Daily Catholic Reflection: Saturday, May 18, 2024, Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter - Mass in the Morning

Acts 28:16-20.30-31,

Ps 11:4, 5 and 7

John 21:20-25                        Full Readings

Saint Pope John I

Beloved Disciple

Brethren, since Easter we have read and reflected on many Gospel passages from the Gospel of John and today, we conclude the Gospel. John's Gospel has chronologically presented Jesus forming and preparing His Apostles after resurrection for mission without Him physically, then praying for them, commissioning them as we saw yesterday commissioning Peter and today John presents to us the unnamed beloved disciple who would stay until Jesus comes again but according to the will of Jesus.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Friday, May 17, 2024, Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Year B

Acts 25:13b-21

Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab

Jn 21:15-19                         Full Readings

Saint Paschal Baylon

Mutual Love among us, Jesus and God

For a couple of days, we have been reflecting on Jesus' High Priestly Prayer (John 17) and today the Gospel presents a conversation between Jesus and Peter with a fundamental question "Simon of John, do you Love Me?...Feed my Sheep." After his resurrection, Jesus took a good time to prepare His Apostles for a mission without Him physically, and when it was done, he prayed for them in His Priestly Prayer and today, before the Spirit comes, he tells Peter which mission is to be undertaken, that is, feeding the flock of Christ. This was to prepare him for being the Head of the Church which started at Pentecost.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Thursday, May 16, 2024, Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Year B

Acts 22:30; 23 :6- 11.

Psalm 16:1-2a and 5.7-8.9-10.11

John 17:20-26                         Full Readings

Saint Margaret of Cortona

Mutual Love among us, Jesus and God

Today's Gospel reading presents to us the final part of Jesus' Priestly Prayer. In this final part of the high priestly prayer of Jesus, he suddenly turns from concern for the circle of his disciples to concern for the wider circle of future disciples, and prays for their unity. The unity of the disciples was to be a sign not only horizontally, a sign of their love for one another, but also vertically, a sign of the love of Jesus for them and the mutual love of Jesus and the Father. It was to be a sign for the world, ‘that the world may believe that you sent me’.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Wednesday, May 15, 2024, Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Year B

Acts 20:28-38

68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab

Jn 17:11b-19                         Full Readings

Saint Isidore the Farmer

That they May be One

The Gospel today presents the middle part of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John’s discourse after last supper. The high-priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17 has three parts. They correspond to the three parts of the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). “Jesus the high priest makes atonement for himself, for the priestly clan, and for the whole community of Israel, so Jesus prays for himself (John 17:1-5), for the Apostles (John 17:5-19), and finally for all who will come to believe in him through their word – for the Church of all times [John 17:20-26]. [Jesus] sanctifies ‘himself,’ and he obtains the sanctification of those who are his” (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: Vol. II, 78).

Daily Catholic Reflection: Tuesday, May 14, Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, Year B

Acts 1: 15-17, 20-26,

Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Jn 15: 9-17                          Full Readings

Saint Matthias, Apostle

Friends With Jesus

Brethren, today we celebrate the feast of Saint Matthias, the Apostle, a man who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot after he had chosen to go his way by betraying Jesus. Matthias was chosen not only after the intense prayer and guidance of the Holy but also he was a longtime friend of Jesus and his Apostles and from the first reading we see Peter saying that is is necessary to choose a man ”who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.” The celebration of today’s feast is not only the Apostleship of Matthias but also the friendship with Jesus that led him to be chosen as an Apostle.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Monday, May 13, 2024, Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Year B

Acts 19:1-8,

Psalm 68:2-3.4-5ac 6-7ab,

John 16:29-33                          Full Readings

Our Lady of Fatima

Have You Come to Believe in Jesus?

Today's Gospel reading brings to a conclusion the second version of the discourse after the Last Supper which began with John 15.1. It concludes with an inspiring re-assurance of the certainty of the teaching which has been given. All the teachings of Jesus to his Apostles and to us are meant to bring them peace both of mind and body all in Jesus Christ. This is why he says, "I have told you this so that you might have peace in me." The themes of the whole discourse are love and belief, which have been constant throughout the teaching of Jesus which we have read in the weeks of Eastertide. Now the disciples are to be scattered over the earth on their mission, and though the world will be full of trouble, they can still rest secure in Jesus because of his union with the Father and because of conquering the world. Now, we are ready, with the Apostles, for the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost.

Daily Catholic Reflection: Sunday, May 12, 2024, Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B

Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26 

Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20

1 Jn 4:11-16       

Jn 17:11b-19                          Full Readings

Saint Leopold Mandic

That they May be One

The Gospel today presents the middle part of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John’s discourse after last supper. The high-priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17 has three parts. They correspond to the three parts of the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). “Jesus the high priest makes atonement for himself, for the priestly clan, and for the whole community of Israel, so Jesus prays for himself (John 17:1-5), for the Apostles (John 17:5-19), and finally for all who will come to believe in him through their word – for the Church of all times [John 17:20-26]. [Jesus] sanctifies ‘himself,’ and he obtains the sanctification of those who are his” (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: Vol. II, 78).