Give Us This Day Look Inside

Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) Luke 1:68-79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet
of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Give Us This Day®

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Saturday
Morning
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 87
Founded by God on the holy mountain,
the Lord loves the gates of Zion,
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Of you are told glorious things,
you, O city of God!
“Rahab and Babylon I will count
among those who know me;
Of Tyre, Philistia, Ethiopia, it is told,
‘There was this one born.’
But of Zion it shall be said,
‘Each one was born in her.’ ”
God, the Most High, will establish her.
In the register of peoples the Lord writes,
“Here was this one born.”
The singers cry out in chorus,
“All my wellsprings are in you.”
Glory to the Father . . .
Scripture Isaiah 44:1-5
Hear then, Jacob, my servant, / Israel, whom I have cho-
sen. / Thus says the Lord who made you, / your help,
who formed you from the womb: / Do not fear, Jacob, my
servant, / Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. / I will pour out
water upon the thirsty ground, / streams upon the dry land;
/ I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring, / my blessing
upon your descendants. / They shall spring forth amid grass
/ like poplars beside flowing waters. / One shall say, “I am
the Lord’s,” / another shall be named after Jacob, / And this
one shall write on his hand, “The Lord’s,” / and receive the
name Israel.
Read, Ponder, Pray on a word or phrase from these readings or
another of today’s Scriptures (Lectio Divina, p. 364)
Antiphon
Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in
whom I delight.
Canticle of Zechariah (inside front cover)
Intercessions
God Most High, you give us life-giving water and lead us
to the fullness of joy. In faith we pray: r. Instruct us in
your ways, O glorious God.
For the newly baptized and their sponsors, we pray: r.
For catechists, scout leaders, and camp directors,
we pray: r.
For seminarians, novices, and lay volunteers, we pray: r.
Our Father . . .
May God bless us with an increase of faith, hope, and
love, through Jesus our brother. Amen.

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Blessed Among Us
Bartolomé de Las Casas
“Defender of the Indians” (1484–1566)
Bartolomé de Las Casas was the most distinguished of a num-
ber of Dominican friars who raised their voices against the
rapacious violence inflicted on the indigenous peoples of the
Americas. Serving originally as a chaplain in the Spanish con-
quest of Cuba (while also benefiting as the owner of a planta-
tion), in 1514 he underwent a dramatic conversion. After
witnessing the genocidal cruelty inflicted on the Indians, he
joined the Dominican Order and became a passionate and
prophetic defender of their interests. For more than fifty years
he traveled back and forth between the New World and the
court of Spain, attempting to expose the cruelties of the Con-
quest, whose very legitimacy he disavowed. Though the Con-
quest was justified with supposedly evangelical motivations,
Las Casas believed the actions of the conquistadors revealed
that their true religion was the worship of gold.
Las Casas opposed the notion that the Gospel could be
spread through slaughter or compulsion of any kind. While
others claimed the Indians were a lesser race, he affirmed
their full humanity and entitlement to human rights. But he
went further. Identifying the Indians with the poor in the
Gospel sense, he argued that in their sufferings they repre-
sented the crucified Christ.
In 1544 Las Casas was named bishop of Chiapas in southern
Mexico, but he eventually resigned his bishopric and returned
to Spain, the better, he hoped, to promote the cause of social
justice. He died on July 18, 1566, at the age of eighty-two.
“I leave in the Indies Jesus Christ, our God, scourged and afflicted
and beaten and crucified not once, but thousands of times.”
—Bartolomé de Las Casas
Mass
Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[St. Camillus de Lellis, opt. memorial]
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Psalm 17 (16):15
As for me, in justice I shall behold your face; / I shall be
filled with the vision of your glory.
Collect
O God, who show the light of your truth
to those who go astray,
so that they may return to the right path,
give all who for the faith they profess
are accounted Christians
the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of
Christ
and to strive after all that does it honor.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah 2:1-5
They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and they take them.
Woe to those who plan iniquity, / and work out evil on
their couches; / In the morning light they accom-
plish it / when it lies within their power. / They covet fields,
and seize them; / houses, and they take them; / They cheat
an owner of his house, / a man of his inheritance. / There-
fore thus says the Lord: / Behold, I am planning against
this race an evil / from which you shall not withdraw your
necks; / Nor shall you walk with head high, / for it will be
a time of evil.

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On that day a satire shall be sung over you, / and there
shall be a plaintive chant: / “Our ruin is complete, / our
fields are portioned out among our captors, / The fields of
my people are measured out, / and no one can get them
back!” / Thus you shall have no one / to mark out bound-
aries by lot / in the assembly of the Lord.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm 10:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 14
r. (12b) Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
Why, O Lord, do you stand aloof?
Why hide in times of distress?
Proudly the wicked harass the afflicted,
who are caught in the devices the wicked have
contrived. r.
For the wicked man glories in his greed,
and the covetous blasphemes, sets the Lord at nought.
The wicked man boasts, “He will not avenge it”;
“There is no God,” sums up his thoughts. r.
His mouth is full of cursing, guile and deceit;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He lurks in ambush near the villages;
in hiding he murders the innocent;
his eyes spy upon the unfortunate. r.
You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow,
taking them in your hands.
On you the unfortunate man depends;
of the fatherless you are the helper. r.
Gospel Acclamation 2 Corinthians 5:19
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
12:14-21
He warned them not to make him known
to fulfill what had been spoken.
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus
to put him to death.
When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.
Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he
warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill
what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: / Behold,
my servant whom I have chosen, / my beloved in whom I
delight; / I shall place my Spirit upon him, / and he will pro-
claim justice to the Gentiles. / He will not contend or cry out,
/ nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. / A bruised reed
he will not break, / a smoldering wick he will not quench, /
until he brings justice to victory. / And in his name the Gen-
tiles will hope.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer over the Offerings
Look upon the offerings of the Church, O Lord,
as she makes her prayer to you,
and grant that, when consumed by those who believe,
they may bring ever greater holiness.
Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon Cf. Psalm 84 (83):4-5
The sparrow finds a home, / and the swallow a nest for
her young: / by your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and
my God. / Blessed are they who dwell in your house, / for
ever singing your praise.
Or: John 6:57
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood / remains in
me and I in him, says the Lord.

