A reading from the prophecy of Zechariah

(Chapter 9:9-10)

Israel was surrounded geographically on all sides by larger, more powerful nations and was often conquered as war-like kings came riding into town. But the prophet Zechariah presents a different picture of the true king:

“Thus says the Lord: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.”

Zechariah is talking about the hoped-for messiah who, we believe, was Jesus who did not enter Jerusalem (on the day we observe as Palm Sunday) as a conqueror on horseback but rather as a servant on a donkey, a beast of burden. He did that intentionally, to make an important point about who he really was.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14)

“I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.” This king is not like any other. He is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.”

A reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans

(Chapter 8:9, 11-13)

“You are in the Spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.”

Paul uses the word Spirit four times in this short saying because he wants to make sure that his readers know this most important truth, that the very Spirit of God, which we call the Holy Spirit, lives in each one of us. Do you believe that for you? Do you call upon the Holy Spirit, pray to the Holy Spirit?

I must say that as a young man attending Catholic high school and college I did not “get it.” I prayed to Jesus and to our Father, who were apart from me, but not to the Holy Spirit who I later learned lived within me. Coming to know the presence of the Holy Spirit within my soul has been a wonderful gift. Think about it. You and I are never really alone. We have the presence of God’s own Spirit within us—always, even in our darkest, most painful moments. Please take a little time to say hello and open your heart to the Spirit.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

(Chapter 11:25-30)

Jesus said to the apostles, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Jewish people were monotheists. They believed in one God who they thought of as their Father. Jesus is saying that he is the Son of that same Father and that he and the Father are one. So, Jesus is saying only that he is the Messiah but much more. He shares the very life of God. Many in his time could not get it, but Jesus wants those who do get it to know a different way of living—not under the yoke of an enslaver but in companionship with one who shares a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light.

Sometimes, it might seem that our burdens are not so light: almost routine news of gun violence, the lingering threat of illness from the Covid virus, economic hardships, and seemingly intractable poverty and dislocation of defenseless people.

What are you doing to lighten your burdens and those of people around you? What are the main sources of life for you? Do you seek them out and rejoice in them? Let us remember to be in touch with the very Spirit of God who lives in each of us.

 ✝️

Fresco, Christ's Entry into Jerusalem by Pietro Lorenzetti (1280-1348). Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy. Public domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

A reading from the Second Book of Kings

(Chapter 4:8-11, 14-16a)

The prophet Elisha—a disciple of Elijah in the ninth century BC, was traveling to a town named Shunem where he was invited for dinner with the family of a “woman of influence.” This became the place for a meal whenever Elisha traveled in that direction. The woman suggested to her husband that they prepare a room for the prophet to stay overnight. Elisha was grateful for her generosity and asked, “Can something be done for her?” “His servant, Gehazi, answered, ‘Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.’ Elisha said, ‘Call her’ When the woman had been called and stood at the door, Elisha promised, ‘This time next year you will be fondling a baby boy.’”

This is one of many instances in the Jewish scriptures of the power of God to bring forth new life unexpectedly, a power that would take on new meaning in the Christian era.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19)

“Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” Sometimes it is hard to see the “goodness of the Lord,” especially during times of overwhelming tragedy and sadness. Goodness may seem remote when we witness millions of helpless refugees, environmental crises, and rampant gun violence. Yet, the “goodness of the Lord” still shines forth. Where and when have you experienced this goodness? How have experiences of love and friendship and support helped you through hard times?

A reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans

(Chapter 6:3-4, 8-11)

Here is this deep and powerful reading from the letter to the Christian community in Rome:

“Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more, death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all, as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul wanted his readers to know that their baptism was not just one more event in their lives; it was a life-changing event. Of course, most of the people that he was talking to were baptized as adults. Today, almost all of us were baptized as babies, so it is harder for us to realize the power of our baptism, how it unites us with Christ even before we are conscious of who he is. What does it mean for you to be “living for God in Christ Jesus”? The Spirit of God lives in each one of us. Do you ever think about that?

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

(Chapter 10:37-42)

The apostles had families, and there were conflicts between the all- consuming ministry of following Jesus and family obligations. Jesus knew how hard it was for the apostles to leave their families. That is the context for what appear to be very harsh requirements for being an apostle: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

But then, listen to this powerful statement: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Jesus knows that his time on earth is short, so he wants to make sure that the apostles understand how hard their mission really is and how important it is.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus today? What qualities and teachings of Jesus do we live every day? How should we bear witness to the teachings of Jesus in our everyday lives, especially facing many of the evils we experience that harm individuals and whole groups of people?

 ✝️

Russian icon of the prophet Elisha from the first quarter of the 18th century. Kizhi Monastery, Russia.  Public Domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah

(Chapter 49:1-6)

This Book of the Prophet Isaiah was not written by one person. It is, rather, a collection of writing composed over many centuries by several prophets and placed together under the name of Isaiah—one of the greatest prophets of Israel. One of the most important themes in these prophecies is that of the Suffering Servant that we encounter in today’s reading: “The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made me a sharp- edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.” “You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.”

