A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
(Chapter 55:10-11)
 
Most of Israel at this time—the sixth century before the birth of Jesus—was a desert or close to it. The people were dependent on the spring rains to grow food. This last part of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah was written as the people came back from the Babylonian Exile. At last they are home, but home is a desert. Isaiah assures them that “the rain and snow come down and do not return till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed for the one who sows and bread for the one who eats.” Then, he connects it with something even more important. “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I send it.” The Israelites understood this, that God’s word is powerful and accomplishes what God intends.
 
As we suffer through another week of deaths and illnesses in the pandemic, we may wonder, in our darkest moments, where the word of God is taking root. It’s taking root in the free will and goodness and bravery of so many people who are doing the right thing and saving lives.
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14)
 
“The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.” Our hope is that the “good ground” of the world’s best scientists will yield the fruit that will heal the world. Let us pray for them.
 
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans
(Chapter 8:18-23)
 
Here is a statement by Saint Paul that we need to hear and understand: “Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are as nothing compared to the glory to be revealed for us.” The sufferings that Paul was talking about included the oppression imposed by the Roman Empire and the grinding poverty that affected most people. But there is a great hope:
 
“We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, who also groans within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” I never thought of it what way, but maybe that groaning that we feel inside of us from time to time, especially now, is the Spirit inside of us, letting us know that we are not alone.
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
(Chapter 13:1-23)
 
Most of the Israelites were farmers, so Jesus often used examples that they could understand. Here he tells them, “A sower went out to sow.” This was an important job. If you did not do it correctly, nothing would grow. “And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and withered for lack of roots. Some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and chocked it. But some fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
 
“The disciples approached him and said, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’” And Jesus answered, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted…. But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
 
Then, Jesus explained the parable to the disciples: “The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
 
Now, let’s move away from agriculture to our lives today. Have you ever had the Word stolen from your heart? Was it because of personal tragedy or our present societal tragedies? Did you grow up with joy in your heart as a child, only to have it lose its power as you grew older? Have the “thorns of anxiety” chocked the Word in your heart? Do you worry about things that you cannot control and shouldn’t try to, but you do, over and over? Are you a one who hears the Word and understands it, and has it borne great fruit in your life? Or, have you had several of those experiences going on at different times in your life? Join the club! Or should I say, come to the community of us believers who do not always find it easy to believe but persevere in faith.
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet 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 in horse-drawn chariots. But the prophet Zechariah presents a quite 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 a horse and chariot as a conqueror but on an ass, a beast of burden, as a servant. 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 the Letter of Saint Paul 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 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 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, especially in these hard days, it might seem that our burdens are not so light but rather heavy: the constant threat of possible illness from the pandemic, economic hardships, disruptions in our worship, isolation from so many we love, and limitations on where we can travel and what we can do.
 
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.
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. 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 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. We are in such times now; yet, the “goodness of the Lord” still shines forth. Where and when have you experienced this goodness? How have these experiences of love and friendship and support helped you through hard times?
 
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul 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?
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
(Chapter 20:10-13)
 
Being a prophet at any time is challenging, but Jeremiah had an especially difficult time fulfilling his calling. He said, “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us denounce him!’ All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail and take our vengeance on him.’” Jeremiah trusts in the Lord: “But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.” Then he says a prayer of thanksgiving. “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked.”
 
Jeremiah had amazing trust in God during horrible persecution and near death. Whatever our trials during this pandemic, let us maintain trust in our loving Father.
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35)
 
“Lord, in your great love, answer me.” Have your prayers ever been answered? How did it happen? Did it take a long time, or was it a quick response? Did you think that God had forgotten about you? Later, did something else appear that was not what you asked for but turned out to be what you really needed?
 
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans
(Chapter 5:12-15)
 
Rome was the largest city in the world in the first century, and it was home to many different religions. Paul wanted the Roman Christians to know that their religion was new, and that Jesus was in a sense the new Adam.
 