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Prayer after Communion
Having consumed these gifts, we pray, O Lord,
that, by our participation in this mystery,
its saving effects upon us may grow.
Reflection
Servant of Mercy
Teachers, speakers, and writers often search for the perfect
quote, one that will clarify and emphasize the point they wish
to make. At times the quotation serves as a simple elaboration
or illustration. At other times it functions as an appeal to
authority. It seems to me that in today’s Gospel, Matthew uses
a quote that perfectly expresses the very heart of his message
about Jesus. Writing for a largely Jewish audience, Matthew
appeals to the authority of one of the greatest prophets of the
Hebrew tradition—Isaiah.
Prior to the scene in today’s Gospel, Jesus had been about
his work of teaching, forgiving, and healing. In so doing he
had become a figure of controversy to the rigidly law-abiding
religious authorities. Aware that their opposition was leading
to a life crisis for him, Jesus withdrew from the place where
things were “getting hot.” Matthew does not see this as a sign
of fear or cowardice. Rather, it is the essence of exactly who
Jesus is and the nature of the mission for which God sent him.
In choosing to quote Isaiah 42:1-4, the longest Old Testa-
ment citation in his Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus as the
ultimate meek one, the servant whose mission of mercy ex-
tends even to those not yet ready to respond to his call to
love, to seek justice and freedom. Jesus’ way is gentle—not
shrill or contentious, not overeager to exercise power or en-
gage in violent rhetoric. His way is a revolution of love in
which all people and nations can put their hope.
The behavior of Jesus in response to his enemies gives me
pause. Today, how will I place my hope in Jesus’ revolution
of love?
Sr. Ephrem Hollermann
Ephrem Hollermann, OSB, is a former prioress of Saint Benedict’s
Monastery, St. Joseph, Minnesota, and professor emerita of theology
at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.

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Evening
God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 73:1-3, 21-26
How good is God to Israel,
to those who are pure of heart!
As for me, my feet came close to stumbling;
my steps had almost slipped,
for I was filled with envy of the proud,
when I saw how the wicked prosper.
And so when my heart grew embittered,
and I was pierced to the depths of my being,
I was stupid and did not understand;
I was like a beast in your sight.
As for me, I was always in your presence;
you were holding me by my right hand.
By your counsel you will guide me,
and then you will lead me to glory.
What else have I in heaven but you?
Apart from you, I want nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart waste away;
God is the strength of my heart,
my portion forever.
Scripture Acts 10:44-48
While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy
Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were
astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been
poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them
speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter re-
sponded, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing
these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as
we have?” He ordered them to be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ.
Antiphon
In Christ’s name the Gentiles will hope.
Canticle of Mary (inside back cover)
Intercessions
God of truth, you are near to those who call on you from
their hearts. In hope we pray: r. Guide us by your
counsel, O God.
Give strength of spirit and understanding to those who
are discerning a vocation or life decision. r.
Purify our hearts, and help us to recognize you in those
who yearn for mercy. r.
Inspire us to curtail gun violence and drug abuse. r.
Our Father . . .
May God look upon us with kindness and fill our hearts
with holy peace, through Jesus our saving help. Amen.

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The Enemy Sowing Weeds by Heinrich Füllmaurer, Mömpelgard altarpiece, German,
ca. 1540. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Sunday
Morning
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 100
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before God, singing for joy.
Know that the Lord is God,
who made us, to whom we belong.
We are God’s people, the sheep of God’s flock.
Enter the temple gates with thanksgiving
and its courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks and bless God’s name.
Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal God’s merciful love.
God is faithful from age to age.
Scripture Joel 4:13-16
Wield the sickle, / for the harvest is ripe; / Come and
tread, / for the wine press is full; / The vats overflow,
/ for their crimes are numerous. / Crowds upon crowds /
in the Valley of Decision; / For near is the day of the Lord
/ in the Valley of Decision. / Sun and moon are darkened,
/ and the stars withhold their brightness, / The Lord roars

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from Zion, / and from Jerusalem raises his voice, / The heav-
ens and the earth quake, / but the Lordwill be a shelter for
his people, / a fortress for the people of Israel.
Antiphon
At the judgment the righteous will shine like the sun in
God’s kingdom.
Intercessions
God, our shelter and fortress, you protect us and shepherd
us in love. With songs of praise we bless your name and
pray: r. Good and forgiving God, hear our prayer.
Give joy to those who serve in the liturgical and pastoral
ministry of your Church. r.
Advance respect and fruitful dialogue among men and
women, youth and adults in your Church. r.
Strengthen your Church’s preferential option of the poor,
and lead all Christians to greater simplicity of heart. r.
Our Father . . .
May the love of God, the peace of Christ, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with us, now and
always. Amen.
Mass
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Entrance Antiphon Psalm 54 (53):6, 8
See, I have God for my help. / The Lord sustains my soul.
/ I will sacrifice to you with willing heart, / and praise
your name, O Lord, for it is good.
Gloria (p. 331)
Collect
Show favor, O Lord, to your servants
and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace,
that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity,
they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.
A reading from the Book of Wisdom 12:13, 16-19
You give repentance for sins.
There is no god besides you who have the care of all, /
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
/ For your might is the source of justice; / your mastery over
all things makes you lenient to all. / For you show your
might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; /
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. / But
though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
/ and with much lenience you govern us; / for power, when-
ever you will, attends you. / And you taught your people,
by these deeds, / that those who are just must be kind; / and
you gave your children good ground for hope / that you
would permit repentance for their sins.

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Responsorial Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16
r. (5a) Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading. r.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God. r.
You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.
Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant. r.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans
8:26-27
The Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our
weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groan-
ings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the
intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy
ones according to God’s will.
Gospel Acclamation Cf. Matthew 11:25
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the
kingdom.
13:24-43 (Shorter Form [ ], 13:24-30)
Let them grow together until harvest.
[Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was
asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the
wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore
fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the house-
holder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good
seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He
answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No,
if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along
with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at
harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the
weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the
wheat into my barn.” ’ ”]
He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of
heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed
in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-
grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’ ”
Hespoketothemanotherparable.“Thekingdomofheaven
is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three mea-
sures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been
said through the prophet: / I will open my mouth in parables,
/ I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His
disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the par-
able of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows

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good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good
seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children
of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are
angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send
his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who
cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them
into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grind-
ing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the
kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Creed (p. 332)
O God, who in the one perfect sacrifice
brought to completion varied offerings of the law,
accept, we pray, this sacrifice from your faithful servants
and make it holy, as you blessed the gifts of Abel,
so that what each has offered to the honor of your majesty
may benefit the salvation of all.
Communion Antiphon Psalm 111 (110):4-5
The Lord, the gracious, the merciful, / has made a
memorial of his wonders; / he gives food to those who
fear him.
Or: Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock, says the Lord. / If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, / I will
enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.
Graciously be present to your people, we pray, O Lord,
and lead those you have imbued with heavenly mysteries
to pass from former ways to newness of life.
Reflection
The Field of the Heart
[Our mind and heart] take up the grain of preaching and
nurture the plant with the moisture of faith, making it sprout
and shoot up in the field of the heart. The preaching of faith
in the gospel appears to be least among all tasks. Indeed,
anyone who preaches the God-man of truth, Christ who died,
and the stumbling block of the cross may not think im
mediately of mere faith as the primary doctrine. Put this
particular doctrine side by side with the teachings of the
philosophers, their books, their splendid eloquence and fine
discourses, and you will see just how small it is compared
with the other seeds of the gospel plant.
When those teachings grow, they have nothing to show
that is pungent or vigorous or vital. Everything turns out
weak and withering in a plant and in herbs that quickly dry
up and fall to the ground. But when this tiny gospel teaching
that seemed insignificant at the beginning has been planted
either in the soul of the believer or throughout the world, it
does not turn out to be just a plant. It grows into a tree, so that
the birds of the air, which we interpret as the souls of believers
or deeds dedicated to the service of God, come and dwell on
its branches.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Matthew
St. Jerome (ca. 347–ca. 420) was a hermit, priest, papal secretary,
and biblical scholar best known for his Latin translation of the
Bible, the Vulgate.

