are many ways to grow in knowledge and love of God’s word.

Over time these simple practices can radically change one’s life. We will begin to more easily think like Jesus, respond like Jesus, and live like Jesus. We really will form our minds, hearts, and souls into a place where the Blessed Trinity is pleased to dwell.

How is this possible? Because we have an Unseen Teacher with us as we seek to know and keep God’s word. Jesus tells us so later in this same Gospel passage. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Ask the Holy Spirit to show you when and how you can get to know God’s word in your particular circumstances and then commit to it!

If we want our parish to be a place of genuine Christian hospitality, we must be sure that our own hearts are hospitable dwelling places for the Blessed Trinity. Then our smiles and words, our greetings and ministries will radiate with the warmth of God’s love. And our parish family will become at least a little bit like Heaven on earth. This is the simplicity and glory of a stewardship way of life.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 05th May 2024

First reading
Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48
The pagans have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have

    As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only a man after all!’ 

    Then Peter addressed them: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

    While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came down on all the listeners. Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were all astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be poured out on the pagans too, since they could hear them speaking strange languages and proclaiming the greatness of God. Peter himself then said, ‘Could anyone refuse the water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have?’ He then gave orders for them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterwards they begged him to stay on for some days.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 97(98):1-4

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

Sing a new song to the Lord
    for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
    have brought salvation.

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

The Lord has made known his salvation;
    has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love
    for the house of Israel.

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
    ring out your joy.

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

________

Second reading
1 John 4:7-10

Let us love one another, since love comes from God

My dear people,
let us love one another
since love comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean:
not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.’

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 15:9-17
You are my friends if you do what I command you

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 05th May 2024

ACTS 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; PS 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 1 JN 4:7-10; JN 15:9-17


Our readings today call us to love as Christ loves. This request from our Lord is no small endeavor. It is something we must work at every day in every moment. When we put it at the forefront of our minds and hearts, and strive to live it out each day, it will transform our lives and impact others, too.

As St. John tells us in our Second Reading, it is “not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” Recall that God loved us first, not because of what we do for Him, but because He created us out of love. His love for us is pure and radical.

In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The ways Jesus has loved us and continues to love us are endless.

Jesus has loved us by dying for our salvation; by giving His entire Self to us in the Eucharist; by sending forth His Spirit to be with us always; He loves us through the sacraments, pouring out His never-ending grace and mercy; He loves us as we are, despite any faults and shortcomings; He loves us through the many blessings He bestows on us and even the trials we endure. His love for us is deeply personal, boundless, and always selfless and sacrificial.

We are called to imitate this love. And He tells us the greatest way to do this when He said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

It is difficult to live that out in our humanity. Yet, it is made much easier when we faithfully love Christ. The fact of the matter is, as our love for Christ increases, so too does our capacity to love others.

There are countless times throughout each day when we can do just that — giving up time each morning that we spend listening to the news and instead spending it in prayer; waking up Saturday morning to attend daily Mass instead of sleeping in; talking to God in the car on the way to work; regularly going to confession. These are simple ways to express our love for the Lord by laying down our lives for Him.

The more we find ways to love the Lord, the more we will find it easier to lay down our lives for others — for instance, by responding to your spouse with kind words in their moment of weakness, anger or frustration; driving your kids to another event or activity after you have been in the car all day; saying prayers for the slow person on the road instead of mentally attacking them.

These are the small ways that we can emulate Christ, put aside our selfishness and serve others.

Christ’s command to “love one another as I have loved you” may seem daunting. Yet, Christ would never ask something of us that we cannot live out. All we need to do is take baby steps.

Look at each moment and think, "How can I better love Jesus right now?" or "How can I lay down my life in this moment?" for it is in loving Christ that we will better love others, and it is in loving others that we love Christ Himself.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 14th May 2023

First reading
Acts 8:5-8,14-17
They laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit

    Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.

