MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 
“To contemplate is to gift oneself with time to be silent, to pray, to restore harmony, the healthy balance between head, heart and hands, between thought, feeling and action, to the soul.  Contemplation is the antidote to hasty, superficial and inconclusive choices.  Those who contemplate learn to feel the ground that sustains them, to understand that they are not alone and without meaning in the world.  They discover the tenderness of God’s gaze and understand that they are precious. Everyone is important in God’s eyes, everyone can transform a part of the world polluted by human voracity into the good reality willed by the Creator.  Those who know how to contemplate do not remain with their hands in their pockets, but instead find something tangible to do.”
Pope Francis 

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist       
Psalm 19
Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
Their message goes out through all the earth.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 
“Certainly, to love everyone, including enemies, is difficult. I would say it is an art! But an art that can be learned and improved. True love that makes us fruitful and free is always expansive and inclusive. This love cares, heals and does good. Often, a caress does more good than many arguments, a caress of pardon instead of many arguments to defend oneself. It is inclusive love that heals.”
Pope Francis 

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time       
Psalm 145
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2020 
“Let us consider an example — when we see a mistake, a fault, a slip, in that brother or sister, usually the first thing we do is to go and recount it to others, to gossip.  And gossip closes the heart to the community, closes off the unity of the Church.  The great gossiper is the devil, who always goes about saying bad things about others, because he is the liar who seeks to separate the Church to distance brothers and sisters and not create community.  Please, brothers and sisters, let us make an effort not to gossip… May the Virgin Mary help us to make fraternal correction a healthy practice, so that in our communities ever new fraternal relationships, founded on mutual forgiveness and above all on the invincible power of God’s mercy, may be instilled.”
Pope Francis 

Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time       
Psalm 56
I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 
“The Christian response to the pandemic and to the consequent socio-economic crisis is based on love, above all, love of God who always precedes us (cf. 1 Jn 4:19).  He loves us first. He always precedes us in love and in solutions.  He loves us unconditionally and when we welcome this divine love, then we can respond similarly.  I love not only those who love me — my family, my friends, my group — but also those who do not love me, I also love those who do not know me and I also love those who are strangers, and even those who make me suffer or whom I consider enemies (cf. Mt 5:44).  This is Christian wisdom, this is the attitude of Jesus.  And the highest point of holiness, let’s put it that way, is to love one’s enemies, which is not easy.”
Pope Francis 
Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time       

Psalm 17
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies,
O savior of those who flee
from their foes to refuge at your right hand.
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings,
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 
“How many times have we had this experience: someone comes and tells us: ‘But listen, you were mistaken about this. You should change a little in this regard.’  Perhaps in the beginning we get angry, but then we say ‘thank you’, because it is a gesture of brotherhood, of communion, of help, of rehabilitation.  And it is not easy to put this teaching of Jesus into practice, for various reasons.  There is the fear that the brother or sister may react badly; at times you may lack sufficient confidence with him or with her. And other reasons.  But every time we have done this, we have felt it was precisely the way of the Lord.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time       
Psalm 118
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
“The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
O my God, I extol you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 
“The experience of the pandemic has taught us that none of us is saved alone.  We have experienced at first hand the vulnerability of the human condition that is ours and that makes us one family.  We have come to see more clearly that each of our personal choices affects the lives of our neighbours, those next door and those in distant parts of the world.  The turn of events has forced us to recognize that we belong to one another, as brothers and sisters dwelling in a common home.  Having failed to show solidarity in wealth and in the sharing of resources, we have learned to experience solidarity in suffering.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs       
Psalm 33
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 
“In the midst of crises and tempests, the Lord calls to us and invites us to reawaken and activate this solidarity capable of giving solidity, support and meaning to these hours in which everything seems to be wrecked. May the creativity of the Holy Spirit encourage us to generate new forms of familiar hospitality, fruitful fraternity and universal solidarity.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows       
Psalm 100
We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
For he is good, the LORD, 
whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations. 
We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 
“In the midst of crises, a solidarity guided by faith enables us to translate the love of God in our globalized culture, not by building towers or walls — and how many walls are being built today! — that divide, but then collapse, but by interweaving communities and sustaining processes of growth that are truly human and solid.  And to do this, solidarity helps.  I would like to ask a question: do I think of the needs of others?  Everyone, answer in your heart.”
Pope Francis 

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross      
Psalm 78
Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
Do not forget the works of the Lord!
While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.
Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.

Do not forget the works of the Lord!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 
“Let us all rejoice that our loving Creator sustains our humble efforts to care for the earth, which is also God’s home where his Word “became flesh and lived among us” (Jn 1:14) and which is constantly being renewed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”
Pope Francis 

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time      
Psalm 103
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.

