Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection (Homily Message): 22 May 2021
Saturday May 22, 2021
Weekday of Easter (7)
Vestment: White
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mysteries
Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious (Opt Mm)
B. V. M. on Saturday
9-DAYS NOVENA WITH FASTING AND PRAYERS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PREPARATION FOR PENTECOST
DAY 9: MARY THE MASTER WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Entrance Antiphon Acts 1:14
The disciples were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and his brothers, alleluia.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we who have celebrated the paschal festivities may by your gift hold fast to them in the way that we live our lives. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
He lived in Rome, preaching the kingdom of God.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 28: 16-20.30-31)
When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him. After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews; and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar — though I had no charge to bring against my nation. For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” And he lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalms 11:4.5and7(R.7b)
R/. The upright shall behold your face, O Lord.
or: Alleluia.
The Lord is in his holy temple;
The throne of the Lord is in heaven.
His eyes behold the world;
His gaze probes the children of men. R.
The Lord inspects the just and the wicked;
The lover of violence he hates.
For the Lord is just and loves deeds of justice;
The upright shall behold his face. R.
ALLELUIA John 16:7.13
Alleluia. I will send the Spirit of truth to you, says the Lord; he will guide you into all the truth. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“This is the disciple who has written these things, and his testimony is true.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 21:20-25)
At that time: Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
The Gospel of the Lord.
VIGIL OF PENTECOST
This Mass is used on the Saturday evening, either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of Pentecost Sunday. The fifty days of the sacred season of Easter concludes with Pentecost Sunday, when the Church recalls the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, the beginnings of the Church, and the start of her mission to all tongues and peoples and nations. It is fitting that the Vigil Mass be celebrated in a more ample form, using the readings and prayers to be found in the liturgical books. At mass, however, does not have a baptismal character, as does the Easter Vigil.
Entrance Antiphon Rom 5:5;cf.5:11
The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit of God dwelling within us, alleluia.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who willed the paschal mystery to be encompassed as a sign in fifty days, grant that from out of the scattered nations the confusion of many tongues may be gathered by heavenly grace into one great confession of your name. Through our Lord ..
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the splendor of your glory may shine forth upon us and that, by the bright rays of the Holy Spirit, the light of your light may confirm the hearts of those born again by your grace. Through our Lord
FIRST READING
“Its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.”
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis11:1-9)
The whole earth had one language and few words. And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and bum them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
The word of the Lord
Or the following reading:
FIRST READING
The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai before all the people.
A reading from the Book of Exodus (Exodus 19:3-8a.16-20b)
In those days: Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain.
The word of the Lord.
Or the following reading:
FIRST READING
“Dry bones, I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
In those days: The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Again he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause the spirit to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put spirit in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no spirit in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these’ bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, says the Lord.”
The word of the Lord.
Or the following reading:
FIRST READING
“Upon the menservants and maidservants I will pour out my spirit.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32)
The Lord said to his people: “And it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out my spirit. “And I will give signs in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm104:1-2a.24 and 35c.27-28.29bc-30 (R. cf. 30)
R. Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Or: Alleluia.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and honour,
wrapped in light as with a robe! R.
How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have made the mall.
The earth is full of your creatures.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. R.
All of these look to you
To give them their food in due season.
You give it, they gather it up;
You open wide your hand, they are well filled. R.
You take away their breath, they die,
Returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, and they are created,
And you renew the face of the earth. R.
SECOND READING
“The Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.”
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 8:22-27)
Brethren: We know that the whole creation has been groaning with labour pains together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we ‘hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 7:37-39)
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.”’ Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Not all that Jesus did and said is exhaustive in the Sacred Scripture because the scripture itself attested to this. The Gospel of John tells us that there are also many other things which Jesus did that no single book can contain (John 21:25). The Sacred Scripture is the written tradition. There is also the oral tradition. The scripture itself reveals it, “so then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth [oral tradition] or by letter [written tradition]” (2 Thess. 2:15). Let us hold firm to the traditions we received. Let us not be deceived by those who say, “Scripture alone”.
