Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II)
Readings at Mass
Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9 is a passage that vividly portrays God's enduring love and compassion for Israel, using the metaphor of a loving parent caring for a child. This passage emphasizes God's unwavering commitment to His people, despite their recurring unfaithfulness.
Divine Love: God's love for Israel is portrayed as a parent's love for a child, demonstrating His deep, nurturing care from the very beginning of their relationship.
Guidance and Healing: God is depicted as teaching Israel to walk and healing them, symbolizing His continuous support and care, even when Israel fails to recognize it.
Gentle Leadership: Through imagery of leading with kindness and lifting a child to the cheek, God's tender and compassionate nature is highlighted, showing His intimate involvement in His people's lives.
Aroused Compassion: God's heart is moved with compassion, showing His deep emotional connection and reluctance to give up on Israel, preferring mercy over judgment.
Divine Restraint: God chooses not to unleash His anger on Israel, underscoring His holiness and preference for mercy, setting Him apart from human tendencies towards retribution.
Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9 is a powerful testament to God's steadfast love and mercy. It reassures us of His compassionate and forgiving nature, always willing to nurture and redeem His people despite their failings.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your enduring love and mercy. Help us to recognize Your guidance and respond with gratitude and faithfulness. May we always trust in Your unfailing care. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19 highlights Paul's mission to reveal God's plan and his prayer for believers to experience Christ's deep love and spiritual strength.
- Paul's Humility: Paul humbly acknowledges his role in sharing the gospel, emphasizing God's grace.
- Mystery of Christ: God's plan includes all people, breaking down barriers and uniting everyone in Christ.
- Bold Access: Through faith in Christ, believers have confident access to God, fostering an intimate relationship.
- Prayer for Strength: Paul prays for believers to be strengthened through the Spirit for spiritual growth.
- Rooted in Love: Paul emphasizes being rooted in Christ's vast love, foundational for a strong faith.
Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19 reveals God's inclusive plan and Christ's immense love, encouraging believers to grow spiritually and stay grounded in love.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your boundless love and the revelation of Christ. Strengthen us with Your Spirit and root us in Your love. Help us live boldly in faith. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
John 19:31-37 focuses on the events following Jesus' crucifixion, highlighting the fulfillment of Scripture and the confirmation of His death.
- Preparation Day: Jewish leaders request the removal of bodies before the Sabbath, reflecting their adherence to customs.
- Breaking of Legs: Soldiers break the legs of the thieves but find Jesus already dead, fulfilling the prophecy that none of His bones would be broken.
- Piercing Jesus’ Side: A soldier pierces Jesus' side, fulfilling the prophecy, "They will look on the one they have pierced."
- Eyewitness Testimony: The truthfulness of the eyewitness account is emphasized, ensuring the credibility of the events.
- Scripture Fulfillment: These events confirm Jesus as the prophesied Messiah, fulfilling God’s salvific plan.
John 19:31-37 underscores the fulfillment of prophecy and the significance of Jesus' sacrificial death.
Heavenly Father, thank You for fulfilling Your promises through Jesus' sacrifice. Strengthen our faith in Your divine plan. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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Saint Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1301)
Benedictine nun
The divine herald, book III, chapter 34
They will lift heir eyes toward him who they pierced
On a certain Friday, in the evening, Gertrude cast her eyes on crucifix, and, being penetrated with grief, she exclaimed: “Ah, my Creator and my Beloved what cruelties hast Thou not suffered on this day for my salvation! while I, alas have been so occupied that have not devoutly recalled what Thou didst suffer for me each hour, when Thou, who art the Life which vivifies all things, didst will to die for love of me.”
To which our Lord answered from the cross: “I have supplied what you neglect, for have accumulated each hour in My Heart what you ought to have accumulated in your heart; in consequence, it is so inflamed with love, that have ardently desired this hour in which you have addressed this prayer to Me, in union with which will offer to God My Father all that I have done for you during this day, and without which even that could not be so advantageous for your salvation.
As this Saint touched crucifix devoutly, she learned that if any one only looks on the image of the cross of Jesus Christ with holy intention, God regards him with such goodness and mercy, that he receives in his soul, as in spotless mirror, an image which is so agreeable that the whole court of heaven delights therein; and this serves to increase his eternal glory in the life to come, in proportion as he has practised this act of devotion in this life.
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