back to top
Home Blog Page 47

Sunday Homily – 11 August 2024

Fr. Bobby Joseph CMI
-
0
Sunday Homily – 11 August 2024

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 11 August 2024 Mass Reading Reflection for 11 August 2024

Gospel: John 6: 41-51

What do you feed on?

‘I am the bread of life’, this statement of Jesus suggests that there are other pieces of bread too that are not real. This statement is a warning to look if we are feeding on other ‘breads’ that are not breads of life: breads that can ruin our lives. 

Jesus is referring to the bread that gives energy to the spirit. Jesus is challenging us to review the motivating forces in our lives.

There are people driven by their hunger for power. Authority is their ‘bread’. They can’t think of surviving a day outside offices of authority. But power is not a living bread that can sustain us for eternity.

There are people driven by wealth. Money is their ‘bread’. They would exchange anything for money. Money is not their means, but it is their goal. No amount of money shall satisfy them.

There are those driven by lust. They continuously help themselves with promiscuous materials. They may be addicted to pornography or sexual perversions. They may even take pride in being perversive. They live to satisfy their carnal desires.

And some take recourse to alcohol and substances for their satisfaction. They hope their substance abuse and addiction will satisfy them. Substance addiction is their ‘bread’.

These are some popular examples of ‘breads’ that drive many.

Jesus is asking us today, ‘What do you feed on?’ It is time to look into ourselves. If we are feeding on those perishable ‘breads’ we have to be worried.

Jesus is the only non-perishable bread. He came down from heaven to become the living bread. He came down from heaven because he is the only living bread that can guarantee eternal life. He came down from heaven to become the Blessed Sacrament.  The blessed sacrament is the purpose of incarnation. He wanted to live with us here and now, and He reduced Himself to a tiny loaf, accessible to one and all.

How much do we appreciate the Blessed Sacrament? Most of us faithfully attend the Church and receive the Blessed Sacrament every Sunday. It is well and good. Let us also take a break once in a while to be near the Blessed Sacrament in silent adoration and reflective reading of the Bible.

Blessed Sacrament is waiting for your presence near Him. He is indeed waiting for an eternity with us. He is the only bread that can sustain us for eternity. He is the only living bread.

Amen.

Sunday Reflection – 11 August 2024

Maryanne Cardoz-Mascarenhas
-
0
Sunday Reflection – 11 August 2024

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 11 August 2024 Homily for 11 August 2024 – Sunday

First Reading: First Kings 19: 4-8

Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. (5-6)

He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. (8)

Elijah the prophet of God was fearful for his life because of Jezebel’s threatening message. He ran into the wilderness by himself, not taking even his servant. There an angel came to his aid. We know that we too encounter God’s angels in our lives. The angels support us spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and maybe also by offering us food! We thank the Lord GOD today for these angels in our lives. The angels help us regain our strength to journey this life and realign our path to the purpose set by GOD.

We Thank The Lord for his angels. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2-9

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. (4-5)

Alleluia, Amen!

Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 30 – 5: 2

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (30-32)

We grieve the Holy Spirit when we remain in wrath. Due to the wrath burning in us, we allow it to spread fumes of wrangling, bitterness, and so on. Instead when we douse this searing anger with the squirt of forgiveness and mercy, we liberate ourselves! We must remember that the vengeance is the Lord’s. It’s best to leave the judging and accounting to the Lord of Lords. By reminding ourselves of this truth, we can renew our minds.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel: John 6: 41-51

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (51)

In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus gives himself to us! God created a very unique mode for us to remain with him as his children, through the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ His son. Because He lived in the flesh, we have the same flesh to eat. When we partake of the Holy Eucharist we become one with Christ! This great mystery of our faith has to be experienced and cannot be fully explained.

We pray that our faith in the Holy Eucharist may be renewed and that the love of this great sacrament may be deepened among many more people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Family

Pradeep Augustine
-
0
Prayer to the Holy Family

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

in you we contemplate

the splendour of true love; to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that our families too

may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel

and small domestic churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may families never again experience violence, rejection and division;

may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

make us once more mindful

of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.

Popular in Prayers

Sunday Reflection – 04 August 2024

Maryanne Cardoz-Mascarenhas
-
0
Sunday Reflection – 04 August 2024

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 04 August 2024

First Reading: Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. (4)

Each day the Lord tests us! We have been given the day with its instructions, but do we follow what the Lord asks us? Each day we are to gather enough for the day, neither more nor less! Let us submit to the Lord’s instructions daily, for the Lord feeds us the manna we require even today. Our test is whether we are faithful to go and search for it! When we hear His Word, are we obedient to it?