The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 
“We are aware that the cries of the earth and of the poor have become even louder and more painful in recent years. At the same time, we also witness how the Holy Spirit is inspiring individuals and communities around the world to come together to rebuild our common home and defend the most vulnerable in our midst. We see the gradual emergence of a great mobilization of people from below and from the peripheries who are generously working for the protection of the land and of the poor. We rejoice to see how young people and communities, particularly indigenous communities, are on the frontlines in responding to the ecological crisis.”
Pope Francis 

Saturday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time     
Psalm 116
To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 
“In his wisdom, God set aside the Sabbath so that the land and its inhabitants could rest and be renewed. These days, however, our way of life is pushing the planet beyond its limits. Our constant demand for growth and an endless cycle of production and consumption are exhausting the natural world. Forests are leached, topsoil erodes, fields fail, deserts advance, seas acidify and storms intensify. Creation is groaning!”
Pope Francis 

Friday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time     
Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines 
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

For a sun and a shield is the LORD God;
grace and glory he bestows;
The LORD withholds no good thing
from those who walk in sincerity 
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 
“The task of “taking up the cross” becomes participating with Christ in the salvation of the world. Considering this, let us make sure that the cross hanging on the wall at home, or that little one that we wear around our neck, is a sign of our wish to be united with Christ in lovingly serving our brothers and sisters, especially the littlest and most fragile. The cross is the holy sign of God’s Love, it is a sign of Jesus’ Sacrifice, and is not to be reduced to a superstitious object or an ornamental necklace. Each time we fix our gaze on the image of Christ crucified, let us contemplate that he, as the true Servant of the Lord, has accomplished his mission, giving life, spilling his blood for the pardoning of sins.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time     
Psalm 139
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 
“For Peter and the other disciples – but for us too! - the cross is a 'hindrance', whereas Jesus considers the 'hindrance' escaping the cross, which would mean avoiding the Father's will, the mission that the Father has entrusted to Him for our salvation.  It happens to us all! In moments of devotion, of fervour, of good will, of closeness to our neighbour, we look to Jesus and we go forward; but in moments in which we approach the cross, we flee. The devil, Satan — as Jesus says to Peter — tempts us. It is typical of the evil spirit, it is typical of the devil to make us stray from the cross, from the cross of Jesus.”
Pope Francis 

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary    
Psalm 13
(Isaiah 61:10)  With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”
With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 
“When the obsession to possess and dominate excludes millions of persons from having primary goods; when economic and technological inequality are such that the social fabric is torn; and when dependence on unlimited material progress threatens our common home, then we cannot stand by and watch. No, this is distressing.  We cannot stand by and watch!  With our gaze fixed on Jesus (cf. Heb 12:2) and with the certainty that His love is operative through the community of His disciples, we must act all together, in the hope of generating something different and better.  Christian hope, rooted in God, is our anchor. It moves the will to share, strengthening our mission as disciples of Christ, who shared everything with us.”
Pope Francis 

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time    
Psalm 95
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
If today you hear his voice, harden not your.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2020 
“Property and money are instruments that can serve mission. However, we easily transform them into ends, whether individual or collective.  And when this happens, essential human values are affected… We forget that, being created in the image and likeness of God, we are social, creative and solidary beings with an immense capacity to love. We often forget this. In fact, from among all the species, we are the beings who are the most cooperative and we flourish in community, as is seen well in the experience of the saints. There is a saying in Spanish that inspired me to write this phrase. It says: “Florecemos en racimo, como los santos”: we flourish in community, as is seen well in the experience of the saints.”
Pope Francis 

Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time    
Psalm 145
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him,
he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD keeps all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him. 

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 
“The pandemic has exposed and aggravated social problems, above all that of inequality.  Some people can work from home, while this is impossible for many others.  Certain children, notwithstanding the difficulties involved, can continue to receive an academic education, while this has been abruptly interrupted for many, many others.  Some powerful nations can issue money to deal with the crisis, while this would mean mortgaging the future for others… In the face of the pandemic and its social consequences, many risk losing hope.  In this time of uncertainty and anguish, I invite everyone to welcome the gift of hope that comes from Christ.  It is He who helps us navigate the tumultuous waters of sickness, death and injustice, which do not have the last word over our final destination.”
Pope Francis 

Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time    
Psalm 37
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
Criminals are destroyed 
and the posterity of the wicked is cut off.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. 

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 
“Charity is always the high road of the journey of faith, of the perfection of faith. But it is necessary that works of solidarity, the works of charity that we carry out, not divert us from contact with the Lord Jesus. Christian charity is not simple philanthropy but, on the one hand, it is looking at others through the very eyes of Jesus and, on the other hand, it is seeing Jesus in the face of the poor. This is the true path of Christian charity, with Jesus at the centre, always. May Mary Most Holy, blessed because she believed, be our guide and model on the path of faith in Christ, and make us aware that trust in him gives full meaning to our charity and to all our existence.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church     
Psalm 24
To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it. 

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 
“If I were to ask you now, ‘For you, who is Jesus?’, there would be a little hesitation… To confess Jesus is a grace of the Father.  To say that Jesus is the Son of the living God, that he is the Redeemer, is a grace that we must ask for: “Father, give me the grace to confess Jesus.””
Pope Francis 

Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time      
Psalm 33
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
From his fixed throne he beholds
all who dwell on the earth,
He who fashioned the heart of each,
he who knows all their works.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 
“We are all worried about the social consequences of the pandemic.  All of us.  Many people want to return to normality and resume economic activities.  Certainly, but this “normality” should not include social injustices and the degradation of the environment.  The pandemic is a crisis, and we do not emerge from a crisis the same as before: either we come out of it better, or we come out of it worse.  We must come out of it better, to counter social injustice and environmental damage.