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Evening
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 118:1-4, 10-14
Give thanks to the Lord, who is good,
whose faithful love endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“God’s faithful love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
Let those who fear the Lord say,
The nations all encircled me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
They encircled me all around;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
They encircled me about like bees;
they blazed like a fire among thorns.
In the name of the Lord I cut them off.
They pushed me, pushed me hard to knock me down,
but the Lord was my helper.
The Lord is my strength and my song,
and has been my savior.
Scripture Romans 2:4-11
D]o you hold [God’s] priceless kindness, forbearance,
and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness
of God would lead you to repentance? By your stubbornness
and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself
for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of
God, who will repay everyone according to his works: eternal
life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through
perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those
who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness. Yes,
affliction and distress will come upon every human being
who does evil, Jew first and then Greek. But there will be
glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew
first and then Greek. There is no partiality with God.
Antiphon
God, you give your children hope that you will allow
them to repent for their sins.
Intercessions
God of the harvest, you deliver all who place their trust in
you. In confidence we pray: r. God, our Savior, hear us.
Grant clement weather for the growing and harvesting of
fruits, crops, and vines. r.
Transform our quarrels, conflicts, and chaos into
opportunities for reconciliation, peace, and creativity. r.
Break through the bonds of prejudice, greed, and
disrespect for life at any stage. r.
Our Father . . .
May God strengthen us to live the paschal mystery with
Jesus as our shepherd and guide, by the power of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.

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209July
Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Within the Word
The Blessing and Cost of Being a Prophet
Beginning this Thursday, the first reading for weekday Masses
will give us a glimpse into Jeremiah’s ministry as a prophet.
Through that lens, we enter the story of one of the darkest
periods in the history of Israel. Called by the Lord to serve as
a prophet when he was still a young man (1:1-10), Jeremiah’s
primary responsibility was to instruct and remind God’s
people of the covenant God had made with them. Like all
prophets, Jeremiah challenged the corruption of the time and
also gave hope to the brokenhearted.
Jeremiah lived and prophesied almost seven centuries
before Christ’s birth, during the time of the last kings of
Judah, leading to the exile to Babylon. It was a time of great
communal tragedy (not entirely unlike the suffering of some
peoples today). The people of Israel lost their land, which
since ancient times had been promised to Abraham and his
descendants; they lost the Temple and, with it, the dwelling
presence of God; they lost their sense of identity. How could
they understand themselves as God’s people when everything
that was supposed to remind them of God was gone?
It was in the midst of those chaotic years of suffering that
Jeremiah ministered to God’s people. The remarkable drama
of Jeremiah’s life unfolds in 52 chapters consisting of a beauti-
ful, yet complex, blend of both prose and poetry. Jeremiah’s
intense interior conflict is on full display, as is his commit-
ment to speak out against injustice and his compassionate
announcement of a hope-filled future.
God tasks Jeremiah with the mission of denouncing the
situation of the day. The people had forgotten their God, and
their religious and civil leaders were corrupt. Their priests,
kings, and prophets led them astray (2:1-13). With great
urgency, Jeremiah calls the people to repentance and an-
nounces that a time of restoration awaits, a time when good
kings—shepherds—would rule and when all would gather
to worship (3:14-17). Firmly, Jeremiah delivers God’s message
condemning the people’s empty ritualistic practices, while
outside of worship they commit grave injustices (7:1-11).
The readings for these weeks—indeed, the entire book of
Jeremiah—offer us an invitation to meditate on God’s Word
in Jeremiah’s words. Twenty-seven centuries later, Jeremiah’s
message still inspires us. In our recent past and in our present
day, we have experienced some weak, and even corrupt,
leaders. Hardly a day goes by without news of a leader’s ques-
tionable actions. Even with good leaders, at times we are com-
placent and all too often neglect the needs of our neighbor.
Likewise, today as in times past, we fall into the trap of being
self-righteous and thinking that certain exterior practices are
an indication of our good character, while there is a great
dissonance between our actions and the truth in our hearts.
Not only is the message of Jeremiah still applicable to our
day, but his call is also our call. The Lord also says to us: Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I
dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you (1:5).
Through our baptism, each of us is called to be a prophet.
This means we will experience the discomfort of discomfort-
ing others and the consolation of consoling others, always
proclaiming God’s love for all.
—Ximena DeBroeck
Ximena DeBroeck, STL, PhD, is Director of Catechetical Pastoral
Formation at the Archdiocese of Baltimore and adjunct professor at
Mount St. Mary’s Seminary.

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Monday
Morning
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 120
To the Lord in the hour of my distress
I call—and am answered.
“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips,
from the tongue of the deceitful.”
What should God give you, what repay you,
O deceitful tongue?
The warrior’s arrows sharpened,
with red-hot coals from the broom tree!
Alas, that I sojourn in Meshech,
dwell among the tents of Kedar!
I have had enough of dwelling
with those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak,
they are for war.
Scripture Jonah 3:6-10
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose
from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself
with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he had this pro-
claimed throughout Nineveh: “By decree of the king and
his nobles, no man or beast, no cattle or sheep, shall taste
anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man
and beast alike must be covered with sackcloth and call
loudly to God; they all must turn from their evil way and
from the violence of their hands. Who knows? God may
again repent and turn from his blazing wrath, so that we
will not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they
turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil he had
threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
Antiphon
The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
Intercessions
God of peace, you are the God of second chances. In trust
we pray: r. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heal divisions in your Church, and unite all the baptized
in care for the poor and love for neighbor. r.
Restore trust in victims of sexual abuse, and transform
systems that perpetuate this evil. r.
Help us to reach out in charity to those who suffer
because of bullying, betrayal, or deceit. r.
Our Father . . .
May God place a word of hope on our lips so that we may
rouse the weary, comfort the sorrowful, and plant seeds
of peace in our world, through Jesus our brother. Amen.

