Sunday - May 22, 2016
When anyone reposes all his confidence in God, God continually exercises a special protection over him, and in this state of things he can be assured that no evil will happen to him.
-- St. Vincent de Paul
TODAY'S READINGS
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
MAY 22, 2016
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Lectionary: 166
Reading 1PRV 8:22-31
Thus says the wisdom of God:
"The LORD possessed me, the beginning of his ways,
the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;
from of old I was poured forth,
at the first, before the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains or springs of water;
before the mountains were settled into place,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
while as yet the earth and fields were not made,
nor the first clods of the world.
"When the Lord established the heavens I was there,
when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;
when he made firm the skies above,
when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth;
when he set for the sea its limit,
so that the waters should not transgress his command;
then was I beside him as his craftsman,
and I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,
playing on the surface of his earth;
and I found delight in the human race."
"The LORD possessed me, the beginning of his ways,
the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;
from of old I was poured forth,
at the first, before the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains or springs of water;
before the mountains were settled into place,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
while as yet the earth and fields were not made,
nor the first clods of the world.
"When the Lord established the heavens I was there,
when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;
when he made firm the skies above,
when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth;
when he set for the sea its limit,
so that the waters should not transgress his command;
then was I beside him as his craftsman,
and I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,
playing on the surface of his earth;
and I found delight in the human race."
Responsorial PsalmPS 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (2a) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place —
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions,
knowing that affliction produces endurance,
and endurance, proven character,
and proven character, hope,
and hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place —
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
Reading 2ROM 5:1-5
Brothers and sisters:Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions,
knowing that affliction produces endurance,
and endurance, proven character,
and proven character, hope,
and hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
AlleluiaCF. RV 1:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
to God who is, who was, and who is to come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
to God who is, who was, and who is to come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples:"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
******************************
What Answers are You Waiting For?!
What don't you know that you hope God will reveal to you? What have you been asking Jesus to tell you that is still unanswered? What teaching of the Church don't you understand or agree with? In this Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus explains that there is more he'd like to tell us but we can't handle it yet.
Why aren't we ready for it? Because we have to first let the Holy Spirit prepare us. We have to let God transform something within us, and until we surrender to that process, the truth is more of a burden than a blessing, which we readily reject.
Everything that Jesus said and did came from the Father through the Holy Spirit. God gave us that same Spirit, that same Wisdom, that same Truth, but the gift is useless unless we submit to the Spirit's purifying activity.
Of the Trinity, it's the Father who forgives sins. It's Jesus who delivers the forgiveness. And it's the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and empowers us to go and sin no more.
In the confessional, the priest is the presence of Jesus and the whole Body of Christ (the Church). Absolution is an action of his Holy Spirit, but it's more than just the removal of guilt; it replaces the sinful vice with the virtue that will help us avoid that vice in the future. The Sacrament of Confession is a direct contact with the Holy Trinity who embraces our repentance and transforms us to increase our holiness.
To receive this grace, we only have to be open to it and interested in cooperating with God. Humility is necessary to be teachable and transformable.
The unanswered questions in our lives become personal revelations when we earnestly seek to do the Father's will in unity with Jesus while growing in holiness through the in-dwelling presence of his Holy Spirit.
Questions for Personal Reflection:Write a list of questions you have for Jesus. What do you have trouble understanding? After making the list, ask the Holy Spirit to become your Teacher. Ask Jesus to help you become teachable.
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:What gift of the Holy Spirit do you find most helpful in guiding you through life's difficulties? How does it help you to figure out and/or do the Father's will?
-- Why aren't we ready for it? Because we have to first let the Holy Spirit prepare us. We have to let God transform something within us, and until we surrender to that process, the truth is more of a burden than a blessing, which we readily reject.
Everything that Jesus said and did came from the Father through the Holy Spirit. God gave us that same Spirit, that same Wisdom, that same Truth, but the gift is useless unless we submit to the Spirit's purifying activity.
Of the Trinity, it's the Father who forgives sins. It's Jesus who delivers the forgiveness. And it's the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and empowers us to go and sin no more.
In the confessional, the priest is the presence of Jesus and the whole Body of Christ (the Church). Absolution is an action of his Holy Spirit, but it's more than just the removal of guilt; it replaces the sinful vice with the virtue that will help us avoid that vice in the future. The Sacrament of Confession is a direct contact with the Holy Trinity who embraces our repentance and transforms us to increase our holiness.
To receive this grace, we only have to be open to it and interested in cooperating with God. Humility is necessary to be teachable and transformable.
The unanswered questions in our lives become personal revelations when we earnestly seek to do the Father's will in unity with Jesus while growing in holiness through the in-dwelling presence of his Holy Spirit.
Questions for Personal Reflection:Write a list of questions you have for Jesus. What do you have trouble understanding? After making the list, ask the Holy Spirit to become your Teacher. Ask Jesus to help you become teachable.
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:What gift of the Holy Spirit do you find most helpful in guiding you through life's difficulties? How does it help you to figure out and/or do the Father's will?
God Bless You.....
KONKANI PRAYER GROUP - Abu Dhabi
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" Mark 16:15
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