Today we have an opportunity to build something different… It would be sad if, for the vaccine for Covid-19, priority were to be given to the richest!  It would be sad if this vaccine were to become the property of this nation or another, rather than universal and for all.”
Pope Francis 

Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time      
Psalm 145
The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
The Lord is just in all his ways.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
The Lord is just in all his ways.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

The Lord is just in all his ways.

MONDAY AUGUST 31, 2020 
“Faith, hope and love necessarily push us towards this preference for those most in need, which goes beyond necessary assistance. Indeed it implies walking together, letting ourselves be evangelised by them, who know the suffering Christ well, letting ourselves be “infected” by their experience of salvation, by their wisdom and by their creativity. Sharing with the poor means mutual enrichment. And, if there are unhealthy social structures that prevent them from dreaming of the future, we must work together to heal them, to change them. And we are led to this by the love of Christ, Who loved us to the extreme (see Jn 13:1), and reaches the boundaries, the margins, the existential frontiers.”
Pope Francis 

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time      
Psalm 119
Lord, I love your commands.
How I love your law, O LORD!
It is my meditation all the day.
Lord, I love your commands.
Your command has made me wiser than my enemies,
 for it is ever with me.
Lord, I love your commands.
I have more understanding than all my teachers
when your decrees are my meditation.
Lord, I love your commands.
I have more discernment than the elders,
because I observe your precepts.
Lord, I love your commands.
From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.
Lord, I love your commands.
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.

Lord, I love your commands.  

SUNDAY AUGUST 30, 2020 
“If the virus were to intensify again in a world that is unjust to the poor and vulnerable, then we must change this world... We must act now, to heal the epidemics caused by small, invisible viruses, and to heal those caused by the great and visible social injustices.  I propose that this be done by starting from the love of God, placing the peripheries at the centre and the last in first place.  Do not forget that protocol by which we will be judged, Matthew, chapter 25.  Let us put it into practice in this recovery from the epidemic.  And starting from this tangible love - as the Gospel says, there - anchored in hope and founded in faith, a healthier world will be possible.  Otherwise, we will come out of the crisis worse. May the Lord help us, and give us the strength to come out of it better, responding to the needs of today’s world.”
Pope Francis 

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time      
Psalm 63
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.
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
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.
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
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.
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
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.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2020 
“Christ Himself, Who is God, despoiled Himself, making Himself similar to men; and he chose not a life of privilege, but he chose the condition of a servant (cf. Phil 2:6-7). He annihilated Himself by making Himself a servant. He was born into a humble family and worked as a craftsman… He stood among the sick, the poor, the excluded, showing them God's merciful love. And many times He was judged an impure man because He went to the sick, to lepers…, according to the law of the age. And He took risks to be near to the poor.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist     
Psalm 33
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of  famine.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2020 
“The pandemic has exposed the plight of the poor and the great inequality that reigns in the world. And the virus, while it does not distinguish between people, has found, in its devastating path, great inequalities and discrimination. And it has exacerbated them!  The response to the pandemic is therefore dual. On the one hand, it is essential to find a cure for this small but terrible virus, which has brought the whole world to its knees. On the other, we must also cure a larger virus, that of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalisation, and the lack of protection for the weakest… And this is not a political option; nor is it an ideological option, a party option… no. The preferential option for the poor is at the centre of the Gospel.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church     
Psalm 33
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

THURSDAY AUGUST 27, 2020 
“It is necessary to understand Jesus, to be familiar with Jesus. I always go back to the advice that I give you: always carry a small pocket-size Gospel and read a passage every day. There you will find Jesus as He is, as He presents Himself; you will find Jesus who loves us, who loves us a lot, who tremendously wants our well-being… Carry the Gospel: in your purse, in your pocket and even on your mobile phone, to look at… May the Virgin Mary intercede with her prayer so that the joy of faith might grow in every baptized person as well as the desire to communicate it through a consistent witness of life…”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Monica     
Psalm 145
I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26, 2020 
““Have mercy on me, Lord!” (Mt 15:22). It is the cry that is born out of a life marked by suffering… What type of faith is great? Great faith is that which brings its own story, marked even by wounds, and brings it to the Lord’s feet asking Him to heal them, to give them meaning.  Each one of us has our own story and it is not always a story “of export”, it is not always a clean story… Many times it is a difficult story, with a lot of pain, many misfortunes and many sins. What do I do with my story? Do I hide it? No! We must bring it before the Lord. “Lord, if You will it, you can heal me!””

Pope Francis 
Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time    
Psalm 128
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

TUESDAY AUGUST 25, 2020 
“We might ask ourselves - do we remember to praise God?  Do we thank Him for the great things He does for us?  For every day that He gives us, because He always loves us and forgives us, for His tenderness?  In addition, for having given us His Mother, for the brothers and sisters He puts on our path, and because He opened Heaven to us?  Do we thank God, praise God for these things?  If we forget the good, our hearts shrink… If at least once a day we were to “magnify” Him, then we would take a great step forward. One time during the day to say: “I praise the Lord”, to say, “Blessed be the Lord”, which is a short prayer of praise. This is praising God. With this short prayer, our hearts will expand, joy will increase.”
Pope Francis 

Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time    
Psalm 96
The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The Lord is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the Lord, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
The Lord comes to judge the earth.