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Blessed Among Us
Leo XIII
Pope (1810–1903)
On February 20, 1878, Vincenzo Pecci, the sixty-eight-year-
old archbishop of Perugia, was elected to succeed the long-
reigning Pope Pius IX. In his nearly thirty-two years in Rome,
Pius had done more than any other pope in modern times to
enhance the image and power of the papacy. But having largely
defined the mission of the Church in negative opposition to
the modern age, he left little opening for constructive engage-
ment with issues of the day. The new pope, who took the name
Leo XIII, was keen to overcome this defensive posture.
Without doubt, Leo’s most significant contribution was in
his pronouncements in the social realm. With his encyclical
Rerum Novarum (1891) he inaugurated the modern era of
Catholic social teaching. Leo was the first pope to address the
problems associated with the rise of industrial capitalism and
to declare the sympathies of the Church with the working class.
While rejecting socialism, Leo’s encyclical implied a strong
critique of unbridled capitalism. Most of all it declared the
Church’s vital interest in the social and material, as well as
spiritual, welfare of human beings. It articulated a commit-
ment to principles of social justice, the dignity of labor, and
defense of the poor—a commitment that would undergo
further elaboration in the subsequent century of Catholic
social teaching.
Pope Leo died on July 20, 1903, at the age of ninety-three,
the first pope whose passing was mourned not only in
churches and convents but in factories and union halls.
“Some remedy must be found, and quickly found, for the misery
and wretchedness which press so heavily at this moment on the
large majority of the very poor.” —Pope Leo XIII
Mass
Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[St. Apollinaris, opt. memorial]
Collect
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah 6:1-4, 6-8
You have been told, O man, what the Lord requires of you.
Hear what the Lord says: / Arise, present your plea be-
fore the mountains, / and let the hills hear your voice!
/ Hear, O mountains, the plea of the Lord, / pay attention,
O foundations of the earth! / For the Lordhas a plea against
his people, / and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to you, / or how have I
wearied you? Answer me! / For I brought you up from the
land of Egypt, / from the place of slavery I released you; /
and I sent before you Moses, / Aaron, and Miriam.
With what shall I come before the Lord, / and bow before
God most high? / Shall I come before him with burnt offer-
ings, / with calves a year old? / Will the Lordbe pleased with
thousands of rams, / with myriad streams of oil? / Shall I give

214 215
my first-born for my crime, / the fruit of my body for the
sin of my soul? / You have been told, O man, what is good,
/ and what the Lord requires of you: / Only to do the right
and to love goodness, / and to walk humbly with your God.
Responsorial Psalm 50:5-6, 8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
r. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power
of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge. r.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.” r.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?” r.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the
salvation of God.” r.
Gospel Acclamation Psalm 95:8
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
12:38-42
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise
with this generation and condemn it.
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher,
we wish to see a sign from you.” He said to them in
reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but
no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and
three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the
earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men
of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it,
because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there
is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the
queen of the south will arise with this generation and con-
demn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to
hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater
than Solomon here.”
fear him.

216 217
Or: Revelation 3:20
Reflection
God on Trial
We may scoff at folks who asked Jesus for a sign (when Mag-
nificent Creator God stood before them), but how natural
and human. When we’re bumbling through our days, unsure
if we’re headed the right direction or torn by tough decisions,
a signal would help immensely. “C’mon, God. Give me a
clue!”
But maybe the problem isn’t lack of signs. It’s our lack of
attention. As Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote:
These things, these things were here and but the beholder
Wanting; which two when they once meet,
The heart rears wings bold and bolder
And hurls for him, O half hurls earth for him off under
his feet.
How might we guess God is breathing us through our days?
Some telltale fingerprints: Prisms of dew tangled in long
grass, sparkling like a jeweled sleeve. One friend rearranging
a packed schedule to help another friend. Words leaping off
page or computer screen or in a calming voice, bringing hope,
joy, beauty. First coppery glints of morning light on skyscrap-
ers. People so unaware of their goodness that if they saw,
they’d need sunglasses to shade the dazzle.
The ultimate sign is one to which Micah alludes: “O my
people, what have I done to you, / or how have I wearied you?
Answer me!” Hearing that unanswerable question is gut-
wrenching. God is no magician, prone to wily tricks. Instead,
God sends the beloved child: Jesus, all tenderness, who dies.
How dare we ask for more?
Kathy Coffey
Kathy Coffey is an award-winning writer, mother of four, and
speaker who gives workshops and retreats nationally and
internationally. Her most recent book is When the Saints
Came Marching In. For more information, see her website:
kathyjcoffey.com.

218 219
Evening
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 119:73-80
It was your hands that made me and shaped me;
grant me insight to learn your commands.
Those who revere you see me and rejoice,
for I trust in your word.
O Lord, I know that your decrees are right,
and that in faithfulness, you humbled me.
Let your faithful love console me
by your promise to your servant.
Show me compassion, that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
Let the arrogant be shamed who deflect me with lies;
as for me, I will ponder your precepts.
Let those who fear you turn to me,
that they may know your decrees.
Let my heart be blameless in your statutes,
that I may not be put to shame.
Scripture Romans 12:9-18
Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is
good; love one another with mutual affection; antici-
pate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in
zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the
needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who
persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with
those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the
same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associ-
ate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is
noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at
peace with all.
Antiphon
Do justice and love goodness, and walk humbly with
your God.
Intercessions
God of mystery, we ponder your wonderful ways and pray
in faith: r. Let your faithful love console us, O God.
Give hope and healing to those who suffer from cancer
or other serious illnesses. r.
Unite families who are caring for a sick relative. r.
Comfort those who suffer from relationship wounds,
bad choices, or grave misfortune. r.
Our Father . . .
May God guide our steps in peace and strengthen us for
every good work and word, through Jesus, by the power
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

221220
Tuesday
Morning
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 71:17-22
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and I proclaim your wonders still.
Even till I am old and gray-headed,
do not forsake me, O God.
Let me tell of your mighty arm
to every coming generation;
your strength and your justice, O God,
reach to the highest heavens.
It is you who have worked such wonders.
O God, who is like you?
You have made me witness many troubles and evils,
but you will give me back my life.
You will raise me from the depths of the earth;
you will exalt me and console me again.
So I will give you thanks on the lyre
for your faithfulness, O my God.
To you will I sing with the harp,
to you, the Holy One of Israel.
Scripture 2 Chronicles 6:19-21
Regard kindly the prayer and petition of your servant,
Lord, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication
which I, your servant, utter before you. May your eyes be
open day and night toward this house, the place where you
have decreed your name shall be; listen to the prayer your
servant makes toward this place. Listen to the petition of
your servant and of your people Israel which they offer
toward this place. Listen, from the place of your enthrone-
ment, heaven, and listen and forgive.”
Antiphon
You cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.
Intercessions
Just God, you are the source of every blessing. We humbly
pray to you: r. Make us strong in your love, O God.
Animate your Church to listen to the desires and needs of
young people. r.
Inspire us to show appreciation to our elders and to listen
to their stories. r.
Strengthen the elderly to find delight in the young and to
share their wisdom with kindness. r.
Our Father . . .
May God revive our spirits in times of distress and turn
our mourning into dancing, through Jesus our peace.
Amen.

