12th Sunday of the Year (c)
This Week’s Liturgy Calendar.
Ordinary Season of the Year. (c)
Weekdays – Year 2
Sunday 19th June: 12th Sunday of the Year (c)
The first reading is from the Prophet Zechariah.. He emphasises God’s continuing love for the people of Israel and for the land of Israel. It looks forward to a time when a new spirit will be poured out on the people and they will mourn over someone they have put to death.
The second reading is from the Letter to the Galatians. Paul reminds us very forcefully, that clothed in Christ through Baptism, there should be no differences between us. We all have access to God’s love and grace.
Peter’s confession of faith is always followed by a prediction of the suffering that will come the way of the true disciple. Luke’s account is no different. Peter is the one who acknowledges Christ. Jesus stresses that just as he himself will suffer and die so also will the true disciple.
Monday 20th June: Monday in 12th Week of the Year.
We move to the reign of Hosea in the northern kingdom, Israel. Assyria had destroyed the kingdom and all the leading citizens were sent into exile. This was seen as a warning to the southern kingdom, Judah. Israel had fallen because the people had turned from God. If Judah does not change, the same will happen to the people there.
In the Gospel, Jesus reminds that it important not to judge one another. We need to look at our own lives and make sure we remove whatever is holding us back from fully following Christ in all that we do and say.
Tuesday 21st June: Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga.
He was born in Lombardy to a family with royal connections. He studied in Florence and spent some time in Spain. His father wanted him to become a great soldier but from his earliest years, Aloysius wanted to work for God. He undertook a routine of much prayer, fasting and abstinence and eventually, in 1585, he became a Jesuit novice in Rome. He died in 1891 during a plague in Rome while caring for the other victims. He is the patron of youth.
Wednesday 22nd June: Wednesday in 12th week of the year.
We come to the reign of another king – Josiah. The temple was in the process of being repaired and this inspired him to begin a period of reform, building on what had been started by the previous king, Hezekiah. He reclaimed the worship of the one true God from the worship of the false gods.
The words of Jesus are challenging as always – a good person will produce good fruits. Beware of false prophets whom you will know by their fruits.
Thursday 23rd June: Thursday in 12th week of the year
When Josiah died, the people went back to their old ways. King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonians, besieged Jerusalem. The leaders were sent into exile, the temple was desecrated. Zedekiah was put on the throne as a puppet ruler to Nebuchadnezzar.
We are reminded that those who listen to the words of Jesus and take them seriously and try to put them into practice are those who will persevere, like the house built on a rock.
Friday 24th June: Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.
There are only three birthdays celebrated in the course of the Church’s liturgical year that of Jesus himself, Our Lady and the one we celebrate today – John the Baptist. It highlights how important John the Baptist is seen to be in the life and tradition of the Church. This feast dates from the fourth century and at one time was preceded by a day of fasting. The Preface of the Mass sums up the life and mission of John the Baptist. He was the one, chosen by God, to prepare the way of the Lord.
Saturday 25th June: Saturday in 12th week of the Year.
The story of the Chosen people in the Old Testament is remembered in this reading from the Book of Lamentations. They people move into exile. Everything they loved is taken from them, their homes, their temple, their cities. All they could hold on to was the prophecy that ‘a remnant would return’ as God’s chosen people.
In the Gospel, Jesus cures the centurion’s servant. The centurion’s faith is a model for all of us. Jesus goes on with his healing ministry.
