Saint Barnabas the Apostle, martyr (d.before 61)

Daily Lectio

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 8 The Divine Office at Night
Mass: Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3; Resp Ps 98; Mt 10:7-13 or Mt 5:13-16

With Barnabas, let us encourage one another to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

And all shall sing, in their festive dance: "My home is within you."

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 7:62-70
Mass: Gn 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1:12-14; Resp Ps 87; Jn 19:25-34

Two brief reflections on this Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, celebrated for the first time last year, May 21, 2018, and celebrated "henceforth on every Monday following Pentecost" (Magnificat, June 2019, p. 464).

Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Daily Lectio

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 7:59
Mass: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; Resp Ps 11; Jn 21:20-25

For the Lord is just, he loves just deeds; the upright shall see his face.

Pentecost Sunday

Daily Lectio

How manifold are your works, O Lord!

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 7:60-61
Mass: Acts 2:1-11; Resp Ps 104; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rom 8:8-17; SequenceVeni, Sancte Spiritus; Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26

Our liturgy is rich. We are blessed indeed. Jesus breathes on us and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and who sins you retain are retained." The love of God has been poured into our hearts through this Spirit of God dwelling within us. We burst with ALLELUIA!

Receive the Holy Spirt

Chapter Talks

Jesus returns: he breathes the Spirit upon and within us. The Spirit was already given but now it is given through Christ in an incarnate manner where we know he is ‘flesh of our flesh’. We ‘know’ in our experience that ‘we move and live and have our being’ in, through and with Christ, the complete manifestation of God. In the book of Ezekiel we hear God say: “I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances” (36:25-27).