Personal Devotional: Day 22 May Devotion
You cannot please God if you are proud, arrogant and selfish. These are vices and should not be allowed to take root in us in our journey of faith.
Our Blessed Mother Mary was very humble and in her humility she called upon God in prayer and she always received a positive response. We must try to humble ourselves like our Mother Mary before the Lord so that He will exalt us in due time. You lose nothing by being humble, but you can lose everything by being selfish and arrogant. In humility serve your brothers and sisters in this life and God will lift you up someday.
Meditation: James 4:1-10/Mark 9:30-37
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, help me to be humble and to use every opportunity you give me to be at the service of humanity in a manner that will bring glory to your name and may my prayers be answered when I call upon your name. Amen. *And May the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Today’s Saint
St. Rita of Cascia, Religious
Rita was born in Italy in 1377. She lived an ordinary life as a married woman until the time when her husband was murdered. Then, in her desire to live a consecrated life, she joined the Augustinian Nuns and spent the rest of her life doing penance and praying out of love for the crucified Lord. She died in 1447.
9-DAYS NOVENA WITH FASTING AND PRAYERS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PREPARATION FOR PENTECOST
DAY 9: MARY THE MASTER WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
INTRODUCTION:
Mary, the all holy, ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterpiece of the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling-place where His Son and His Spirit could live among mankind. We begin our reflection on Mary and the Holy Spirit by recognizing our many failures to respond as she did to the Spirit’s inspirations. We say to the blessed Virgin “Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
Prayer points:
– Father, grant us the grace and strength to remain abiding in you so that we can bear much fruit this year and forever, in Jesus mighty name.
– Ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit once again upon the young and the old in our families, the church and the world, to revive us again for Him, in Jesus name.
– Pray that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life will destroy the structures of darkness, the dominion of sin and usher in abundance, in Christ Jesus.
At midnight spend at least 1hour in prayer that you receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
1. OPENING (Hymn to the Holy Spirit)
Invocation of the Holy Spirit
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created
R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let Us pray:
O God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation, Through Christ Our Lord.
R/. Amen
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (7x)
2. ACT OF CONTRITION – O my God, I am sorry and beg pardon for all my sins, and detest them above all things, because they have crucified my loving savior, Jesus Christ, and, most of all, because they offend your infinite goodness; and I firmly resolve, by the help of your grace, never to offend you again, and carefully to avoid the occasion of sin.
3. PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST: (To be recited daily during the Novena)
O LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who before ascending into Heaven didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thine Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom, that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding, to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy Divine truth; the Spirit of Counsel, that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with Thee and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge, that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints; the Spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear, that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, Dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples, and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.
4. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Breathe into me Holy Spirit that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit that my work too, may be holy.
Attract my heart Holy Spirit that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me Holy Spirit that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit that I may always be holy.
5. BIBLE READING: Proverb 8:1-9 and Luke 1: 46-55
6. CONCLUDING PRAYER
LET US PRAY: (To be recited together by all)
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I know that my body is Your Temple. I believe and trust that You are the source of life, Almighty God, our Creator. My whole body is filled with Your life and love. Lord Jesus, touch me with Your Precious Blood and wash away all my sins.
I ask Your forgiveness for every sin of mine. Heal me of all the hurts, anger, guilt feelings and all painful memories that linger in my deepest being. I have sinned, Lord, against You and against my neighbour. Jesus, You are present in the Eucharist. Lord, do come into my heart. While You are in my heart, I have nothing to fear, for You are the Son of God, and in my heart You are near.
In You is life, and in Your life, Lord Jesus, I find life. You touched the bleeding woman and healed her. Have mercy on me, Lord. It is You Who guide me with Your strength and make me righteous in Your presence. Lord, God, You are almighty. You are merciful. You have touched me and healed me of all my ailments of soul, mind and body. I thank You specially for bringing me closer to You, for loving and protecting me and for healing me completely. With deep faith in my heart, I adore You my loving Jesus Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit are God for ever and ever. Amen.
7. Closing / Concluding Hymn