We can see the parallel here with John the Baptist who also was called from birth, was misunderstood in his short life, and was murdered seemingly before he could finish his mission. Yet, he did not toil in vain; he was a successful messenger for Jesus, and he was rewarded by God for his work.

Even when we fail in some part of our lives, it may be that there is another dimension, another truth, another level of success that we can know only in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Each of us has a mission, a calling from God to live in his love, to share his unconditional love, as insufficient and unsuccessful our mission may seem at any given time.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 139:1b-3; 13-14ab, 14c-15)

“I praise you for I am wonderfully made.” Do you think you are “wonderfully made”? When we are growing up, we may feel awkward and insecure. As we get much older, we may feel like a shadow of our younger selves. So, how can we feel wonderfully made through it all? Only if we see ourselves loved and gifted by our Father, even in—and especially in—our weaknesses and insufficiencies.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

(Chapter 13:22-26)

Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a continuation of his Gospel, directed mainly at gentiles. He wanted to help these converts as well as Jews to see the Jesus connection between David, the king of Israel hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, and John the Baptist—both as called by God. “From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’” John knew his role, his calling, his place in history. He did not try to be more than he was. He was given a calling, a gift from God, and he was faithful to it.

Each of us has been given a calling and gifts to fulfill that call. What is your calling in life, and what are the gifts that you have been given along the way and right now to answer your call? Do you see yourself as gifted? You are, we all are, only very often we do not believe it or focus on it. God asks us to humbly accept the gifts we have been given and use them to serve our Father and those with whom we share life.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke

(Chapter 1:57-66, 80)

Throughout the Old Testament, we read of the miraculous birth and life of numerous prophets and great leaders starting with the birth of Abraham’s son Isaac when Abraham’s wife was supposedly too old to give birth. For hundreds of years before the birth of John the Baptist, there were no significant prophets in Israel. Then came this strange man, John the Baptist, so his birth is told as a wonder-filled story, because he is in the words of Jesus “the greatest of the prophets.” John preached a message of repentance and baptized many others before he baptized Jesus. He prepared the way for Jesus, was his cousin, and yet we do not know if they were friends while growing up or even if Jesus knew him before John baptized him. But none of that is important. What is of utmost importance is that John “prepared the way for the Lord.” He had a calling, a mission from God, and he fulfilled it in a wonder-filled way.

Do you feel that it is unlikely that you have been called, that you have a mission, that you are to prepare the way for Jesus to enter—or in some cases reenter—the lives of people you know and love and even perhaps someone you hardly know? As unlikely as it might seem, that is part of the mission of each of us —to prepare the way of the Lord.

 ✝️

Painting: "John the Baptist Preaching by Matia Preti, circa 1665. Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. Public Domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

When we look at the two main readings in today’s liturgy, Corinthians 6:1-10 and Matthew 5:38-42, we see references to actions and reactions. We know from our own life experiences that our first reactions to some situations are not necessarily the best or the most Christlike. Jesus challenges us to behave generously and not to base our reactions to situations on what other people may expect. Positivity does not have to be preached in every situation but can be quietly presented by example. Lessons of love can be surprisingly taught through generosity and restraint.

In order to behave in ways that model Christian responses, we need to spend time with Jesus in prayer. I share with you now a summer invitation I received, with hopes that you may take time to sit with Jesus and react to his peaceful presence.

Jesus invited me to sit on my front porch with him.

A gentle spirited breeze passed by now and then.

The summer sky was punctuated with cottony clouds.

A small bird eavesdropped from a power line above.

Occasionally a car would go by on the way to somewhere.

The thorns on the rose bush next to the porch only served

   to protect the lone salmon-colored blooming rose….not to hurt my Lord.

My Savior’s love warmed me comfortably….

   much better than the humid summer afternoon air.

The wood of the porch step on which we sat supported us…

   unlike the wood of Jesus’ cross that punished him.

                    There we were:

   open

   simple

          familiar, refreshing, consoling

        loving, forgiving, understanding

    holy

    friendly

     joyful

      serene.

 There, on my porch, with my Jesus, together.

 May our upcoming summer be a time of slowing down long enough to think about how we might grow in the kind of reactive love Jesus practiced and preached.

A reading from the Book of Exodus

(Chapter 19:2-6a)

The first reading in today’s Mass is part of a much longer process in which God established and refined his covenant with Israel. Although this passage is about the relationship God formed with Israel in antiquity, it is relevant for us because we, too, have a covenant with God. We notice in this passage that while God makes extravagant promises to Israel, he also sets a condition: “Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine.” Yes, covenant is a two-way street. Like the Jewish people, we are expected to hold up our end of our relationship with a patient, merciful, and forgiving God by keeping his commandments and, in our “new covenant,” by living in keeping with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm

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

Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5)

The psalm, as psalms often do, calls on us to be joyful in our relationship with God. We have reason to be joyful. God did not create us and set us a drift in an unforgiving world. No, God chose to accompany us throughout our lives, to save us from the consequences of sin and death through his Son, Jesus Christ, and to live in our hearts in his Holy Spirit, ready to guide our choices and decisions. Sing joyfully to the Lord, indeed.