222 223
Blessed Among Us
St. Macrina the Younger
Virgin (ca. 327–379)
St. Macrina was the eldest child in a remarkable family. Of
her nine siblings, three others became canonized saints, along
with her parents. According to a touching memoir by her
brother St. Gregory of Nyssa, Macrina served as a spiritual
fulcrum between her parents and her younger siblings, serv-
ing by her own example and exhortation to urge the rest of
the family along the path to sanctity.
Macrina was born in Caesarea in Cappadocia around 327
and received an excellent education. After the death of her
father she took special care for the education and upbringing
of her younger brothers, especially St. Basil, St. Gregory, and
St. Peter of Sebaste. She persuaded her mother to dispense
with their inherited wealth and to adopt a life of prayerful
simplicity. When her mother died she founded a convent on
the family estate, where women of all social backgrounds were
drawn to consecrate their lives to prayer and God’s service.
In 379 St. Gregory returned home to find Macrina sick and
dying. They enjoyed a sweet reunion, conversing on death
and the future life. Gregory was amazed at his sister’s pro-
found insight into the mysteries of the faith, as she continued
her discourse until her last breath. “All this,” he said, “seemed
to me more than human.” He presided over her funeral.
“You who broke the flaming sword, and compassionately gave
paradise back to the man crucified with You, remember me
also in Your kingdom, for I, too, have been crucified with You,
having nailed my flesh through fear of You and having feared
Your judgments.”
—St. Macrina
Mass
Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[St. Lawrence of Brindisi, opt. memorial]
Collect
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah
7:14-15, 18-20
He will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.
Shepherd your people with your staff, / the flock of your
inheritance, / That dwells apart in a woodland, / in the
midst of Carmel. / Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, /
as in the days of old; / As in the days when you came from
the land of Egypt, / show us wonderful signs.
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt / and
pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; / Who does
not persist in anger forever, / but delights rather in clem-
ency, / And will again have compassion on us, / treading
underfoot our guilt? / You will cast into the depths of the
sea / all our sins; / You will show faithfulness to Jacob, / and
grace to Abraham, / As you have sworn to our fathers / from
days of old.

224 225
Responsorial Psalm 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8
r. (8a) Lord, show us your mercy and love.
You have favored, O Lord, your land;
you have brought back the captives of Jacob.
You have forgiven the guilt of your people;
you have covered all their sins.
You have withdrawn all your wrath;
you have revoked your burning anger. r.
Restore us, O God our savior,
and abandon your displeasure against us.
Will you be ever angry with us,
prolonging your anger to all generations? r.
Will you not instead give us life;
and shall not your people rejoice in you?
Show us, O Lord, your kindness,
and grant us your salvation. r.
Gospel Acclamation John 14:23
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
12:46-50
Stretching out his hands toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.”
While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother
and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak
with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your broth-
ers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he
said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother?
Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward
his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my
brother, and sister, and mother.”
fear him.
Or: Revelation 3:20

226 227
Reflection
Meeting Christ in the Crowds
In our days there is very little solitude for those who really
try to get close to Christ in the world, who want to prove the
sincerity of their love by taking their share of the burden on
the back of humanity. Like Our Lady they must come to Him
in the crowds. . . .
So it is with the hospital nurse, the factory worker, and the
government servants in the huge departments. So it is with
the refugees driven together on the roads and to the com-
munal living of the homeless; so also with the people in the
shelters and in all the circumstances of war. True to her con-
sistent compassion for us, her entering into our experience,
the few glimpses that we have of Our Lady nearly all show
her in the crowd: crowded out of the inns at Bethlehem, when
Christ was born; seeking Him in the crowds on the road back
to Jerusalem; persuading Him to His first miracle at a crowded
marriage feast; seeking Him in the crowd in His public life.
Even in the immense loneliness on Calvary she was sur-
rounded by the crowd around the Cross. . . .
The condition of finding Him was the loss of herself. She
had to die, even out of her self-donation to God. Self had to
die out of her love, and this in spite of the fact that self in her
was not egoism but simply being the separate being of herself
which made it possible for her to do the will of God with her
own will.
In our love, self becomes selfishness. In Our Lady it was
a flawless self-giving.
Caryll Houselander, The Reed of God
Caryll Houselander (1901–1954) was an English Catholic laywoman,
artist, and visionary best known for such works as A Rocking Horse
Catholic, The Reed of God, and The Way of the Cross.
Evening
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 31:2-9
In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, set me free;
incline your ear to me, and speedily rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me.
For you are my rock, my stronghold!
Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.
Release me from the snare they have hidden,
for you indeed are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
You will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God.
You detest those who serve empty idols.
As for me, I trust in the Lord.
Let me be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you who have seen my affliction
and taken heed of my soul’s distress,
have not left me in the hands of the enemy,
but set my feet at large.
Scripture Hebrews 10:32-36
Remember the days past when, after you had been en-
lightened, you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction;

228 229
at other times you associated yourselves with those so
treated. You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; it will have
great recompense. You need endurance to do the will of
God and receive what he has promised.
Antiphon
Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my
brother, and sister, and mother.
Intercessions
God our Creator, you are always with us and an ever-
present help in times of trouble. In confidence we pray:
r. Heal us, O God.
Incline your ear to those who are tempted to take their
lives or the lives of others. r.
Strengthen those who are in recovery for addiction. r.
Uphold efforts to address the opioid crisis with charity
and wisdom. r.
Our Father . . .
May God strengthen us to persevere in love and bless us
with grateful hearts for the mercy shown to us in Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Wednesday
Morning
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 111:1-6, 9-10
Alleluia!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart,
in the meeting of the just and the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who delight in them.
Majestic and glorious your work;
your righteousness stands firm forever.
You have made a memorial of your wonders.
You, O Lord, are gracious and merciful.
You give food to those who revere you;
you are mindful of your covenant forever.
You have shown mighty works to your people
by giving them the heritage of nations.
You have sent redemption to your people,
and established your covenant forever.
Holy your name, to be feared.
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
understanding marks all who live by it.
Your praise endures forever!