“Through one man, sin entered the world.” By that, Paul meant Adam.
 
“For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.”
 
Because of Jesus, sin no longer rules the world. Of course, the people all knew that evil did rule their world in the form of the Roman Empire, but there was now a more powerful force that can overcome even death because of Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to give the Romans hope even in the face of an oppressive regime, the hope of everlasting life.
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
(Chapter 10:26-33)
 
Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one.” What? Many of the temple leaders hated them and even wanted to kill them. Shouldn’t they be afraid? “Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light, what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
 
This was good and necessary advice for people who had to face danger from the state and those who did not believe in Jesus.
 
Today, we have dangers from all sorts of “soul killers”: greed, selfishness, prejudice, dishonesty, materialism in subtle forms, and narrow mindedness that does not listen to the voices of others.
 
In the midst of all that may send us off course, especially in these challenging times, let us remember the words of Jesus here: “Fear no one.”
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

Note: We can pray with the Sunday readings even if Sunday liturgies have been suspended due to the coronavirus.
Bill Ayres continues to offer his reflections to help our prayer.
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 forty 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” now, as we suffer our own kind of exile, often separated from people we love and the work that sustains us in so many ways.
 
Do you take a little time each day to reconnect with the Spirit of God within you who will help you to get through the “desert” that we now travel?
 
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 the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
(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 certainly do not now, when most of us have not been able to celebrate together for months. Hopefully, we will come back soon and do so with caution and joy, remembering all our sisters and brothers who have died from the virus or any other cause and all those who are still afflicted.
 
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 were 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!
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

Note: We can pray with the Sunday readings even if Sunday liturgies have been suspended due to the coronavirus.
Bill Ayres continues to offer his reflections to help our prayer.
A reading from the Book of Exodus
(Chapter 34:4b-6, 8, 9)
 
“Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, taking along the. two stone tablets. Having come down in a cloud, the Lord stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, ‘Lord.’ Thus the Lord passed before him and cried out, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.’ Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.”
 
This is one of the truly monumental moments in the history of Israel, Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God and pleading with God, “O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins and receive us as your own.”
 
The false gods that Moses knew of at that time did not have the wonderful qualities that Moses attributes to the one true God: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, full of kindness and fidelity. That is the God that we believe in today.
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
 
“Glory and praise forever.” Yes, especially today, amid the horrors that we face in our society and in our world. In these times, it may be harder for some to believe in this one true God, but it is ever more important.
 
A reading from the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
(Chapter 13:11-13)
 
Here is a beautiful blessing from Paul to a people in crisis and great danger. “Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the love of God and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”
 
Here we have a trinitarian blessing has been used from the beginning of Christianity.
 
I remember being taught as a child in Catholic school that we are all created “in the image and likeness of God” and that God was not an isolated being but a community of persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That being true, then we are all communal beings, starting with our families and moving out from there to friendships, various communal groups, and the community of our church. Of course, each of us is an individual, and we can and should pray to God in our own solitude, but praying in community is also something in our very nature. So, we miss our communal celebrations of the Eucharist. Let us pray for one another while apart and hope for our coming together again soon.
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
(Chapter 3:16-18)
 
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
 
Many people think of God as “up there” or “out there somewhere,” but the true God, shared his life with us in Jesus, and his Holy Spirit lives within every one of us. Sadly, right now we cannot experience that presence in community. We may have become separated from several other communities that give us joy. Let us do our best through the various electronic means to stay in touch with so many people who make up our community until we can see them in person and rejoice in the love and presence we share with them.
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

Note: We can pray with the Sunday readings even if Sunday liturgies have been suspended due to the coronavirus.
Bill Ayres continues to offer his reflections to help our prayer.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Chapter 2:1-11)
 