We ask the Holy Spirit to guide us! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 78: 3-4, 23-25, 54

He rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. (24)

Alleluia!

Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24

You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (22-24)

Through our baptism, we have been given new life in Christ! We know that we receive the manna in the Holy Eucharist today! Let us be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Once our house is swept and cleaned we must allow God in! Yes, God does not force his way into our hearts, mind, spirit, and soul. It is our effort to look for Him; that he watches out for and will quietly nestle in the humble recesses of our obedient hearts, mind, spirit, and soul!

Let us stay vigilant in action and prayerful in thought. In Jesus, name, Amen

Alleluia: Matthew 4: 4b

But Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Alleluia!

Gospel: John 6: 24-35

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Christ Jesus, gives himself as the manna in the Holy Eucharist, to us! We must turn to Christ, for any lack we may experience today! We also pray for each other as we journey the narrow way towards the Lord. Let us remain united in prayer and ask the Lord for strength, courage, and faithfulness.

In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Sweet friendships refresh the soul

Cecilia Vinita
-
0
Sweet friendships refresh the soul

Among the many blessings we have received from God’s treasure trove of graces is the gift of friendship. It’s so much in accordance with His divine plan that we cherish our moments with our buddies. Accordingly, the memories of times spent with friends have always been long lasting. Surely there could have also been moments of despondency too when are friends would have stood by us providing counsel or simply lending an ear to our worries and woes. And so quite naturally, we have a day set aside to celebrate the goodness of friendship. With friendship day around the corner, it’s a fine time to explore the dynamics of friendship.

Make prudent Choices

It doesn’t matter if your friends are few or perhaps only one, all is needed is to make a prudent choice. Sirach 6:7 says, “When you gain friends, gain them through testing, and do not trust them hastily.” This verse offers a cogent explanation as to how astute we should be while deciding on the kind of friends we want to mingle with. The choice we make can either help our personal growth and progress or prove to be detrimental to us. This is affirmed in Proverbs 12: 26 “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” And also valuable words of wisdom are found in Proverbs 13: 20 which says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

Building meaningful friendship

God never wants us to traverse this journey of life alone rather it’s His delight to see us walk this path of life with friends who would genuinely love and care for us and help us grow in love, wisdom and rich in virtues. So we have to surround ourselves with people who are capable of having a positive impact on our lives. You’ll find such people to be appreciative of you and pour out words of wisdom in your not-so-good times. On the other hand, there are those who would always engage in belittling you, manipulating or ridiculing you with their indirect snide remarks. (as Matthew 17:19 says, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.”). Such people are to be dismissed from your life without a second thought.

Be on guard against the talebearer

The extent of damage caused by gossip mongers is unimaginable. Typically, they pry into other people’s private affairs and spread information about others with no concern for its veracity. 1 Timothy 5: 13 serves as a useful pointer in this regard. It says, “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.” Hence it can only be deemed wise to avoid tattlers at all cost. Simply remove them from your circle of friends.

Steer clear of the narcissist

As one knows, narcissists have an exaggerated sense of self importance and live by an excessive admiration of themselves. They have an ‘entitlement mentality’ or a ‘you owe me’ attitude lacking empathy and demonstrating exploitive and haughty behavior at all times. Driven by immense pride, they magnify their talents / achievements and believe that others are envious of them when in fact it’s they who can never stomach other people’s accomplishments or progress. James 3: 14-16 has it right, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” The verse warns us against the destructive power of envy, conceit and selfishness. Obviously, these people are toxic and we need to protect ourselves from them lest the ill effects of such toxicity can have a disastrous impact leaving us wounded for life. Any attempts to correct them will only be met with backlash. So it’s best to shun them to safeguard us from their malice.

Our Christian Duty to love

While the aforementioned categories of people are to be avoided to maintain peace in our lives and for the sake of our emotional and spiritual well-being, we must remember that we are obliged to love them, forgive them and even pray for them as John 13: 34 says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Call to an everlasting friendship

In our quest for an enduring friendship, we must not forget that beyond everything we must seek out a Christ-centric friendship. This alone can fill our hearts. In John 15:13, God declared His love for us: “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends.” In this verse we are given to understand that the best possible friendship can be had with Christ alone. This He demonstrated through His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. Human friendship is imperfect and has its limitations as it is in total contrast to God’s unconditional love. So solely relying on humans for friendship is destructive making us idolaters. It a violation of the very first commandment – “I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other gods before me.” Plainly speaking, let no one take the place of Christ in your heart.