    When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
    O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
    Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
    shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
    tremendous his deeds among men.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
    he rules for ever by his might.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Come and hear, all who fear God.
    I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
    nor withhold his love from me.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

________

Second reading
1 Peter 3:15-18
In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life

    Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.

    Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.’

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 14:15-21
I shall ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever,
that Spirit of truth
whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows him;
but you know him,
because he is with you, he is in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come back to you.
In a short time the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me,
because I live and you will live.
On that day you will understand that I am in my Father
and you in me and I in you.
Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them
will be one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 14th May 2023

ACTS 8:5-8;14-17; PS 66:1-7, 16, 20; 1 PT 3:15-18; JN 14:15-21

On this sixth Sunday of Easter, our readings remind us Christian stewards of the importance and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. They also teach us that love of God shows itself in concrete actions — this is precisely why the stewardship way of life is so necessary.
 
Throughout the Easter season, our first readings, taken from the Act of the Apostles, have recounted the growth (and growing pains) of the early days of the Church. Today we read that the Samaritans had accepted the word of God, and while there was great rejoicing over this, they were still in need of more before they were fully empowered disciples. So, Peter and John “went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Peter and John “laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” The “more” that these new Christians needed, was, of course, the Holy Spirit. 
 
We, too, need and have received the Holy Spirit in our lives, initially at our Baptism, and in full measure at the moment of our Confirmation. The gifts and guidance of the Holy Spirit are essential to the Christian steward and the stewardship way of life.

Today is a great opportunity, especially as we draw nearer to Pentecost, to begin to examine our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Do we make full use of all of the grace and power the Holy Spirit has for us in meeting the challenges of life?
 
Our second reading, from St. Peter, is certainly filled with challenges for us, beginning with the first verse,  “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” In other words, we must put Christ first above all else in our lives. His role is not merely as Savior of our lives, as significant as that role is; He is to be “Lord” of our lives as well.  

As His disciples, we are called to make Him ruler of all aspects of our lives — our time, talent, and treasure.
 
The beauty of the stewardship way of life is that it offers us a concrete means to show that Christ truly is Lord in our lives, to “prove” our love, in a manner of speaking, because true love is not merely sentiment. “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me,” Jesus tells us in our Gospel passage from John. 
 
True love is an act of the will. It requires obedience to all of God’s commandments. This requires courage, humility, and deep trust in Him. It requires that we lean on the Holy Spirit for the strength and wisdom to continuously make Jesus the Lord of our lives.
 
But the rewards are indescribably wonderful. Christ tells us Himself, “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Could there be anything more satisfying to live in such a way that the God of the universe is pleased to reveal more and more of Himself to us? 
 
Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us fully embrace the stewardship way of life to truly sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 22nd May 2022

First reading
Acts 15:1-2,22-29
It has been decided by the Spirit and by ourselves not to burden you with any burden beyond these essentials

    Some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.’ This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.

    Then the apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:

    ‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us; and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter. It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 66(67):2-3,5-6,8

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

O God, be gracious and bless us
    and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
    and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult
    for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
    you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
    till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

________

Second reading
Apocalypse 21:10-14,22-23
He showed me the holy city coming down out of heaven

    In the spirit, the angel took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

    I saw that there was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple, and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light, since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the Lamb was a lighted torch for it.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.’

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 14:23-29
A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
And my word is not my own:
it is the word of the one who sent me.
I have said these things to you while still with you;
but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 22nd May 2022

 

The concept of hospitality is fundamental to a stewardship way of life. When we envision hospitality, we naturally think of offering a sincere and warm welcome — to those new to our parish, for instance. We picture inviting them in and making them feel at home and at ease in our presence, communicating to them that they are highly valued.
 
Today’s Gospel reading from John invites us to think of hospitality in a slightly different way. In it, we hear Jesus speaking this to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”  
 
Jesus is asking that we permit the Blessed Trinity to come and dwell within us. This is a stunning request. It tells us that our first and most privileged form of hospitality should be directed towards God Himself.
 