A reading from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians

(Chapter 5:6-11)

Many of the psalms remind us that although God got angry at Israel’s infidelity he ultimately forgave the people’s transgressions and reasserted his love for them. St. Paul reminds the Christians in Rome, and us, that the God of the psalms saved us through his Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly died for us in spite of our frailties. We have that guarantee: If we go to God in penance, God will forgive us.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

(Chapter 9:36-10:8)

Reading scripture can be a fulfilling experience if we imagine that the messages were meant for people in antiquity, but the experience is more challenging when we are conscious that the word of God is also directed at us. The gospel passage in today’s liturgy is a seminal example: The author writes that Jesus told his disciples to pray that God would “send out laborers for his harvest,” and then Jesus himself dispatched the 12 apostles to proclaim the kingdom of God to the people of Israel.

Jesus knew the apostles weren’t going to live forever; he intended them to be only the first wave of “laborers” to carry on the mission, at first to Israel and ultimately to “all nations.” Each of us is baptized into that same mission, and each of us should reflect on how we carry it out each day. We, like the apostles, are commissioned to bring Jesus into the world through our acts of hospitality, generosity, and justice and, through that work, to attract people to intimacy with Jesus and his Church.

 ✝️

Painting: "The Exhortation to the Apostles," by James Tissot (between 1886 and 1894), Brooklyn Museum. Public Domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Charles Paolino is managing editor at RENEW International and a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Metuchen. 

The liturgy readings for today (Corinthians 1:1-7 and Matthew 5:1-12) tell us about opportunities to encourage those who suffer afflictions and what attitudes to have and actions to take to be rewarded with blessing. There is such richness in these readings, we could really meditate with them for a long time.

A while ago, I was inspired to write some we-attitudes for friends and families. Today I am sharing them with you.

Blessed are we who are comforters, for we shall ease each other’s pain.

Blessed are we who forgive each other, for we all shall know peace.

Blessed are we who are sympathetic listeners, for we shall better understand ourselves and each other.

Blessed are we who remind others of happy memories, for we all shall grow in joy.

Blessed are we who pay attention to good details, for we shall have fuller relationships.

Blessed are we who are gentle sharers, for we shall be surprised by many kinds of wealth.

Blessed are we who don’t sweat the small stuff, for we shall know freedom from grudges.

Blessed are we who readily adapt to changes, for we shall realize our own versatility.

Friends or family might choose to pray together this little prayer of gratitude.

                                   Act of Acclamation

O my God, I am extremely grateful for having been blessed by you.  

And I appreciate all my gifts because they come from you, my God,

Who art all loving and deserving of all my love.

I promise to strive, with the help of your example,

to be more generous to those in any kind of need,

and to take nothing you give me for granted. Amen.

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy

(Chapter 8:2-3, 14b-16a)

Moses was the leader of the Hebrews as they escaped from Egypt into the horrors of the Sinai Desert where they suffered for 40 years from extreme thirst, hunger, and attacks from poisonous serpents and scorpions. Here, he explains that this was a test. “Remember how for forty years now the Lord, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your attention to keep the commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to your fathers, in order to show that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord.”

As they established their new homeland, the Hebrews had many battles with other tribes and nations, and the message was always that God was with them, even in their worst suffering and challenges. It is most important to hear this message of “God With Us” the difficulties that inevitably arise in human lives. Do you take a little time each day to reconnect with the Spirit of God within you who will help you to get through whatever challenge may be confronting you right now?

Responsorial Psalm

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

“Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.” This psalm celebrates the blessings that God has showered on Jerusalem and on all of Israel. It helps us to remember all the blessings that God has given to our community and our country, lest we forget or take them for granted.

A reading from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians

(Chapter 13:11-13)

(Chapter 10:16-17)

Paul wants his readers to know that the meal that they celebrate is not just any meal but rather the presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

“Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”

If we have ever taken the Eucharistic Meal for granted, we did not when our parishes were closed during the height of the Covid pandemic. Having been deprived of this intimate contact with our Savior, we should appreciate it now more than ever and engage in it as often as possible.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

(Chapter 6:51-58)

The following words must have seemed dangerous to many who did not believe, including the Roman rulers, but the followers of Jesus knew what the words really meant.

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jewish audience was shocked by these words. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” They knew from Moses about the manna that God sent from heaven when the people were starving in the desert, but this was very different. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day. … “This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

That is the same promise the Lord makes to us today. We will live forever! Amen!

 ✝️

Photograph by Josh Applegate on Unsplash.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.