If you wonder why there were so many people from so many countries in Jerusalem on the occasion St. Luke describes in this passage, it was because Pentecost was a Jewish feast when pilgrims from all over the near world would come to Jerusalem to worship. But Luke tells us of strange happenings: “a noise like a strong wind” and “tongues of fire” images that recall the time God established the original covenant with the Jewish people. Luke wanted his audience to understanding that this was God confirming a new covenant with a new, diverse people—hence the people of many languages understanding the apostles from Galilee. Of course, Luke wrote this a few decades after the actual events, and he wanted people to know that this was the beginning of something new that had its roots in a previous tradition—and fulfilled that tradition. Today, we say that Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, was the birthday of the Church.
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34)
 
“Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.” Here is a common thread between Judaism and Christianity, the Spirit of God. The difference for us Christians is that we believe that the Spirit of God is not just “out there” somewhere but rather lives in each one of us. That is one of the major breakthroughs of Christianity. God is not some distant being but absolutely close to each of us, even when we might not feel that presence. We are never alone.
 
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
(Chapter 12:3b-7, 12-13)
 
St. Paul tells us that we may each have different gifts and forms of service, but what unites us all together is the one Spirit. And, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”
 
You and I each have different gifts from the Spirit. Do you believe that? What are your spiritual gifts? How do you use them, share them? Can you appreciate the gifts of someone else, even though you might disagree with that person on one or more issues? That is particularly important today when our country and even our Church are often divided in many ways.
 
As we read the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul, it becomes clear that there were a series of major differences within the early Church with so many groups coming in and out of focus, each believing that their version of the truth about Jesus was the right one. This has continued for some two thousand years and been the cause of wars and numerous unjust actions. It is only when we listen to the Spirit and act in the loving power of the Spirit that we have peace and true communion.
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
(Chapter 20: 19-23)
 
Jesus says to the apostles, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so also I send you.” Then, “he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’”
 
These few sentences written at the end of the first century, long after the events described, are meant by John to validate the connection between the Church after Jesus with the powerful words of Jesus before he ascended into heaven. He conferred gifts, starting with the Holy Spirit and then the power to forgive sins. Remember, John is writing his Gospel during a time of persecution, and he wants to make sure that his readers know how blessed they are and how they are strengthened amid endless trials and dangers. The Holy Spirit is with them, just as it is with us today.
 
What are the special gifts that you have received in your life? How have you used them, especially the gifts of forgiveness and healing?
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.
 

Note: We can pray with the Sunday readings even if Sunday liturgies have been suspended due to the coronavirus.
Bill Ayres continues to offer his reflections to help our prayer.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Chapter 1:1-11)
 
Saint Luke, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, tells us here that Jesus “presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” So, is this the actual historical day when Jesus ascended to heaven? Maybe, but this same Luke writes in his Gospel, and John writes in his Gospel, that Jesus ascended on the day of the Resurrection. We do not know the exact day. What is much more important for us is that Jesus told his disciples that “John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit,” and, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you.”
 
With respect to his bodily presence, Jesus is leaving, but he is sending his Holy Spirit to be with the Church and with each one of us. We all have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we need to accept this most precious gift, the very presence of God in us. It is possible to turn away from the gift or even turn against the gift of the Holy Spirit. What is more likely, it is possible to simply forget about the gift of the Spirit or believe that it does not apply to us, or to give up on the Spirit when we fall into hard times, as we have now, and the Spirit seems absent or at least silent. Yet, the Holy Spirit of God never leaves us and becomes present to us in sometimes unexpected and amazing ways. Let this be our prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit.”
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9)
 
“God mounts his throne of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.” This is ancient imagery from a far distant place and time. However, notice that it is the image of a “throne of joy”, not a grumpy and punitive God.
 
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians
(Chapter 1:17-23)
 
This is a beautifully poetic description of the power of the resurrected Christ. “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe.”
 
Remember, Paul is speaking to a people who knew power, a fierce, often unjust and unloving power, the most powerful force in the world, the Roman Empire. They lived in constant fear and with few real rights, a poor beaten people. In the face of this, Paul talks of “the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe.” Take that, Roman emperor! We have a different kind of power that you can find only in Jesus Christ. It is an eternal power from the man you killed but who defied death, rose again, and lives forever in the presence of God and in his Mystical Body on earth, the Church, which survives your empire.
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
(Chapter 28:16-20)
 
Jesus said to his disciples, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. … Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.”
 
