Daily Readings for August 15, 2019

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

1st READING

The Book of Revelation contains many symbols in order to encourage a Christian community that was under persecution. Pope Pius XII, in Munificentissimus Deus, affirmed in 1950 the feast we celebrate today.

Revelations 11:19; 12:1-6, 10

19 God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. 12:1 A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. 4 Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. 6 The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”

PSALM 

Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16 

R: The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

10 The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir. (R) 11 Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. (R) 12 So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord. (R) 16 They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king. (R)

2nd READING

Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead. Mary is the first of humanity to receive the fullness of the resurrection. This is what we all hope for—eternal life with God in heaven. Let us pray that we will remain faithful to our calling and follow in the footsteps of Mary.

1 Corinthians 15:20-27

20 Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 23 but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 24 then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 27 for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

GOSPEL

Mary’s prayer is similar to that of Hannah’s. It is a prayer that exults in the greatness of God and His care for the downtrodden and marginalized. Let us reflect on this prayer and discover who is the one truly blessed by the Lord. May we be among the blessed and do our best to minister to them.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Mary is taken up to heaven; a chorus of angels exults.

Luke 1:39-56

39 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” 46 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. 48 For he has looked with favour on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: 49 the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. 50 He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. 51 He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. 52 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has come to help his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy, 55 the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and to his children forever.” 56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

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Daily Readings for August 14, 2019

Memorial of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr 

1st READING

Moses is not perfect. A moment of weakness made him unable to enter the Promised Land. Yet he will be remembered as one of the greatest servants of God in Jewish history. There is a little difference between absolute glory and mediocre success. A minor flaw can cause a major problem. Let us pay attention to our relationship with God and avoid making mistakes.

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

1 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho, and the Lord showed him all the land—Gilead, and as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan with the lowlands at Jericho, city of palms, and as far as Zoar. 4 The Lord then said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.” 5 So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the Lord, died as the Lord had said; 6 and he was buried in the ravine opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab, but to this day no one knows the place of his burial. 7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. 8 For thirty days, the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab, till they had completed the period of grief and mourning for Moses. 9 Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; and so the children of Israel gave him their obedience, thus carrying out the Lord’s command to Moses. 10 Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. 11 He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, 12 and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel.

PSALM

Psalm 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17

R: Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!

1 Shout joyfully to God, all you on earth, 2 sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. 3 Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!” (R) 5 Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. 8 Bless our God, you peoples, loudly sound his praise. (R) 16 Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me. 17 When I appealed to him in words, praise was on the tip of my tongue. (R)

GOSPEL

Today we celebrate the feast of Maximilian Kolbe who took the place of a fellow prisoner in a concentration camp. That prisoner survived World War II and was reunited with his family. Kolbe’s witness of faith is exemplary and inspiring. Like St. Maximilian, let us commit to grow in generosity. The more generous we become, the easier it will be to forgive those who hurt us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Matthew 18:15-20

15 Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. 16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. 18 Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com

Daily Readings for August 13, 2019

1st READING

Moses knows that he will not enter the Promised Land because of his lack of trust in the Lord. He encourages Joshua to take over and lead the people forward according to God’s will. There comes a time for a leader to step aside and give the next generation the opportunity to lead. Let us pray that Church leaders today will be ready to pass on leadership roles at the appointed time.

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

1 When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel, 2 he said to them, “I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to move about freely; besides, the Lord has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan. 3 It is the Lord, your God, who will cross before you; he will destroy these nations before you, that you may supplant them. It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the Lord promised. 4 The Lord will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed, and with their country. 5 When, therefore, the Lord delivers them up to you, you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you. 6 Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you.” 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel said to him, “Be brave and steadfast, for you must bring this people into the land which the Lord swore to their fathers he would give them; you must put them in possession of their heritage. 8 It is the Lord who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed.”

PSALM

Deuteronomy 32:3-4, 7, 8, 9, 12

R: The portion of the Lord is his people.

3 For I will sing the Lord’s renown. Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock—how faultless are his deeds, how right all his ways! (R) 7 Think back on the days of old, reflect on the years of age upon age. Ask your father and he will inform you, ask your elders and they will tell you. (R) 8 When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage, when he parceled out the descendants of Adam, he set up the boundaries of the peoples after the number of the sons of Israel.(R) 9 While the Lord’s own portion was Jacob, his hereditary share was Israel. 12 The Lord alone was their leader, no strange god was with him. (R) 

GOSPEL

Jesus uses the image of a child to represent faith in His teachings. It reminds us of simplicity and trust, two things that are inherent in children. The journey of faith will become easier by keeping our relationship with God simple. Let us read up on the lives of the saints and be inspired by their simplicity and faithfulness. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

1 The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child over, placed it in their midst, 3 and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. 12 What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? 13 And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 14 In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

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Daily Readings for August 12, 2019

1st READING

God’s call for the Israelites to “circumcise their hearts” obliges them to worship only Him and remain faithful to Him whatever happens. Unfortunately, the Israelites had a tendency to stray from their commitment to God and experimented with other religions through their history. Is our commitment to God exclusive of other gods? This is our challenge: to remain faithful to the truths of our faith in the midst of a secular world that supports ideas and philosophies that are anathema to the Gospel.

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

12 Moses said to the people: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, 13 to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord which I enjoin on you today for your own good? 14 Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the Lord, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it. 15 Yet in his love for your fathers the Lord was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked. 17 For the Lord, your God, is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. 19 So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. 20 The Lord, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to him and swear by his name. 21 He is your glory, he, your God, who has done for you those great and terrible things which your own eyes have seen. 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy strong, and now the Lord, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.”

PSALM

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

R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. 13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. (R) 14 He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. 15 He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! (R) 19 He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus warns us that we do have two masters—God in terms of the spiritual realities, and the secular authorities in terms of our earthly commitments. We need to find the right balance and not compromise the truths of our faith. In Romans 13, Paul reminds us of our duty to pay taxes and respect secular authority. But there should be limits. And we should refuse to do anything that violates our conscience, even if the basis of our judgment is primarily spiritual and not secular.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

God has called you through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 17:22-27

22 As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief. 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “Yes,” he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” 26 When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. 27 But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”

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Daily Readings for August 11, 2019

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1st READING 

Do you feel the need to destroy and scatter your enemies like what happened to the Israelites in the Old Testament? The challenge we face is accepting that we share one way of life and are called to live in harmony with and respect for one another.

Wisdom 18:6-9

6 The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage. 7 Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. 8 For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. 9 For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution. 

PSALM

Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22 

R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

1 Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting. 12 Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. 22 May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (R) 

2nd READING

Faith is a powerful force at work in us. Today’s reading reminds us of the faith of the ancients who believed that God could create a people out of nothing except the response of one man, Abraham, who believed that God could bring life from a barren womb (Isaac from Sarah) and so on. He was willing to uproot from his comfortable existence and go to the Promised Land that he knew very little about. His faith in God was his greatest companion.

Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-12 (or Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19)

1 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 8 By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. 9 By faith, he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. 11 By faith, he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age—and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. 12 So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.

GOSPEL

Wealth is a distraction to living out a life of faith. There are times when we cannot avoid distractions, but excessive wealth is destructive to our faith. It is only a matter of time for worldly wealth to take us away from serving the Gospel. Let us heed Jesus’ warning.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day the Son of Man will come.

Luke 12:35-40 (or Luke 12:32-48)

35 Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps 36 and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. 38 And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. 39 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

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