231230
Scripture Proverbs 31:10, 25-26, 29-31
Who can find a woman of worth? / Far beyond jewels
is her value. / She is clothed with strength and dig-
nity, / and laughs at the days to come. / She opens her mouth
in wisdom; / kindly instruction is on her tongue. / “Many
are the women of proven worth, / but you have excelled
them all.” / Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; / the
woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. / Acclaim her
for the work of her hands, / and let her deeds praise her at
the city gates.
Antiphon
Mary Magdalene came early in the morning and found
the empty tomb.
Intercessions
Gracious God, your disciple St. Mary Magdalene was
the first to announce the good news of the risen Christ.
In company with her we pray: r. Let us find our joy in
you, O God.
Grant that your Church may rejoice and acclaim the
spiritual and intellectual gifts of women. r.
Help us to support and encourage youth in their search
for meaning and direction in their lives. r.
Let us know and share the power of your love and
forgiveness. r.
Our Father . . .
May the joy of the risen Lord radiate in our hearts today
and always. Amen.
Blessed Among Us
St. Mary Magdalene
Apostle to the Apostles (First Century)
Mary Magdalene was one of the original Galilean disciples of
Jesus and one of the many women who followed him in his
itinerant ministry. Little can be said of her origins; she is
characterized simply as a “woman from whom seven demons
had gone out.” There is no scriptural basis for the later tradi-
tion that depicted her as a penitent prostitute. All four Gospels
name her among the women who followed Jesus to Golgotha
and there witnessed his passion and death. While (according
to the Synoptic Gospels) all the male disciples fled, it was
these women who remained faithful to the end, and who
went to his tomb on the third day, hoping to anoint his body.
They found, instead, an empty tomb, guarded by an angel
who revealed that Jesus was raised from death. The women
were charged to tell the disciples to meet the Lord back in
Galilee. In the Gospels of John and Matthew (as well as the
longer ending of Mark), Mary actually sees the Risen Lord.
According to John, Mary was weeping outside the tomb when
she saw Jesus. She failed at first to recognize him, until he
addressed her with a single word: “Mary.” “Rabboni! Teacher,”
she cried. He instructed her to go to the disciples and tell
them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my
God and your God.”
It was Mary Magdalene, the faithful disciple, who first pro-
claimed this good news to the Twelve. Thus she has often been
called the “Apostle to the Apostles.” In 2016 Pope Francis ele-
vated her memorial to a feast day on the Roman calendar,
giving her the same level of celebration as the male apostles.
“I have seen the Lord.” —St. Mary Magdalene

232 233
Mass
St. Mary Magdalene, Feast
Entrance Antiphon John 20:17
The Lord said to Mary Magdalene: / Go to my brothers
and tell them: / I am going to my Father and your Father,
/ to my God and your God.
Gloria (p. 331)
Collect
O God, whose Only Begotten Son
entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others
with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection,
grant, we pray,
that through her intercession and example
we may proclaim the living Christ
and come to see him reigning in your glory.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
A reading from the Song of Songs 3:1-4b (alt. 2 Cor 5:14-17)
I have found him whom my heart loves.
The Bride says: / On my bed at night I sought him /
whom my heart loves— / I sought him but I did not
find him. / I will rise then and go about the city; / in the
streets and crossings I will seek / Him whom my heart loves.
/ I sought him but I did not find him. / The watchmen came
upon me, / as they made their rounds of the city: / Have you
seen him whom my heart loves? / I had hardly left them /
when I found him whom my heart loves.
Responsorial Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
r. (2) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. r.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you. r.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. r.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me. r.
Gospel Acclamation
Tell us Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
20:1-2, 11-18
Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to
the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and
went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus
loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the
tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

234 235
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept,
she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white
sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the
Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why
are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my
Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had
said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did
not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are
you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it
was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him
away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus
said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop
holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my
Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary
Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have
seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her.
Accept, O Lord, the offerings
presented in commemoration of Saint Mary Magdalene,
whose homage of charity
was graciously accepted by your Only Begotten Son.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15
The love of Christ impels us, / so that those who live may
live no longer for themselves, / but for him who died for
them and was raised.
May the holy reception of your mysteries, Lord,
instill in us that persevering love
with which Saint Mary Magdalene
clung resolutely to Christ her Master.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Reflection
Passionate Apostle
Mary Magdalene’s reputation has been in rehab the past few
decades. No so long ago we thought she was a prostitute
and the face of sexual immorality. Her name was attached to
the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, places where unmarried
pregnant women lived and worked, at least until they gave
birth. But this reputation has no basis in Scripture. It seems
to have gained traction after a sixth-century sermon by
Pope Gregory the Great. Was it because Mary was the one
“from whom the Lord cast out seven demons” (one of which
was thought to be sexual impropriety)? Or was it—is it—
because we feel better about ourselves if we can denigrate
someone else?
Today Mary is rightly described as the apostle to the
apostles. She was the first witness to the resurrection, and
Jesus sent her to tell the good news to the others, locked in
fear in the Upper Room. It was Mary’s passion to be with Jesus
that drew her to the garden tomb on Easter morning. I believe
it was this singular, unifying passion that Jesus recognized,
responded to, and rewarded with her commission: Go to my
brothers and tell them. Jesus saw a lot in Mary Magdalene
that, for a long time, we could not.
We are afraid of passion. Unfortunately, passion is often
sexualized and, therefore, seen as something dangerous. But
a singular, unifying passion for all that is true, good, beautiful,
and of God—and for God—will lead us to union with God

236 237
and, therefore, to fulfillment of our human destiny. Such is
the passion portrayed in the life of Mary Magdalene and in
the Scriptures proclaimed on her feast day.
Fr. John Meoska
John Meoska, OSB, is a monk of Saint John’s Abbey and an avid
woodworker.
Evening
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 138
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I praise you.
I bow down toward your holy temple.
I give thanks to your name
for you have exalted over all
your name and your promise.
On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased the strength of my soul.
All earthly rulers shall thank you, O Lord,
when they hear the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
“How great is the glory of the Lord!”
The Lord is high, yet looks on the lowly,
and the haughty God knows from afar.
You give me life though I walk amid affliction;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes.
With your right hand you save me;
the Lord will accomplish this for me.
O Lord, your merciful love is eternal;
discard not the work of your hands.