Furthermore, our special bond in Christ is emphasized in John 15:15 which says: I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” When we abide in God’s friendship, He will remain faithful to us and reveal His deepest secrets. In Psalms 25:14, we get to apprehend the benefits of savoring a friendship with the Triune God – “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.”

So above all things, let us focus on building, strengthening and enjoying a true and everlasting friendship with Christ. Happy friendship Day!

Sunday Homily – 28 July 2024

Fr. Bobby Joseph CMI
-
0
Sunday Homily – 28 July 2024

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 28 July 2024 Mass Reading Reflection for 28 July 2024

Gospel: John 6: 1-15

It is confusing, which one is a greater miracle, five loaves of bread feeding a crowd of more than five thousand, or the disciples who stayed back to serve the bread knowing well that Jesus had only five loaves with Him?

Imagine that you are employed to serve at a dinner. Suddenly you discover that there is only sufficient food to serve only fifty guests against the five hundred waiting to be served. What will you do? I asked this question to a group of youngsters who worked with catering agencies. “We will vanish from the venue.” They answered together. There is no bigger embarrassment than inviting people for food, and not having enough food for all. The guests may likely turn violent and the servants escape the scene.

The trust the disciples had in Jesus sometimes appears more miraculous than the multiplying of the loaves – considering the divinity of Jesus. They knew well that Jesus had only five loaves with Him; yet they arranged the crowds in groups of fifty and hundred. Knowing well that the crowd was hungry, they crafted wicker baskets to serve hundreds of loaves together. It is trust!

Trust is getting ready to serve at the command of Jesus even when your basket is empty. We are called for that type of trust. If we trust, we too can be part of the great miracle being repeated.

There are great examples of repeating the same miracle over and over again. St. Theresa of Calcutta started with less than a dollar in her hands. She and her congregation went on to feed millions all over the world. She is one of the many examples the Church has produced over the centuries.

We are called to serve at His banquet. Don’t be afraid that the baskets seem empty. He guarantees that the baskets shall never go empty. He did it over and over again. If you are ready to serve, be assured your basket will never run out of bread. 

So, serve not just the bread for the body, but also knowledge, forgiveness, consolation, love, and the Word of God. Serve generously. If anyone is tired of serving, encourage them to continue serving. Continue serving at home, at the parish, at the workplace, or wherever you are.

Let us continue serving at His banquet together.

Amen.

Sunday Reflection – 28 July 2024

Maryanne Cardoz-Mascarenhas
-
0
Sunday Reflection – 28 July 2024

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 28 July 2024 Homily for 28 July 2024 – Sunday

First Reading: Second Kings 4: 42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.”(42)

“He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.” (44)

Elisha was in Gilgal, a land where there was a famine. (38) Fresh loaves of Barley and some grains were brought to him as a gift from Baal-shalishah. Elisha tells his servant to feed the 100 people there but his servant protests; forgetting that Elisha had purified a poisonous pot of stew just before! (38-41) We see the miracle feeding then, not only were the 100 satisfied but they had left over too! Praise God!

Therefore, when GOD tells you to spread out the Table, you follow HIS Words. Then you will eat and drink according to HIS WORD! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145: 10-11, 15-18

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. (15-16)

Amen, Alleluia!

Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 1-6

I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (1-3)

Our calling demands that we conduct ourselves worthily! “Bearing with one another in love…” marks a true Christian! Where we see this lacking, we recognize that Christ is not their cornerstone!

Let us remind ourselves that every little action or word displays our citizenship of the heavenly kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alleluia: Luke 7: 16

Fear seized all of them, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”  Alleluia!

Gospel: John 6: 1-15

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” (8-9)

Christ worked the miracle of 5000 feeding, with the little that Andrew found! Let us always turn to the Lord in every little action or deed that we may undertake! We will find greater success when we ask Our Lord Jesus to intervene at the beginning itself! “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

Let us have steadfast faith and courage to implement God’s word. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Sunday Homily – 21 July 2024

Fr. Bobby Joseph CMI
-
0
Sunday Homily – 21 July 2024

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 21 July 2024 Mass Reading Reflection for 21 July 2024

Gospel: Mark 6: 30-34

Jesus invites you to take a break.

