Tuesday 2
June 2020
Father,
enlighten the eyes of our mind
Cf. Ps 24: 16, 18
Turn to me
and have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I am
alone and poor.
See my
lowliness and suffering
and take away
all my sins, my God.
Collect
Father, who never fail to carry our your plan,
keep us,
we humbly pray,
from all that
might harm us
and grant that everything may work for our good.
We make our prayer through
your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.
____________________
First reading
2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18 ·
We are waiting for the new heaven and the new earth
You should be
living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to
come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat.
What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the
place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are
waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find
you at peace. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved. You
have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by
the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing
on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and
saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen. HE WORD
OF THE LORD.
Prayerful
reflection
Let us make
no mistake. God is working out his plan for his creation. You are an important
part of it; you are precious to me. I love you and will honour you. (Isaiah
43:5) Can I ever forget you (Isaiah 49:15). Creation will be transformed into a
new heaven and new earth. (Confer Romans, 8:21, Revelation 21:1-4) and God will
live with his family. What will it be like? St. Paul told his Christians that
was a useless question. We don’t know and can’t guess. If we look at the Risen
Jesus in the Gospel, we get some idea. He is the first fruit.
So now as we
look forward longingly for the fulfilment, we are to prepare ourselves and the
world around us for the glorious finale. Let us not be side-tracked by the
deceptive glitter of a passing world.
Do you really
believe? What preparation are you making today?
____________________
Psalm
90:2-4,10,14,16
O Lord, you have been
our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born
or the earth or the world brought forth,
you are God, without beginning or end.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to
the next.
You turn men back to dust
and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night.
O Lord, you have been
our refuge from one generation to the next.
.
Our span is seventy years,
or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain.
They pass swiftly and we are gone.
O Lord, you have been
our refuge from one generation to the next.
In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to
the next.
cf.Ep1:17,18
Alleluia
May the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the
eyes of our mind,
so that we
can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Mark 12:13-17
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to
God
The chief
priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some
Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him,
‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone,
because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in
all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay,
yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set
this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one
and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus
said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God
what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.
Prayerful
reflection
‘God so loved
the world, that he sent his only son, so that those who believe him may not
perish, but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). And so, Jesus, the son of God and
living image of the Father (Colossians 1:15), came as the embodiment of that
love. He came that human beings may have life and have it to the full (John
10:10). He came to give us his joy and his peace (John 15:11,14:27,16:33.)
Anyone who accepts him will not walk in darkness but have the light of life (John
7:12). but humanity does not accept the light but prefers darkness (John 3:19).
The prophet
had warned the people of Israel, ’harden not your hearts as at Meribah in the
desert, when our fathers put me to the test, even though they saw my works’
(Psalm 95:8).
Here we see
how his enemies have hardened their heart against Jesus. At any cost, whatever
he says or does, they are oppose to him. They have rejected the light, the joy,
the peace and the life. The whole of the political spectrum rejects the only
One who can give them and the world the happiness they ultimately desire. The pharisees
are opposed to Roman rule to the point that later they will rebel and fight a
four year war resulting in total destruction. The Herodians are happy with
Roman rule and cooperate to their advantage. Now they come together as allies
against Jesus.
Jesus is in
the world today, as much and more than then. Where do you stand with regard to
him? ‘Blessed is the man who delights in
the Lord. He prospers in all he does’ Psalm 1:2,3).
Ps 16: 6
To you
I call, for you will surely heed me, O God;
turn your ear
to me; hear my words.
Father, you
feed us each day with the Bread of your Word,
Grant that by
feeding on your spoken Word,
we make come
to know and love your Word
who came in
the flesh and knowing him
manifest to
the world his joy, peace and life.
We make our
prayer through your Son,
Your Word, Christ
Jesus our Lord.
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