Ex 19:2-6a; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9:36-10:8

Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, ...
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.

God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

As you go, make this proclamation: ' The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

I love to reflect upon Jesus, choosing his twelve apostles.  It reminds me of so much of what attracts me to Jesus and it helps renew me in the call of my baptism.

May 2020

Rome

▪ Pope Francis renewed his invitation for people of all faiths to unite in prayer, fasting, and works of charity on Thursday, 14 May  for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pallottine Sisters in Rome and all over the world have responded to this invitation.

1 Kings 19:19-21; Matthew 5:33-37

Today's scripture readings are about trust.  Elisha kills the cow, burns the plow, kisses mom and dad good-bye and then follows Elijah.  I'm not sure what mom and dad thought about all of this, but Elisha obviously trusted Elijah.  The psalmist sings that his heart is glad, his soul rejoices and his body abides in confidence.  His joy comes from trusting God.  And Jesus tells his disciples "Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no," no oaths or vows.  He calls them to a change from the status quo.  To trust him.

Photo by Łysakowski Wiesław

1 Kings 19:9a, 11-16; Matthew 5:27-32

In the Gospel we encounter Jesus preaching to his disciples about moral teachings in Jewish Law. This section of the Gospel according to Matthew is known as the “antitheses”, where Jesus names a biblical teaching and not only does he express agreement with it but he also goes a step further and invites his disciples to go deeper into the spirit of that moral teaching: “You have heard that it was said…, But I say to you…” These “antitheses”, are not really so, since Jesus does not express an opposition to the Jewish Law, like the word antithesis suggests, but an invitation to go further into the spirit of that Law, which had been given by God as a covenant with God’s people, Israel. 

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

Imagine Jesus speaking to each of us today.  Imagine him, risen in Glory, speaking to us.

I want to give you life - to give your life real freedom and joy - and a life that will last for ever.  I want to take away your fear of dying.  I invite you to make your home in me - now.  Your home will be in me forever.

Let me make my home in your heart.  Let me feed you.  I've given my life for you.  I've shown you that you, too, can give your life away and be free to love as I have loved you.  Let this self-sacrificing example of love nourish you.

1 Kings 18:20-39; Matthew 5:17-19

“Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope”

“Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope”, is the psalm response in today’s scripture. It’s a familiar sung refrain that we use in our parish…a calming melody that is comforting as I reflected on today’s scripture.
In the Gospel of the day, Jesus reminds his followers that he has not come to abolish the teachings of the prophets and God’s commandments, but to fulfill them. This passage is preceded by the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus later continues with speaking about the fullness of following the commandments…not the letter, but the whole spirit of the command.

2 Corinthians 1:18-22; Matthew 5:13-16

We are all capable of being salt and light. We can heal and flavor and preserve just as salt does. We can all be lights in the small corner of the world where we live. We can bring light into the dark, provide light to find the lost and to find the way. We all can be the source of warmth. We can do that because “God has put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts.”