You need to take a break and have a small drive /sail with Jesus! It is going to be amazing.

The disciples of Jesus had just returned from an exciting mission. It was their first attempt preaching the Good News and healing the sick. They were successful, excited, and exhausted. Jesus took them and went for a boating. The travel might have taken a couple of hours. A lot had happened during this boating.

It was indeed amazing boating with Jesus. The breeze was cool, the lake was calm, and they were not in a hurry to reach the other shore. They were engrossed in sharing their experiences with Jesus. The disciples should have competed with one another to explain how they drove demons out using the name of Jesus. They would have wondered how they managed to preach the Good News, knowing well that that most of them were not well- educated, with no training in public speaking.  And they could not believe themselves that they cured many with their anointing.

The beautiful moments got over too soon; on the other side of the lake they were greeted by a larger crowd. This time, the beautiful moments faded only to have even more memorable moments.

In the following verses we see Jesus multiplying bread for the people who stayed back long to listen to the Gospel. And the disciples were busy serving a dinner for the multitude. They were part of the multiplication of the bread and feeding of the five thousand.

Looking back after 2000 years, the disciples were the bigger miracle. They went ahead with seating the people in groups, and getting baskets to serve the bread, knowing well that there were only five pieces of bread with Jesus. What a trust the disciples had in Jesus!

You need a break and a drive with Jesus to have such amazing confidence and trust in Jesus. You will start trusting Jesus like never before! Each Sunday is an invitation for a drive or a sail with Jesus.

It is an invitation to spend some quite hours with Jesus, sharing your story with Jesus. He loves to hear you. He doesn’t care if it is about success or failure, He loves your story because He loves you. He is not waiting for the perfect story, but for your story. Sabbath is made so that we share our story with Him, and He rejuvenates us to script better stories. By listening to His words, and participating in His banquet our trust in Him is going to increase and we will be part of greater stories.

“The Sabbath was made for man…” (Mk 2: 27) The sabbath was made so that we take a break and spend some good time with Jesus, and His beloved Church. And we will script even greater stories with Jesus.

Amen.    

How to pray a Novena?

Pradeep Augustine
-
0
How to pray a Novena?

What is a Novena?

A novena is a form of Catholic prayer. A novena is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The word novena is taken from “novem,” the Latin word for nine. Novenas are most often prayed by members of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as by Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Lutherans. A novena is made up of nine days of prayer and meditation usually to ask God for special prayer requests or petitions. Novenas are often used to ask specific saints to pray for us. The Saint Jude Novena, for example, is prayed to ask Saint Jude to intercede on behalf of a request that seems especially dire.

Novenas are an ancient tradition that goes back to the days of the Apostles. Jesus told His disciples to pray together after His ascension into heaven, so they went to an upper room along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, (Acts 1:14) and joined constantly in prayer for nine days. These nine days of constant prayer by the Apostles at the direction of Jesus led up to Pentecost. This is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:1-4). This pattern of 9 days of prayer is the basis the novenas we pray today.

Thus, the novena is an imitation of the Lord’s command to the Apostles when they prayed for 9 days in anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

How do I pray a Novena?

During a novena, the devotees make petitions, implore favors, or obtain graces by worshiping Jesus Christ, and asking for intercessions of the Virgin Mary or the saints of the faith. Individuals may express love and honor by kneeling, burning candles or placing flowers before for the person represented by a statue. In some Christian communities, the popularity of novenas has waned, in others such as in Africa, Latin America and the Philippines, novena traditions are popular and include devotional rituals such as congregational prayers, statue decoration, hymn singing with music, as well as community fiesta events over beverages, refreshments or processions.

All you need to do is to say the daily prayers with a sincere heart. It is not necessary to pray at the same time every day (although you can), or to fast, or to pray the rosary in addition to the novena; however, you can still do all of these things in addition to praying, but they are not required. Some novenas are longer (e.g. the 30-day St. Joseph Novena or the 54-day Rosary novena), but traditionally they are nine days.

The prayers used in the novena are often derived from devotional prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the rosary (a “rosary novena”), or of short prayers through the day. Novena prayers are customarily printed in small booklets, and the novena is often dedicated to a specific angel, saint, a specific Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or it invokes one of the personages of the Holy Trinity.

Understand what a novena is not.

A novena is not a magic spell. In other words, praying a novena does not guarantee that a miracle will occur, and the mere words of your chosen novena do not hold any set power alone. It is the act of devotion you display by praying a novena that has spiritual significance.