238 239
Scripture Acts 4:32-35
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his
own, but they had everything in common. With great power
the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no
needy person among them, for those who owned property
or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were dis-
tributed to each according to need.
Antiphon
Magdalene saw the Risen Christ and announced the good
news to the disciples.
Intercessions
God of our ancestors, St. Mary Magdalene bore faithful
witness to Jesus’ resurrection. Confident in your promise
of eternal life we pray: r. Let us see your face, O God.
For those who live in poverty or suffer great loss,
we pray: r.
For military men and women, their families, and all who
live in the midst of war and political instability, we pray: r.
For unbelievers, skeptics, and those who have lost faith,
we pray: r.
Our Father . . .
May God fortify our communities by the power of the
Holy Spirit so that together our lives may bear witness to
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday
Morning
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 25:12-18, 21-22
Who are they that fear the Lord?
God will show them the path to choose.
Their souls shall live in happiness,
and their descendants shall possess the land.
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear God;
to them is revealed the covenant.
My eyes are always on the Lord,
who rescues my feet from the snare.
Turn to me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone and poor.
Relieve the anguish of my heart,
and set me free from my distress.
See my lowliness and suffering,
and take away all my sins.
May integrity and virtue protect me,
for I have hoped in you, O Lord.
Grant redemption to Israel, O God,
from all its distress.
Scripture Deuteronomy 8:7a, 8, 10-12a, 14
T]he Lord, your God, is bringing you into a good coun-
try, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees
and pomegranates, of olive trees and of honey. But when

240 241
you have eaten and are satisfied, you must bless the Lord,
your God, for the good land he has given you. Be careful
not to forget the Lord, your God, by failing to keep his
commandments and ordinances and statutes which I enjoin
on you today: lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied,
you then become haughty of heart and forget the Lord,
your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that
house of slavery.
Antiphon
I remember the devotion of your youth, how you loved
me as a bride.
Intercessions
Benevolent God, in Jesus you offer us friendship and
peace. In hope we pray: r. Purify our minds and hearts,
O God.
Help us to live well and abide always in your presence
and truth. r.
Pour your Spirit upon leaders of nations and elected
officials. r.
Root your Church in Gospel justice and charity. r.
Our Father . . .
May God strengthen us to contemplate the passion of
Christ and to seek God in all things, in company with
Bridget of Sweden and all the saints. Amen.
Blessed Among Us
Blessed Joan of Orvieto
Third Order Dominican (ca. 1264–1306)
Joan, who was born to a peasant family, lost both her parents
when she was only five. Yet she expressed no fear. Pointing in
church to an image of a guardian angel, she exclaimed: “He
will look after me.” She was adopted by relatives in Orvieto
and learned to support herself as a dressmaker. But when in
time they arranged for her to get married she ran away and
joined a community of Third Order Dominicans. The rest of
her life was devoted to prayer and service of the poor.
Joan won a reputation for her visions and other super-
natural gifts. While meditating on the Passion or the suffer-
ings of the martyrs, her body would enter fully into the scene
she was witnessing. When this occurred in the chapel, her
superior would invite the public to serve as witnesses—a
source of intense embarrassment to Joan. One time someone
in the street upbraided her. When it became known that Joan’s
response was to offer a thousand prayers for this person, it
came to be said that the best way to benefit from her prayers
was to insult her.
She predicted that miracles would follow her death, which
occurred on July 23, 1306. She was beatified in 1754.
“Many people testified that a fire was often seen during the
night on the top of the roof of the house in which the holy virgin
lived. When a household member asked her in a friendly way
about the apparition of the fire, she immediately replied with
a joyous and firm voice, ‘It is God.’ ”
—From The Legend of Giovanna of Orvieto

242 243
Mass
Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[St. Bridget, opt. memorial]
Collect
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13
They have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
they have dug themselves broken cisterns.
This word of the Lord came to me: Go, cry out this
message for Jerusalem to hear!
I remember the devotion of your youth, / how you loved
me as a bride, / Following me in the desert, / in a land un-
sown. / Sacred to the Lordwas Israel, / the first fruits of his
harvest; / Should any presume to partake of them, / evil
would befall them, says the Lord.
When I brought you into the garden land / to eat its
goodly fruits, / You entered and defiled my land, / you made
my heritage loathsome. / The priests asked not, / “Where is
the Lord?” / Those who dealt with the law knew me not: /
the shepherds rebelled against me. / The prophets prophe-
sied by Baal, / and went after useless idols.
Be amazed at this, O heavens, / and shudder with sheer
horror, says the Lord. / Two evils have my people done: /
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; / They
have dug themselves cisterns, / broken cisterns, that hold
no water.
Responsorial Psalm 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11
r. (10a) With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
O Lord, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep. r.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your
wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink. r.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart. r.
Gospel Acclamation See Matthew 11:25
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the
Kingdom.

244 245
13:10-17
Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you
speak to the crowd in parables?” He said to them in
reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom
of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not
been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and
he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he
has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in par-
ables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not
listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them,
which says: / You shall indeed hear but not understand, / you
shall indeed look but never see. / Gross is the heart of this
people, / they will hardly hear with their ears, / they have
closed their eyes, / lest they see with their eyes / and hear with
their ears / and understand with their hearts and be con-
verted / and I heal them.
“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.”
fear him.
Or: Revelation 3:20
Reflection
Longing to See: A Parable
Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has
been granted to you.
One evening I lost my temper, and the next morning I felt
bad and began to pray at the earliest opportunity, when you,
God, appeared to me as a pilgrim. You looked poor and home-
less. The sight of You made me feel terrible, and I regretted
losing my temper the day before. I started thinking how ugly
it was for me to disturb You, the Author of perfect peace and
truth, with the chaos of my evil passions, and I wished You’d
go away at such moments and leave me alone whenever the
enemy tempts me successfully, and I act so contrary to Your
kind nature. But Your reply surprised me.

246 247
You said, “I want to tell you a story. A sick person leaning
on friends hobbled outside to enjoy the sunshine. Suddenly,
along came a storm and torrential rain. How would that sick
person feel if—drenched through and through—they were
then told they had to go back inside, with no hope of ever
seeing the clear blue sky again?
“This story shows how I’m overwhelmed by My love for
you. I choose to remain by your side during the storms brought
on by your sins, and together in the shelter of your humiliation
we wait for the clear blue sky of your regret and confession.”
St. Gertrude the Great (of Helfta), The Herald of Divine Love
Gertrude of Helfta (1256–1301), also known as Gertrude the Great,
was a German Benedictine nun, mystic, and scholar. Her writings
include Spiritual Exercises and The Herald of Divine Love.
Evening
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 136:1-9
O give thanks to the Lord, who is good,
for God’s faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
Who alone has wrought marvelous works,
who in wisdom made the heavens,
for God’s faithful love endures forever;
who spread the earth on the waters,
It was the Lord who made the great lights,
the sun to rule in the day,
the moon and the stars in the night,
Scripture 1 Peter 1:10-12
Concerning this salvation, prophets who prophesied
about the grace that was to be yours searched and in-
vestigated it, investigating the time and circumstances that
the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified
in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the

248 249
glories to follow them. It was revealed to them that they
were serving not themselves but you with regard to the
things that have now been announced to you by those who
preached the good news to you [through] the holy Spirit
sent from heaven, things into which angels longed to look.
Antiphon
Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears,
because they hear.
Intercessions
Ever-living God, your mercy endures forever. In faith we
pray: r. Give us your peace, O God.
Make your Church firm in the Gospel and persevering in
grateful love. r.
Advance successful dialogue among nations in conflict
with one another. r.
Shine the light of your face upon our beloved dead. r.
Our Father . . .
May God favor and bless us with the joy of salvation,
through Jesus our redeemer. Amen.
Friday
Morning
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 69:2-4, 6-7
Save me, O God, for the waters
have risen to my neck.
I have sunk into the mud of the deep,
where there is no foothold.
I have entered the waters of the deep,
where the flood overwhelms me.
I am wearied with crying aloud;
my throat is parched.
My eyes are wasted away
with waiting for my God.
O God, you know my folly;
from you my sins are not hidden.
May those who hope in you not be shamed
because of me, O Lord of hosts;
may those who seek you not be disgraced
because of me, O God of Israel.
On that day / The remnant of Israel, / the survivors of
the house of Jacob, / will no more lean upon the one
who struck them; / But they will lean upon the Lord, / the
Holy One of Israel, in truth. / A remnant will return, the
remnant of Jacob, / to the mighty God.