How does one show hospitality to God? How do we make God “at home and at ease” within us? How can we communicate to God that He is “highly valued” by us? Jesus tells us how: we are to keep His word, to follow HIs teachings.
 
To keep His word, we must know His word. This takes discipline and effort on our part.  We must make the study of Scripture and Church teaching a priority in our daily lives. This can be done in small and simple ways. Perhaps you can commit to setting your alarm ten minutes early to meditate on the day’s Gospel. Perhaps you could read a paragraph of the Catechism with your family at dinner. You could pray over a portion of the Psalms before going to bed at night. You can join (or start!) a Bible study right here at the parish. There are many ways to grow in knowledge and love of God’s word.
 
Over time these simple practices can radically change one’s life. We will begin to more easily think like Jesus, respond like Jesus, and live like Jesus. We really will form our minds, hearts, and souls into a place where the Blessed Trinity is pleased to dwell. 
 
How is this possible? Because we have an Unseen Teacher with us as we seek to know and keep God’s word. Jesus tells us so later in this same Gospel passage. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Ask the Holy Spirit to show you when and how you can get to know God’s word in your particular circumstances and then commit to it!
 
If we want our parish to be a place of genuine Christian hospitality, we must be sure that our own hearts are hospitable dwelling places for the Blessed Trinity.  Then our smiles and words, our greetings and ministries will radiate with the warmth of God’s love. And our parish family will become at least a little bit like Heaven on earth. This is the simplicity and glory of a stewardship way of life.

Mass Reflection: Sunday, 9th May 2021

Our readings today call us to love as Christ loves. This request from our Lord is no small endeavor. It is something we must work at every day in every moment. When we put it at the forefront of our minds and hearts, and strive to live it out each day, it will transform our lives and impact others, too. 
 
As St. John tells us in our Second Reading, it is “not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” Recall that God loved us first, not because of what we do for Him, but because He created us out of love. His love for us is pure and radical.  
 
In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The ways Jesus has loved us and continues to love us are endless. 
 
Jesus has loved us by dying for our salvation; by giving His entire Self to us in the Eucharist; by sending forth His Spirit to be with us always; He loves us through the sacraments, pouring out His never-ending grace and mercy; He loves us as we are, despite any faults and shortcomings; He loves us through the many blessings He bestows on us and even the trials we endure. His love for us is deeply personal, boundless, and always selfless and sacrificial.  
 
We are called to imitate this love. And He tells us the greatest way to do this when He said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
 
It is difficult to live that out in our humanity. Yet, it is made much easier when we faithfully love Christ. The fact of the matter is, as our love for Christ increases, so too does our capacity to love others.  
 
There are countless times throughout each day when we can do just that — giving up time each morning that we spend listening to the news and instead spending it in prayer; waking up Saturday morning to attend daily Mass instead of sleeping in; talking to God in the car on the way to work; regularly going to confession. These are simple ways to express our love for the Lord by laying down our lives for Him. 
 
The more we find ways to love the Lord, the more we will find it easier to lay down our lives for others — for instance, by responding to your spouse with kind words in their moment of weakness, anger or frustration; driving your kids to another event or activity after you have been in the car all day; saying prayers for the slow person on the road instead of mentally attacking them. 
 
These are the small ways that we can emulate Christ, put aside our selfishness and serve others.
Christ’s command to “love one another as I have loved you” may seem daunting. Yet, Christ would never ask something of us that we cannot live out. All we need to do is take baby steps.
Look at each moment and think, "How can I better love Jesus right now?" or "How can I lay down my life in this moment?" for it is in loving Christ that we will better love others, and it is in loving others that we love Christ Himself.  

The Liturgy of the Word: Sunday, 9th May 2021

First reading
Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48

The pagans have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have

As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only a man after all!’