That was the end but also the beginning of the life that unites us with him today.
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

Note: We can pray with the Sunday readings even if Sunday liturgies have been suspended due to the coronavirus.
Bill Ayres continues to offer his reflections to help our prayer.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Chapter 8:5-8, 14-17)
 
Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a continuation of his Gospel. He wanted to show the growth and struggles of the first Christian communities. In today’s passage, we have Phillip reaching out to the people of Samaria who were considered heretics but who also believed in the coming of the Messiah. They were converted because they saw signs. “For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.” So then, “the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”
 
There seems to be some confusion in the early Church about when the gift of the Holy Spirit is given—at baptism or later, as here. Today, we believe that the Holy Spirit is given to us when we receive the sacrament of baptism and then strengthened with the sacrament of confirmation. Unfortunately, many of us were never really taught about this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit being present in us at all times, whether we realize it or not. Especially during this time of crisis, let us remember that the Spirit of God is always with us.
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20)
 
“Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” I suspect that most people are not now crying out to God with joy, but rather in pain, anger, and frustration. Where is there joy in your life now? How are you thanking God for whatever or whoever is giving you joy amidst sorrow and frustration?
 
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Peter
(Chapter 3:15-18)
 
The first Christians suffered greatly in several ways. Many of their Jewish brethren thought they were crazy or had lost their faith. The Roman rulers thought they were dangerous and disloyal to Rome. Peter tells the Christians, “Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is the will of God, than for doing evil.”
 
That is so hard—suffering for doing good, being misunderstood, losing family or friends when you should not be blamed. Don’t give up. Try to work it out. But also, do not allow it to deeply harm you. Continue to pray but also move on as best you can to the more positive dimensions of your life.
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
(Chapter 14:15-21)
 
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask my Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And anyone who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.’”
 
When John wrote this, he was an old man who had decades to collect his memories and try to convey the deepest meanings that he could. Many have called this a “Love Gospel,” and so it is. As an old man, John was still enflamed with the love he experienced long ago from a man who John knew was more than than that—the Presence of God. That is the basis of our faith in the all loving, ever present God who lives in us and among us.
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

Note: We can pray with the Sunday readings even if Sunday liturgies have been suspended due to the coronavirus.
Bill Ayres continues to offer his reflections to help our prayer.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Chapter 6:1-7)
 
The early Christian community was often torn between the Hebrews and the Hellenists—the Greeks. Here we have a complaint from the Hellenists “because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution (of food). So, the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’” This appointment of what we now call deacons is the first record of an ordination, and it made it possible to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the whole community.
 
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19)
 
“Lord, let your mercy be upon us, as we place our trust in you.” Pope Francis has certainly become our “Mercy Pope.” He often talks about God’s mercy as a powerful force in his life and ours. When he was a young priest in Argentina, he failed to stand up for two of his fellow priests during a time of political terror. Afterward, he regretted this, but he experienced God’s mercy in a powerful way, and ever since he has tried to share this message with all.
 
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Peter
(Chapter 2:4-9)
 
You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
 
The Jewish people always understood themselves as a “chosen people,” and now Peter is saying that Christians, too, will be ”a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
 
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
(Chapter 14:1-12)
 
John, writing many years after the death of Jesus, wants to let everyone know who Jesus really was. The disciples certainly believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and now John is saying much more.
 
In this account, Jesus said to Thomas, “'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in my Father and the Father is in me? … Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?’”
 
Later, John writes that Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” That’s it. There is a unity between the Father and the Son that is so close that seeing one is seeing the other, and “seeing” either is seeing the Holy Spirit. This is something so hard to comprehend that people still have trouble grasping it after two thousand years. But that is the point: we do not grasp it; we live in it. We live in and are nourished by living in the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
 
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. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.