The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Mass Readings: Pages 83 – 87 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: Melchizedek, referred to here as “a priest of God most High”, brings bread and wine, a prefiguring of the Eucharist. Melchizedek is mentioned in Eucharistic Prayer I and in today’s Responsorial Psalm….
Most Holy Trinity Mass Readings: Pages 81 – 83 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: Wisdom is portrayed as existing before creation and as having assisted at creation. Wisdom here has always been understood by the Church as referring to Christ, the second person of the Trinity. Psalm: the psalmist praises the…
Pentecost Sunday Mass Readings: Pages 294 – 298 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: the famous account of Pentecost in Acts, which strikes terror into the hearts of Mass readers with all the names! Pentecost was one of the most momentous events in the history not just of the Church but of…
Ascension of the Lord Mass Readings: Pages 277 – 280 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: only Luke relates Christ’s Ascension, but he does so twice, first in today’s Gospel and secondly at the beginning of The Acts of the Apostles. Christ’s resurrection appearances could not go on for ever; He had…
Sixth Sunday of Easter Mass Readings: Pages 273 – 276 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: the Council of Jerusalem (the first universal council of the Church) meets to resolve the problems brought by the influx of non Jews. It was decided in the end there should be no difference between…
Fifth Sunday of Easter Mass Readings: Pages 271 – 273 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: St Paul makes it clear that Christian life must be as part of a community. As St Cyprian said, ‘no one can have God for his father unless he has the Church for his mother’….
Fourth Sunday of Easter Mass Readings: Pages 268 – 271 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: Paul and Barnabas suffer persecution at Antioch for preaching the Gospel. Psalm: if Christ is the Good Shepherd, that makes us “the sheep of his flock”. Second Reading: in his vision St John sees the heavenly…
Third Sunday of Easter Mass Readings: Pages 265 – 268 Order of Mass: Pages 6 – 60 First Reading: Peter and the apostles have a clear idea of their function: they are to be witnesses for Christ. And that is our function as the Baptized People of God: to be witnesses for Christ. Psalm: we…