Understand what a novena is. Trust God. When you pray your novena, say the prayers with faith in God and trust that God will give you the right answer in the right way. Do not pray a novena in the hopes of manipulating God into an answer. Ask yourself why you want to pray a novena.

As noted already, a novena is not a magic spell that will answer all your needs and wants. Nonetheless, there are spiritual benefits that can be derived from reciting a novena, and these benefits should not be overlooked.
Praise God. Novenas, like all prayers, are a means of praising God.

Express. The novena structure also provides a unique channel to express strong spiritual wants, needs, or sentiments.
Connect. Novenas spoken as a Church family also keep the individual believer connected to the Christian community.
Nonetheless, Jesus reminds us in the Gospel to be persistent in prayer and a novena is a great aid in doing just that!

Frequently asked questions

What if I miss a day?
That’s okay, it happens! If you a miss a day, you can do one of a few things.

You can either: 1) skip the day you missed altogether, 2) say two of the daily prayers in one day to catch up, or 3) say the prayer of the day you missed and just be one day behind everybody else.

It’s up to you, and whatever you choose to do is okay. There are no “rules” and there are no “consequences.” God is forgiving and merciful!

Should I have the same intention for all 9 days or should I have a different intention for each day?
You can do either one. What matters most is how you come to the Lord with that intention — with a sincere heart that is open to God’s will.

Popular in Prayers

Sunday Reflection – 21 July 2024

Maryanne Cardoz-Mascarenhas
-
0
Sunday Reflection – 21 July 2024

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 21 July 2024 Homily for 21 July 2024 – Sunday

First Reading: Jeremiah 23: 1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord! Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord.

We who have responsibilities of families can relate and learn from this teaching, today; as we are called to shepherd them. Similarly, there is a great responsibility placed on leaders in different positions, in offices, workshops, schools, governments, etc. Let us ask the LORD to grant us the courage and discernment to gather the flock that he has entrusted to us. Christ said: “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Mt. 18:6) Little ones could be anyone innocent/ ignorant and dependent on us to show them the right way! If we remain mute spectators in the lives of those around us, even when we know better; we are causing them to falter and scatter!

Let us ask the Good Shepherd Lord GOD, to guide our steps as we walk the narrow way. Let us also strive to lead by example not only in words! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 23: 1-6

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. (1-3)

Amen, Alleluia!

Second Reading: Ephesians 2: 13-18

But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. (13-14)

Today we are reminded that All of us baptized into Christ, are ONE! We have been united by Jesus Christ’s blood into a single flock.

Let us not wander off but remain committed to our Shepherd Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alleluia: John 10: 27

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Gospel: Mark 6: 30-34

He said to them (his apostles), “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. (31)

As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. (34)

In the previous verses (Mk 6:7-13) Jesus sends out the chosen 12 with specific instructions. In today’s Gospel, they have returned and are reporting back to Jesus all that they had done. Jesus has compassion for his apostles and guides them towards rest. But later as people throng to him, he had compassion on them too and began administering to them immediately.

Our Lord the Good Shepherd has compassion on us as well as the people we must serve. We can rest our hearts in the Lord and take a short break. But the Lord shows us that his work is never-ending and leads by example. The Lord decrees to us our mission and job, but at the same time, He understands that being human we need to be comforted and renewed at regular intervals. Let us learn how we are to work and how we can empathize with those working around us! Praise God, that we have such a great model!

Let us regularly pause to reflect and rejuvenate as the Author says in Eccl 3:1-6, there is a time for everything under the sun. Let us work, play, pause, refresh, resume, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

1...464748...732Page 47 of 732

Stay Connected

811,367FansLike
205FollowersFollow
14,300SubscribersSubscribe

Popular Categories

About us

Catholic Gallery offers Daily Mass Readings, Prayers, Quotes, Bible Online, Yearly plan to read bible, Saint of the day and much more. Kindly note that this site is maintained by a small group of enthusiastic Catholics and this is not from any Church or any Religious Organization. For any queries contact us through the e-mail address given below.

Contact us: [email protected]

Download our App

Get our official Catholic Gallery Android app for daily Mass readings, prayers & more

© 2013 - 2025 Catholic Gallery

With You, Anywhere. Anytime.
Get our official Catholic Gallery Android app for daily Mass readings, prayers & more!
Download Now
No Thanks