MONDAY AUGUST 24, 2020 
“Mary “aggrandises the Lord”: not problems, which she did not lack at the time, but the Lord. How often, instead, we let ourselves be overwhelmed by difficulties and absorbed by fears! Our Lady does not, because she puts God as the first greatness of life. From here the Magnificat springs forth, from here joy is born: not from the absence of problems, which come sooner or later, but joy is born from the presence of God who helps us, who is near us. Because God is great. And, above all, God looks on the lowly ones. We are His weakness of love: God looks on and love the lowly.”
Pope Francis 

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle   
Psalm 145
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

SUNDAY AUGUST 23, 2020 
“When man set foot on the moon, he said a phrase that became famous: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.  In essence, humanity had reached a historical goal... Going to the moon serves us little if we do not live as brothers and sisters on Earth.  But that one of us dwells in the flesh in Heaven gives us hope: we understand that we are precious, destined to rise again.  God does not allow our bodies to vanish into nothing.  With God, nothing is lost! In Mary, the goal has been reached and we have before our eyes the reasons why we journey: not to gain the things here below, which vanish, but to achieve the homeland above, which is forever.  And Our Lady is the star that guides us.  She went there first. She, as the Council teaches, shines “as a sign of sure hope and solace to the People of God during its sojourn on earth” (Lumen gentium, 68).”
Pope Francis 

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time  
Psalm 138
Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2020 
“The human being, indeed, in his or her personal dignity, is a social being, created in the image of God, One and Triune. We are social beings; we need to live in this social harmony, but when there is selfishness, our outlook does not reach others, the community, but focuses on ourselves, and this makes us ugly, nasty and selfish, destroying harmony”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
Psalm 85
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.

FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2020 
“The pandemic has highlighted how vulnerable and interconnected everyone is. If we do not take care of one another, starting with the least, with those who are most impacted, including creation, we cannot heal the world.  Commendable is the effort of so many people who have been offering evidence of human and Christian love for neighbour, dedicating themselves to the sick even at the risk of their own health. They are heroes!”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope 
Psalm 107
Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say,
those whom he has redeemed from the hand of the foe
And gathered from the lands,
from the east and the west, from the north and the south.
Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
They went astray in the desert wilderness;
the way to an inhabited city they did not find.
Hungry and thirsty,
their life was wasting away within them.
Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
They cried to the LORD in their distress;
from their straits he rescued them.
And he led them by a direct way
to reach an inhabited city.
Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercy
and his wondrous deeds to the children of men,
Because he satisfied the longing soul
and filled the hungry soul with good things.
Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.

THURSDAY AUGUST 20, 2020 
“Let us ask the Lord to give us eyes attentive to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are suffering.  As Jesus’s disciples we do not want to be indifferent or individualistic.  These are the two unpleasant attitudes that run counter to harmony.  Indifferent: I look the other way. Individualist: looking out only for one’s own interest.  The harmony created by God asks that we look at others, the needs of others, the problems of others, in communion.  We want to recognize the human dignity in every person, whatever his or her race, language or condition might be.  Harmony leads you to recognize human dignity, that harmony created by God, with humanity at the center.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church 
Psalm 51
I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19, 2020 
“While we all work for a cure for a virus that strikes everyone without distinction, faith exhorts us to commit ourselves seriously and actively to combat indifference in the face of violations of human dignity. This culture of indifference that accompanies the throwaway culture: things that do not affect me, do not interest me. Faith always requires that we let ourselves be healed and converted from our individualism, whether personal or collective… May the Lord “restore our sight” so as to rediscover what it means to be members of the human family. And may this sight be translated into concrete actions of compassion and respect for every person and of care and safeguarding of our common home.”
Pope Francis 

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time 
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

TUESDAY AUGUST 18, 2020   
“In dark moments, in sad moments He is well aware that our faith is weak –all of us are people of little faith, all of us, myself included, everyone – and that if our faith is weak our journey can be troubled, hindered by adverse forces. But He is the Risen One! Let’s not forget this: He is the Lord who passed through death in order to lead us to safety. Even before we begin to seek Him, He is present beside us lifting us back up after our falls, He helps us grow in faith. Maybe in the dark, we cry out: “Lord, Lord!” thinking He is far away. And He says, “I am here.” Ah, He was with me! That is the Lord.”
Pope Francis 

Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time 
Deuteronomy 32
It is I who deal death and give life.
“I would have said, ‘I will make an end of them
and blot out their name from men’s memories,’
Had I not feared the insolence of their enemies,
feared that these foes would mistakenly boast.”
It is I who deal death and give life.
“‘Our own hand won the victory;
the LORD had nothing to do with it.’”
For they are a people devoid of reason,
having no understanding.
It is I who deal death and give life.
“How could one man rout a thousand,
or two men put ten thousand to flight,
Unless it was because their Rock sold them
and the LORD delivered them up?”
It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
It is I who deal death and give life.

