Mass Reflection: Sunday, 16th May 2021

As we celebrate Christ’s ascension into heaven, we recall that He is not of this world and we were not made for this world. We were made for eternal life. Our readings today remind us that we are called to be set apart as disciples of Christ.
 
In our Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that as Christian disciples, we do not belong to the world. He prays to God the Father, “I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.” 
 
We must stop and ask ourselves, "Who do we belong to?" The answer is that we belong to our Loving and Gracious God, “that they may be one just as we are one.” But, do we act like we belong to God? How we spend our time, what we do with our talents and how we spend our treasures are a good reflection of who or what we belong to.  
 
Does our time reflect time with God, our families and friends? Are our talents used to serve our families, friends, fellow parishioners and those in need? Does the way we spend our treasure glorify God? Is it put to good use? Our lives should be a direct reflection of Whose we are. 
 
Being a disciple of Christ will not always be easy. As our early disciples experienced, “I gave them your word, and the world hated them.” But it is because we were not made for the world. We were made to be saints, truly a calling that is out of this world. 
 
Although we do not belong to the world, Jesus clearly prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.” We are called to live in this world and to not become consumed by it. We need to keep our minds and hearts fixed on our goal — eternal life. 
 
In order to not become consumed by the world, we need to be on guard from the evil one. As Christian stewards, we must be aware of what we bring into our homes, what we watch on television or social media, what we read, what we listen to and who we call friends. And when we keep a disciplined prayer life and remain close to the sacraments, we will increasingly become aware of the areas of our lives that are becoming consumed. 
 
In our Second Reading, St. John expresses that he, along with others, “have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.” Living set apart from the mainstream world becomes much easier when we recognize, experience and personally encounter Christ’s love for us. His love is radical and His home for us in heaven is unthinkable. If we only knew the reality of both those things, we would do anything to love the Lord and be with Him. 
 
Jesus’ ascension is a good reminder for us that we, too, are called to heaven. Let us strive to live our lives as a reflection of this goal in mind. And let us pray for the grace to understand just a fraction of God’s Perfect Love for us and for the grace to express our love in return. 

The Liturgy of the Word: Sunday, 16th May 2021

 

First reading
Acts 1:15-17,20-26 ·

'Let someone else take his office'

One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:

Let someone else take his office.

‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’

  Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’ They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.

The word of the Lord.

---

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 102(103):1-2,11-12,19-20

The Lord has set his sway in heaven.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord has set his sway in heaven.

.

For as the heavens are high above the earth

  so strong is his love for those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west

  so far does he remove our sins.

The Lord has set his sway in heaven.

 

The Lord has set his sway in heaven

  and his kingdom is ruling over all.

Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels,

  mighty in power, fulfilling his word.

The Lord has set his sway in heaven.

 

---

Second reading
1 John 4:11-16 ·

Anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him

My dear people,

since God has loved us so much,

we too should love one another.

No one has ever seen God;

but as long as we love one another

God will live in us

and his love will be complete in us.

We can know that we are living in him

and he is living in us

because he lets us share his Spirit.

We ourselves saw and we testify

that the Father sent his Son

as saviour of the world.

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,

God lives in him, and he in God.

We ourselves have known and put our faith in

God’s love towards ourselves.

God is love

and anyone who lives in love lives in God,

and God lives in him.

The word of the Lord.

---

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Jn14:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;

I will come back to you,

and your hearts will be full of joy.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	John 17:11-19

Father, keep those you have given me true to your name

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,

keep those you have given me true to your name,

so that they may be one like us.

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 the one who chose to be lost,

and this was to fulfil the scriptures.

But now I am coming to you

and while still in the world I say these things

to share my joy with them to the full.

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.

I am not asking you to remove them from the world,

but to protect them from the evil one.

They do not belong to the world

any more than I belong to the world.

Consecrate them in the truth;

your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world,

I have sent them into the world,

and for their sake I consecrate myself

so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Readings - Sunday, 24th May 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles    1: 12-14
All joined in continuous prayer

After Jesus was taken up into heaven, the apostles went back from
the Mount of Olives, as it is called, to Jerusalem, a short distance
away, no more than a sabbath walk; and when they reached the
city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there
were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas,
Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the
Zealot, and Jude son of James. All these joined in continuous prayer,
together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus,
and with his brothers.

The Word of the Lord.



Responsorial Psalm    Ps 26

Response: I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.

1. The Lord is my light and my
help; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.

2. There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.

3. O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
Of you my heart has spoken:
“Seek his face.”

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.



SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Peter    4: 13-16
It is a blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of
Christ

If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad,
because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is
revealed. It is a blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the
name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory,
the Spirit of God resting on you.
None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a
thief, a criminal or an informer; but if anyone of you should suffer for
being a Christian, then he is not to be ashamed of it;
he should thank God that he has been called one.

The Word of the Lord



Gospel Acclamation    John 14:18

Alleluia, alleluia!
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I will come back to you, and your hearts will be full of joy.
Alleluia!



GOSPEL    John (17:1-11)
Father glorify your Son.

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Father, the hour has
come: glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you;
and, through the power over all mankind that you have given him,
let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him. And
eternal life is this: to know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me
to do. Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me with that glory I had
with you before ever the world was.
I have made your name known to the men you took from the world
to give me. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they
have kept your word. Now at last they know that all you given me
comes indeed from you;
for I have given them the teaching you gave to me, and they have
truly accepted this, that I came from you, and have believed that it
was you who sent me. I pray for them;
I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you: all I have is yours and all you have is
mine, and in them I am glorified. I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Readings - Sunday , 2nd June 2019

Liturgical Readings for : Sunday, 2nd June, 2019
Today's Readings
Léachtaí Gaeilge

FIRST READING 
Acts of the Apostles 7:55-60 
I can see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

Stephen, frilled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at God's right hand. "I can see heaven thrown open" he said "and the
Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." At this all the members of the council
shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and said aloud, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them"; and with these words he fell asleep.

The Word of the Lord


RESPONSORIAL PSALM    PS 96

Response The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.
or Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

1. The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
the many coastlands be glad.
His throne is justice and right.     Response

2. The skies proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory.
All you spirits, worship him.        Response

3. For you indeed are the Lord
most high above all the earth
exalted far above all spirits.        Response


SECOND READING 
Apocalypse 22:12.14. 16-17. 20 
Come, Lord Jesus. 

I, John, heard a voice speaking to me:
"Very soon now, I shall be with you again, bringing the reward to be given to every man according to what he deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the and can come through the gates into the city." I, Jesus, have sent my angel to make these revelations to you for the sake of the churches. I am of David's line, the root of David and the bright star of the morning. The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." Let everyone who listens answer, "Come." Then let all who are thirsty come; all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free.
The one who guarantees these revelations repeats his promise: I shall indeed be with
you soon. Amen; come, Lord Jesus.

The Word of the Lord 


Gospel Acclamation     
Jn 14: 18

Alleluia, alleluia! 
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I will come back to you,
and your hearts will be full of joy. 
Alleluia! 


THE GOSPEL
John 17:20-26 
May they be completely one.

Jesus raised His eyes to heaven and said: ‘Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. 
Father, may they be one in us; as you are in me and I am in you,so that the world may 
believe it was you who sent me. I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realise that it was you who sent me and that I have loved them as much as you love me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you love me before the foundation of the world. Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.’ 

The Gospel of the Lord.