250 251
Antiphon
I will appoint for you shepherds after my own heart.
Intercessions
Loving God, in Jesus you show us the way from death to
life. In hope we pray: r. O God, make haste to help us.
Inspire Pope Francis in his efforts to lead us toward
greater concern and love for the poor and the earth. r.
Raise up just and compassionate leaders in the public
sector. r.
Rejoin families that have been separated, and uphold
practices that safeguard the dignity of every person. r.
Our Father . . .
May God’s goodness and kindness follow us all the days
of our lives, through Jesus, the Lamb of God. Amen.
Blessed Among Us
Raymond Hunthausen
Archbishop and Peacemaker (1921–2018)
At the time of his death, Raymond Hunthausen was the last
surviving American bishop to have attended all four sessions
of Vatican II, an experience that forever marked his under-
standing of episcopal ministry. He served as bishop of Helena,
Montana, from 1962 to 1975, when he was appointed arch-
bishop of Seattle. Taking his cue from the Council, he em-
braced liturgical renewal, pursued ecumenism, encouraged
lay ministry and the role of women, and supported the cause
of social justice.
In the early 1980s he became increasingly concerned with
the threat of nuclear war. His own archdiocese harbored the
Trident nuclear submarine fleet, which he denounced as “the
Auschwitz of Puget Sound” and protested by redirecting 50
percent of his income tax to a peace fund. His stand infuriated
the Reagan administration. At the same time, his “liberal” poli-
cies attracted the attention of the Vatican, prompting a 1983
investigation into charges of “weak doctrinal leadership.”
The result was the appointment of a special auxiliary
bishop who was given authority over liturgy and other areas,
a two-year arrangement painful for all involved. In 1991,
Hunthausen chose to tender his early retirement, quietly
spending his remaining years in his native Montana. At the
time of his death on July 22, 2018, he was remembered as a
forerunner to Pope Francis.
“What is a pilgrimage? Isn’t it a group of people, in the company
of one another, who are travelling together for a holy purpose?
Our journey is a pilgrimage that has Jesus Christ as both its
origin and its destination.”
—Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen,
farewell sermon to the people of Seattle

252 253
Mass
Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[St. Sharbel Makhlūf, opt. memorial]
Collect
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 3:14-17
I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart;
all nations will be gathered together at Jerusalem.
Return, rebellious children, says the Lord, / for I am
your Master; / I will take you, one from a city, two from
a clan, / and bring you to Zion. / I will appoint over you
shepherds after my own heart, / who will shepherd you
wisely and prudently. / When you multiply and become
fruitful in the land, says the Lord, / They will in those days
no longer say, / “The ark of the covenant of the Lord!” /
They will no longer think of it, or remember it, / or miss it,
or make another.
At that time they will call Jerusalem the Lord’s throne;
there all nations will be gathered together to honor the
name of the Lordat Jerusalem, and they will walk no longer
in their hardhearted wickedness.
Responsorial Psalm Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
r. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards
his flock.
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock. r.
The Lord shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen. r.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. r.
Gospel Acclamation See Luke 8:15
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous
heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
13:18-23
The one who hears the word and
understands it will bear much fruit.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Hear the parable of the sower.
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
sown 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

254 255
for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes
because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed
sown among 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.”
fear him.
Or: Revelation 3:20
Reflection
Rootless, Distracted, and Easily Tempted
For years, I read the parable of the Sower with an eye to the
“other”—those who represented seeds that had fallen among
rock and thorns or were carried away by less-than-noble
pursuits and desires. Now I recognize how I am “the one”
Jesus describes as rootless, distracted, anxious, and easily
tempted. And sometimes I experience all of these within a
single day! I often arise with the soft soil of my heart open
and receptive as I engage in a morning ritual of journaling
and quiet reflection. A single negative encounter, however,
throws me into the thornbush, poking holes in my good in-
tentions as I succumb to irritation and indignation. Then
comes a rash of outrage and anxiety when confronted with
local and national news filled with violence and discord.
What then does it take to give rise to a rich harvest of virtue?
How might we remain engaged with life’s ills without being
kidnapped by evil intent? Just as seeds require water, sunlight,
and fertile soil to take root and grow, so, too, do our hearts.
The great mystic Hildegard of Bingen used the term viriditas
to describe the greening power of prayer that draws us into
right relationship with God and with all of creation. It begins
with a humble recognition of being the one Jesus personally
invites to grow more generously into the heart of love.
Kathy Hendricks
Kathy Hendricks is a national religion consultant for William H.
Sadlier and author of several books on prayer, catechetical ministry,
and spirituality. She is a spiritual director and offers talks and
retreats around the country.

256 257
Evening
(opt. hymn, pp. 358–63)
Psalm 13:2-7
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear grief in my soul,
have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy prevail over me?
Look, answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death;
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over you;”
lest my foes rejoice when they see me fall.
As for me, I trust in your faithful love.
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.
Avoice says, “Proclaim!” / I answer, “What shall I pro-
claim?” / “All flesh is grass, / and all their loyalty like
the flower of the field. / The grass withers, the flower wilts,
/ when the breath of the Lord blows upon it.” / “Yes, the
people is grass! / The grass withers, the flower wilts, / but
the word of our God stands forever.”
Antiphon
The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word
and lives by it.
Intercessions
Faithful God, your bountiful love is our saving hope.
With trust in your mercy and care we pray: r. Be with
us, O God.
Lead women in crisis pregnancies to find support, health
care, and financial aid to care for their child before and
after birth. r.
Safeguard young people from the lure and threats of
gangs, human trafficking, and drug cartels. r.
Give joy and friendship, respect and understanding to
athletes, families, and supporters of the Summer
Olympics. r.
Our Father . . .
May God strengthen our inner selves by grace so that we
may live our days in peace, through Jesus our saving help.
Amen.

258 259
Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
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