MONDAY AUGUST 17, 2020 
“May the intercession of Mary help us to persevere in faith and fraternal love when the darkness and storms of life place our trust in God in crisis.”
Pope Francis 

Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time 
Deuteronomy 32
You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you.
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.
You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
“I will hide my face from them,” he said,
“and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!”
You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
“Since they have provoked me with their ‘no-god’
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a ‘no-people’;
with a foolish nation I will anger them.”
You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020 
“The Church, which in every age encounters headwinds, very harsh trials at times: we recall certain long and ferocious persecutions of the last century and even today in certain places. In situations like that, she may be tempted to think that God has abandoned her. But in reality it is precisely in those moments that the witness of faith, the witness of love, the witness of hope shines the most. It is the presence of the Risen Christ in His Church that gives the grace of witness unto martyrdom, from which buds new Christians and fruit of reconciliation and peace for the entire world.”
Pope Francis 

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time   
Psalm 67
  O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
O God, let all the nations praise you! 

SATURDAY AUGUST 15, 2020 
“The coronavirus is not the only disease to be fought, but rather, the pandemic has shed light on broader social ills. One of these is a distorted view of the person, a perspective that ignores the dignity and relational character of the person.”
Pope Francis 

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary  
Psalm 132
  Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter his dwelling,
let us worship at his footstool.
Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.
Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”
Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness. 

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2020 
“Jesus is the Father’s hand who never abandons us, the strong and faithful hand of the Father, who always and only wants what is good for us. God is not in the loud sound, God is not the hurricane, He is not in the fire, He is not in the earthquake – … God is the light breeze – literally it says this: He is in the “ thread of melodious silence” – that never imposes itself, but asks to be heard (see 1 Kgs 19:11-13). Having faith means keeping your heart turned to God, to His love, to His Fatherly tenderness, amid the storm.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr   
Isaiah 12
Do not forget the works of the Lord!
They tempted and rebelled against God the Most High,
and kept not his decrees.
They turned back and were faithless like their fathers;
they recoiled like a treacherous bow.
Do not forget the works of the Lord!
They angered him with their high places
and with their idols roused his jealousy.
God heard and was enraged
and utterly rejected Israel.
Do not forget the works of the Lord!
And he surrendered his strength into captivity,
his glory in the hands of the foe.
He abandoned his people to the sword
and was enraged against his inheritance.

Do not forget the works of the Lord!

THURSDAY AUGUST 13, 2020 
“When we have strong feelings of doubt and fear and we seem to be sinking, in life’s difficult moments where everything becomes dark, we must not be ashamed to cry out like Peter: “Lord, save me” (Mt 14:30). To knock on God’s heart, on Jesus’s heart. “Lord, save me.” It is a beautiful prayer! We can repeat it many times. “Lord, save me.””
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time  
Psalm 78
Do not forget the works of the Lord!

They tempted and rebelled against God the Most High,
and kept not his decrees.
They turned back and were faithless like their fathers;
they recoiled like a treacherous bow.

Do not forget the works of the Lord!

They angered him with their high places
and with their idols roused his jealousy.
God heard and was enraged
and utterly rejected Israel.

Do not forget the works of the Lord!

And he surrendered his strength into captivity,
his glory in the hands of the foe.
He abandoned his people to the sword
and was enraged against his inheritance.

Do not forget the works of the Lord!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12, 2020 
“I hope that during this time many will be able to have a few days of rest and contact with nature, in which the spiritual dimension may also be recharged. At the same time I hope that, with the converging commitment of all political and economic leaders, work might resume: families and society cannot continue without work. Let us pray for this.”
Pope Francis 

Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time  
Psalm 113
The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

TUESDAY AUGUST 11, 2020 
“How important it is to always put God’s forgiveness, which ‘generates heaven’ in us and around us, back at the centre, this pardon that comes from God’s heart who is merciful!”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin  
Psalm 119
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth,
in my yearning for your commands.
How sweet to my taste is your promise!

MONDAY AUGUST 10, 2020 
“I would like to invite the young to perform a gesture of tenderness towards the elderly especially the loneliest, in their homes and residences, those who have not seen their loves ones for many months.  Dear young people each one of these elderly people is your grandparent!  Do not leave them by themselves.  Use the inventiveness of love, make telephone calls, video calls, send messages, listen to them and, where possible in compliance with the healthcare rules, go to visit them too.  Send them a hug.  They are your roots.  An uprooted tree cannot grow.  It does not blossom or bear fruit.  This is why the bond and connection with your roots is very important.  “The blossom of a tree comes from what it has underground,” says a poet from my homeland.”
Pope Francis 

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr 
Psalm 112
Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Lavishly he gives to the poor, 
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

SUNDAY AUGUST 9, 2020 
“It is noteworthy how close the link is between the Eucharistic bread, nourishment for eternal life, and daily bread, necessary for earthly life. Before offering Himself to the Father as the Bread of salvation, Jesus ensures there is food for those who follow Him and who, in order to be with Him, forgot to make provisions. At times the spiritual and the material are in opposition, but in reality spiritualism, like materialism, is alien to the Bible. It is not biblical language.”
Pope Francis 

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 
Psalm 85
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

SATURDAY AUGUST 8, 2020 
“May Mary Most Holy help us to walk the path that the Lord shows us…It is the journey of fraternity, which is essential in order to face the poverty and suffering of this world, especially in this tragic moment, and which projects us beyond the world itself, because it is a journey that begins with God and returns to God.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Dominic, priest 
Psalm 96
Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!

Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.

Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

FRIDAY AUGUST 7, 2020 
“Let us pray for the victims of the explosions in Beirut and for their families; and let us pray for Lebanon so that, through the dedication of all its social, political and religious elements, it might face this extremely tragic and painful moment.”
Pope Francis 

Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Deuteronomy 32
It is I who deal death and give life.

Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.

It is I who deal death and give life.

“Learn then that I, I alone, am God,
and there is no god besides me.
It is I who bring both death and life,
I who inflict wounds and heal them.”

 It is I who deal death and give life.

I will sharpen my flashing sword,
and my hand shall lay hold of my quiver,
“With vengeance I will repay my foes
and requite those who hate me.”

It is I who deal death and give life.

THURSDAY AUGUST 6, 2020 
“The life of sailors or fishermen and their families is very difficult.  Sometimes they are victims of forced labor or are left behind in distant ports.  The competition of industrial fishing and the problem of pollution make their work even more complicated.  Without the people of the sea, many parts of the world would starve.  Let us pray for all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen and their families.”
Pope Francis

 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Psalm 97
The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5, 2020 
““Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24). Do! The Eucharist is not simply an act of remembrance; it is a fact: the Lord’s Passover is made present once again for us. In Mass the death and resurrection of Jesus are set before us. Do this in remembrance of me: come together and celebrate the Eucharist as a community, as a people, as a family, in order to remember me. We cannot do without the Eucharist, for it is God’s memorial. And it heals our wounded memory. The Eucharist first heals our orphaned memory. We are living at a time of great orphanage The Eucharist heals orphaned memory.”
Pope Francis 

Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 31
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.

The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

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 Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

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.

The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock. 

TUESDAY AUGUST 4, 2020
 “Jesus was well aware of what He was about to do, but He wanted to change their attitude: not to say, “send them away,” “let them fend for themselves”, “let them find something to eat”, but rather, “what does Providence offer us to share?”  These are two opposite ways of behaving. And Jesus wants to bring them to the second way of behaving because the first proposal is that of the practical person, but is not generous: “send them away so they can go and find, let them fend for themselves.” Jesus thinks another way.  Jesus wants to use this situation to educate His friends, both then and now, about God’s logic.  And what is God’s logic that we see here?  The logic of taking responsibility for others.  The logic of not washing one’s hands, the logic of not looking the other way.  No The logic of taking responsibility for others.  That “let them fend for themselves” should not enter into the Christian vocabulary.”
Pope Francis 

MONDAY AUGUST 3, 2020 

“May the Blessed Virgin help us to search every day for the treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that the love God has given us through Jesus may be manifested in our words and gestures.”

Pope Francis

 Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 145
Lord, teach me your statutes.

Remove from me the way of falsehood,
     and favor me with your law.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
     for in your ordinances is my hope.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Let those turn to me who fear you
     and acknowledge your decrees.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,
     that I be not put to shame.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Sinners wait to destroy me,
but I pay heed to your decrees.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.

Lord, teach me your statutes.  

SUNDAY AUGUST 2, 2020 

“The Kingdom of Heaven is the opposite of the superfluous things that the world offers, the opposite of a dull life: it is a treasure that renews life every day and leads it to extend towards wider horizons.  Indeed, those who have found this treasure have a creative and inquisitive heart, which does not repeat but rather invents, tracing and setting out on new paths which lead us to love God, to love others, and to truly love ourselves  The sign of those who walk this path of the Kingdom is creativity, always trying to do more. And creativity is what takes life and gives life, and gives, and gives, and gives… It always looks for many other ways to give life.   

Jesus, Who is the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value, cannot but inspire joy, all the joy of the world: the joy of discovering a meaning in life, the joy of committing oneself to the adventure of holiness.”

Pope Francis 

Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time
Psalm 145
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,    
    slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
    and compassionate toward all his works.

The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
    and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
    and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

The LORD is just in all his ways
    and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
    to all who call upon him in truth.

The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

SATURDAY AUGUST 1, 2020 

“Faith begins when we realise we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we founder: we need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars. Let us invite Jesus into the boats of our lives. Let us hand over our fears to him so that he can conquer them.  Like the disciples, we will experience that with him on board there will be no shipwreck.  Because this is God’s strength: turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things.  He brings serenity into our storms, because with God life never dies.”

Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Psalm 69
Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink!
may I be rescued from my foes,
and from the watery depths.
Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me,
nor the abyss swallow me up,
nor the pit close its mouth over me.

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

FRIDAY JULY 31, 2020 

“Finding the courage to create spaces where everyone can recognize that they are called, and to allow new forms of hospitality, fraternity and solidarity. By his cross we have been saved in order to embrace hope and let it strengthen and sustain all measures and all possible avenues for helping us protect ourselves and others. Embracing the Lord in order to embrace hope: that is the strength of faith, which frees us from fear and gives us hope.”

Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Psalm 69
Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

THURSDAY JULY 30, 2020 

“In our times, as we are all aware, some people’s lives can end up mediocre and dull because they probably do not go in search of real treasure: they are content with attractive but fleeting things, whose bright lights prove illusory as they give way to darkness. Instead the light of the Kingdom is not like fireworks, it is light: fireworks last only an instant, whereas the light of the Kingdom accompanies all our life.”

Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 146
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

Put not your trust in princes,
in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.
When his spirit departs he returns to his earth;
on that day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God.
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2020 

“It is a matter of abandoning the heavy burden of our worldly sureties that prevent us from searching and building up the Kingdom: the covetousness for possession, the thirst for profit and power, and thinking only of ourselves.”

Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Martha
Psalm 59
God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.

God is my refuge on the day of distress.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.

God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.

God is my refuge on the day of distress.

But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.

God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!

God is my refuge on the day of distress.

TUESDAY JULY 28, 2020 
“Those who fully pledge themselves to the Kingdom are those who are willing to stake everything, who are courageous… The building of the Kingdom requires not only the grace of God, but also the active willingness of humanity. Everything is done by grace, everything! We need only have the willingness to receive it, not to resist grace: grace does everything but it takes “my” responsibility, “my” willingness … and who is responsible for this?”
Pope Francis 

Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 79
For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

MONDAY JULY 27, 2020 
“On the Day of Judgment we will not be judged for our ideas, but for the compassion we have shown to others.”
Pope Francis 
 

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
DEUTERONOMY 32
You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you,
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.

You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

“I will hide my face from them,” he said,
“and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!”

You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

“Since they have provoked me with their ‘no-god’
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a ‘no-people’;
with a foolish nation I will anger them.”

You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

SUNDAY JULY 26, 2020 
“The family ought to be protected. It faces many dangers: the fast pace of life, stress. Sometimes, parents forget to play with their children.  The Church needs to encourage families and stay at their side, helping them to discover ways that allow them to overcome all of these difficulties.  Let us pray that today families may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance. And especially, that they may be protected by the State.”
Pope Francis 

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 119
Lord, I love your commands.

I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Lord, I love your commands.

Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.

Lord, I love your commands.

For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.

Lord, I love your commands.

Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.

Lord, I love your commands.

SATURDAY JULY 25, 2020 
“We need to renew a lively awareness of God’s passion for humanity and its world.  Human beings were made by God “in his image” – “male and female” (Gen 1:27) – as spiritual and sentient, conscious and free.  The relationship between man and woman is the primary place where all creation speaks with God and bears witness to his love.  This world is the place where we are brought to life; it is the place and time in which we gain a foretaste of the heavenly home that is our destiny (cf. 2 Cor 5:1) and where we will live fully our communion with God and with all others.  The human family is a community with a common origin and a common goal, whose attainment “is hidden, with Christ, in God” (Col 3:1-4)… Our commitment to valuing, supporting and defending the life of every human being is ultimately motivated by God’s unconditional love.”
Pope Francis 

Feast of Saint James, Apostle
Psalm 126
Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

FRIDAY JULY 24, 2020 
“Christ redeemed the whole person, and he wishes to restore in each of us the capacity to enter into relationship with others. The Gospel proposes the divine charity welling up in the heart of Christ and generating a pursuit of justice that is at once a hymn of fraternity and of solidarity, an impetus to the culture of encounter.”
Pope Francis 

Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
JEREMIAH 31
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.

The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

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.

The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

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.

The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

THURSDAY JULY 23, 2020 
“The Lord invites us to adopt His own vision, one that is focused on good wheat, that knows how to protect it even amidst the weeds. Those who are always hunting for the limitations and defects of others do not collaborate well with God, but, rather, those who know how to recognise the good that silently grows in the field of the Church and history, cultivating it until it becomes mature. And then, it will be God, and He alone, who will reward the good and punish the wicked. May the Virgin Mary help us to understand and imitate God’s patience, who wants none of His children to be lost, whom He loves with the love of a Father.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 36
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.

With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

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.

With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

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.

With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

WEDNESDAY JULY 22, 2020 
“Certainly, evil must be rejected, but those who do evil are people with whom it is necessary to be patient.  This does not mean that type of hypocritical tolerance that hides ambiguity; but rather, justice tempered by mercy.  If Jesus came to seek sinners more than the righteous, to cure the sick first before the healthy (cf Mt 9:12-13), so must the actions of His disciples be focused not on suppressing the wicked, but on saving them.  Patience lies here.”
Pope Francis 
 

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Psalm 63
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.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

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.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

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.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

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.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

TUESDAY JULY 21, 2020 
“Alongside God – the master of the field – who only and always sows good seed, there is an adversary, who sows weeds to impede the wheat’s growth. The master acts in the open, in broad daylight, and his goal is a good harvest.  Instead, the other, the adversary, takes advantage of the darkness of night and works out of envy and hostility to ruin everything. The adversary has a name… God’s quintessential opponent.  The devil’s intention is to hinder the work of salvation, to stonewall the Kingdom of God through wicked workers, sowers of scandal. In fact, the good seed and the weeds do not represent good and bad in the abstract, no; but we human beings, who can follow God or the devil. Many times we have heard that a peaceful family begins to be at war, or envious... a neighbourhood that was peaceful, then nasty things begin to happen... And we are used to saying: “Eh, someone went and sowed weeds there,” or “that person in the family sowed weeds by gossiping.”  Destruction always happens by sowing evil. It is always the devil who does this or our own temptations: when we fall into the temptation to gossip to destroy others.”
Pope Francis 

Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 50
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.