  Then Peter addressed them: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

  While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came down on all the listeners. Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were all astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be poured out on the pagans too, since they could hear them speaking strange languages and proclaiming the greatness of God. Peter himself then said, ‘Could anyone refuse the water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have?’ He then gave orders for them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterwards they begged him to stay on for some days.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 97(98):1-4

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

Sing a new song to the Lord

  for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

  have brought salvation.

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

  has shown his justice to the nations.

He has remembered his truth and love

  for the house of Israel.

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

All the ends of the earth have seen

  the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

  ring out your joy.

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

Second reading
1 John 4:7-10 ·

Let us love one another, since love comes from God

My dear people,

let us love one another

since love comes from God

and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,

because God is love.

God’s love for us was revealed

when God sent into the world his only Son

so that we could have life through him;

this is the love I mean:

not our love for God,

but God’s love for us when he sent his Son

to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.’

Alleluia!

Gospel	John 15:9-17

You are my friends if you do what I command you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me,

so I have loved you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments

you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

I have told you this

so that my own joy may be in you

and your joy be complete.

This is my commandment:

love one another, as I have loved you.

A man can have no greater love

than to lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends,

if you do what I command you.

I shall not call you servants any more,

because a servant does not know

his master’s business;

I call you friends,

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father.

You did not choose me:

no, I chose you;

and I commissioned you

to go out and to bear fruit,

fruit that will last;

and then the Father will give you

anything you ask him in my name.

What I command you

is to love one another.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Readings - Sunday, 17th May 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles    8:5-8. 14-17
They laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them.
The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either
because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they
saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits
that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several
paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great
rejoicing in that town.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted
the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went
down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit,
for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only
been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands
on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The Word of the Lord.



Responsorial Psalm    Ps 65
Response: Cry out with joy to God all the earth.

1. Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds’
Response: Cry out with joy to God all the earth.

2. ‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.
Response: Cry out with joy to God all the earth.

3. He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might.
Response: Cry out with joy to God all the earth.

4. Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.
Response: Cry out with joy to God all the earth.   



SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Peter    3:15-18
In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.

Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your
answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that
you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear
conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a
good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they
bring.
And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for
doing right than for doing wrong.
Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins,
died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to
death, in the spirit he was raised to life.

The Word of the Lord



Gospel Acclamation   Jn 14: 23

Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him.’
Alleluia!



GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to John    14:15-21
I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever,
that Spirit of truth
whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows him;
but you know him,
because he is with you, he is in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come back to you.
In a short time the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me,
because I live and you will live.
On that day you will understand
that I am in my Father
and you in me and I in you.
Anybody who receives my commandments
and keeps them will be one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me
will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Readings - Sunday, 26 May 2019

Liturgical Readings 
Today's Readings
Léachtaí Gaeilge


FIRST READING     Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2. 22-29
It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any
burden beyond these essentials

Some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have
yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved’. This led to
disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it
was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to
Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.
Then the apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul
and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as
Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to
take with them:
‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in
Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with
their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from
us; and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you
with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who
will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter. It has been decided by
the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these
essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of
strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right.
Farewell.’

The Word of the Lord


Responsorial Psalm      Ps 66

Response
Let the peoples praise you, 0 God;
let all the peoples praise you.

Or Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

1. O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth.
and all nations learn your saving help.             Response

2. Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.                         Response

3. Let the peoples praise you, 0 God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.                  Response



SECOND READING      Apocalypse 21:10-14. 22-23
He showed me the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven.

In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me
Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant
glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls
of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was
an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on
the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and
on the west three gates. The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of
which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
I saw that there was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb
were themselves the temple, and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light,
since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the Lamb was a lighted torch for it.

The Word of the Lord


Gospel Acclamation     Jn 14: 23
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!



GOSPEL      John 14:23-29
The Holy Spirit, will remind you of all I have said to you.

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him
and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
And my word is not my own:
it is the word of the one who sent me.
I have said these things to you
while still with you;
but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Peace I bequeath to you,
my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say:
I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.

The Gospel of the Lord