June 9
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Parishioners of Holy Cross
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Brothers and sisters: Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of its glory that was going to fade, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory. Indeed, what was endowed with glory has come to have no glory in this respect because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 99:5, 6, 7, 8, 9
R. (see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
O LORD, our God, you answered them;
a forgiving God you were to them,
though requiting their misdeeds.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Gospel Acclamation
Psalms 25:4b, 5a
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
and guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
“Holy is the Lord our God.”
Reflection
Many of us find it easy to overreact to issues that are important to us. I am no exception!
The Jewish leaders suffer from this same issue when confronted with Jesus as he appears to be setting aside the Law of Moses. It is understandable how the leaders of the Jewish people would react in this way. It was their charge to ensure the faithful were observing the law, and yet, as we know, God continues to challenge his people.
What the leaders failed to see and believe was that Jesus was not overturning the Law of Moses. Today, in the Gospel of Matthew, which Matthew wrote for the Jewish people using references that would speak to their Mosaic tradition, Jesus clearly states to the disciples that he has not come to abolish the law or the prophets but to fulfill the law.
Jesus’ actions continually fulfilled the Law, and yet the leaders viewed these actions as threatening, not only to the Law of Moses, but also to the power of the Jewish leaders.
God challenges all of us at times with things that do not seem to ring true or seem to make sense. We must continue to discern the will of God in our life if we are to recognize that God is active in the life of the world.
Peace,
Fr. John
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