CATHOLIC
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
Welcome to my blog. The Catholic Church under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us each day at least two readings from the
Bible, plus several verses from a psalm which is an inspired response to one of
the readings, normally the first.
There is a cycle (a two-year cycle for weekdays
and a three-year cycle for Sundays) which covers the major parts of the Old
Testament, the Gospels and the New Testament writings.
Through these readings we get our spiritual nourishment.
In my blog I give the readings and the inspirations I have received in prayer.
I want to share them with others. If they help some to get in touch with God
and his image in this world, Jesus the Christ, then my purpose will be
fulfilled. May God bless you through his Spirit.
If you find these helpful, please share them with
others and become a follower.
Monday 18 May
2020
Lord
Jesus, send your Spirit for us to be your witnesses
Rm 6: 9
Christ,
having risen from the dead, dies now no more;
death will no
longer have dominion over him, alleluia.
Prayer
Loving
Father, in this Easter time may we too meet the Risen Lord, whom you raised to
divine glory in his human body, which lay dead in the tomb. Grant that in
meeting him, through our faith, we may be filled with his Spirit of Truth and
Love so that through us Jesus may continue to live and act in this world. We make
this prayer through your Son, Christ our Lord.
First reading
Acts 16:11-15 ·
The Lord opened Lydia's heart to accept what Paul was saying
Sailing from
Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and
from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that
particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along
the river outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary
place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the
meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of
Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord
opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household
had been baptised, she sent us an invitation: ‘If you really think me a true
believer in the Lord,’ she said ‘come and stay with us’; and she would take no
refusal. THE WORD OF THE LORD
Prayerful
commentary
Let us notice
that it was the Lord who opened the heart of Lydia to listen to the Gospel. The
main person in the work of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus is the Holy
Spirit. Jesus said to his disciples, I will ask the Father and he will give you
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. If we would earnestly pray for those we wish to
evangelise, then through the all-powerful grace of God, their hearts would open
to accept Jesus and his Good News of salvation.
Is such
earnest prayer a part of our lives? Of all Christians most concerned for the
conversion of the human race to Jesus is Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother
too. If we pray the Rosary devoutly each day, we will see miracles of grace
happen.
Psalm
Psalm 149:1-6,9
The Lord takes delight in
his people.
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
The Lord takes delight in
his people.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbral and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
The Lord takes delight in
his people.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips:
this honour is for all his faithful.
The Lord takes delight in
his people.
Gospel
John 15:26-16:4
The Spirit of truth will be my witness
Jesus said to
his disciples:
‘When the Advocate
comes,
whom I shall
send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of
truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my
witness.
And you too
will be witnesses,
because you
have been with me from the outset.
‘I have told
you all this that your faith may not be shaken.
They will
expel you from the synagogues,
and indeed
the hour is coming
when anyone
who kills you
will think he
is doing a holy duty for God.
They will do
these things
because they
have never known
either the
Father or myself.
But I have
told you all this,
so that when
the time for it comes
you may
remember that I told you.’
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD
Prayerful
commentary.
The Holy
Spirit, the Advocate, is the mutual and infinite Love between Father and Son. He
is the third Divine Person. We cannot grasp this. It is beyond our understanding.
We are to believe and receive the Advocate. He is the Spirit and Love of Jesus.
The Spirit, Love of God in person, will reveal Jesus to us. Let us open
ourselves to the Spirit and so experience Jesus in our lives.
If we
receive the Spirit then Jesus lives in us, for the Spirit is the Spirit of
Jesus. He is the Love and Truth of Jesus. Do you sincerely pray to Jesus to
send his Spirit upon you?
What are
the signs that we are possessed by the Spirit of Jesus? There are, in fact,
many signs. Look at Galatians 5:22 love, peace, patience, kindness etc, the
eight beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. Through the Spirit filled person Jesus
continues to live in this world. Such a person will have the mind of Jesus. He/she
will joyfully praise and thank God at all times. He/she will also manifest the
love of Jesus through happily doing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy-
to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the
sick and imprisoned and bury the dead. Spiritually, instruct the ignorant,
counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, forgive offenses, comfort the
afflicted, bear wrongs patiently and pray for the living and dead. Such people
are witnesses to Jesus
Are you,
through his Spirit, such a living image of Jesus? Am I?
Jn 20: 19
Jesus stood
in the midst of his disciples
and said to
them: Peace be with you, alleluia.
Prayer
Father,
in your abundant mercy look with kindness on your people and through their
faith in your Son, Jesus, may they come, one day, to share physically in his
Resurrection. We make this prayer to your Son, Christ our Lord.
____________________
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