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“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.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“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.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

MONDAY JULY 20, 2020 
“Dear brothers and sisters, what can we do in comparison with God, who served us even to the point of being betrayed and abandoned?  We can refuse to betray him for whom we were created, and not abandon what really matters in our lives.  We were put in this world to love him and our neighbours.  Everything else passes away, only this remains.”
Pope Francis 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 50
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.

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“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.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“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.”
 
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

SUNDAY JULY 19, 2020 
“The Lord served us to the point of experiencing the most painful situations of those who love: betrayal and abandonment.  Jesus suffered betrayal by the disciple who sold him and by the disciple who denied him… We can think of all the small or great betrayals that we have suffered in life.  It is terrible to discover that a firmly placed trust has been betrayed.  From deep within our heart a disappointment surges up that can even make life seem meaningless.  This happens because we were born to be loved and to love, and the most painful thing is to be betrayed by someone who promised to be loyal and close to us.  We cannot even imagine how painful it was for God who is love… Jesus had suffered the abandonment of his own, who had fled. But the Father remained for him… Why did all this take place?

Once again, it was done for our sake, to serve us. S o that when we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God himself is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone.  Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation he had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything.”
Pope Francis 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 86
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.

Lord, you are good and forgiving.

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.

Lord, you are good and forgiving.

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.

Lord, you are good and forgiving.

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2020 
“Dear friends, look at the real heroes who come to light in these days: they are not famous, rich and successful people; rather, they are those who are giving themselves in order to serve others.  Feel called yourselves to put your lives on the line.  Do not be afraid to devote your life to God and to others; it pays!  For life is a gift we receive only when we give ourselves away, and our deepest joy comes from saying yes to love, without ifs and buts.  To truly say yes to love, without ifs and buts.  As Jesus did for us.”
Pope Francis 

Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 10
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.

Do not forget the poor, O Lord!

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.

Do not forget the poor, O Lord!

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.

Do not forget the poor, O Lord!

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.

Do not forget the poor, O Lord!

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2020 
“Jesus “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7)… God saved us by serving us. We often think we are the ones who serve God. No, he is the one who freely chose to serve us, for he loved us first. It is difficult to love and not be loved in return. And it is even more difficult to serve if we do not let ourselves be served by God. But – just one question – how did the Lord serve us? By giving his life for us. We are dear to him; we cost him dearly… This astonishes us: God saved us by taking upon himself all the punishment of our sins. Without complaining, but with the humility, patience and obedience of a servant, and purely out of love. And the Father upheld Jesus in his service. He did not take away the evil that crushed him, but rather strengthened him in his suffering so that our evil could be overcome by good, by a love that loves to the very end.”
Pope Francis 

Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
ISAIAH 38
You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.

Once I said,
“In the noontime of life I must depart!
To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned
for the rest of my years.”

You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.

I said, “I shall see the LORD no more
in the land of the living.
No longer shall I behold my fellow men
among those who dwell in the world.”

You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.

My dwelling, like a shepherd’s tent,
is struck down and borne away from me;
You have folded up my life, like a weaver
who severs the last thread.

You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.

Those live whom the LORD protects;
yours is the life of my spirit.
You have given me health and life.

You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.

THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020 
“Often one is distracted by too many interests, by too many enticements, and it is difficult to distinguish, among the many voices and many words, that of the Lord, the only one that makes us free. This is why it is important to accustom oneself to listening to the Word of God, to reading it. And I return once more to that advice: always keep with you a handy copy of the Gospel, a pocket edition of the Gospel, in your pocket, in your purse… and so, every day, read a short passage, so that you become used to reading the Word of God, understanding well the seed that God offers you, and thinking about the earth that receives it.”
Pope Francis 
 

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 102
From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

You, O LORD, abide forever,
and your name through all generations.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion,
for it is time to pity her.
For her stones are dear to your servants,
and her dust moves them to pity.

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
 

The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 
“The Parable of the Sower is somewhat the 'mother' of all parables, because it speaks about listening to the Word. It reminds us that the Word of God is a seed which in itself is fruitful and effective; and God scatters it everywhere, paying no mind to waste. Such is the heart of God! Each one of us is ground on which the seed of the Word falls; no one is excluded! The Word is given to each one of us. We can ask ourselves: what type of terrain am I? Do I resemble the path, the rocky ground, the bramble bush? But, if we want, we can become good soil, ploughed and carefully cultivated, to help ripen the seed of the Word. It is already present in our heart, but making it fruitful depends on us; it depends on the embrace that we reserve for this seed.”
Pope Francis 
 
  

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Psalm 94
The Lord will not abandon his people.

Your people, O LORD, they trample down,
your inheritance they afflict.
Widow and stranger they slay,
the fatherless they murder.

The Lord will not abandon his people.

And they say, “The LORD sees not;
the God of Jacob perceives not.”
Understand, you senseless ones among the people;
and, you fools, when will you be wise?

The Lord will not abandon his people.

Shall he who shaped the ear not hear?
or he who formed the eye not see?
Shall he who instructs nations not chastise,
he who teaches men knowledge?

The Lord will not abandon his people.

For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.

The Lord will not abandon his people.

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 
“There are many ways to receive the Word of God.  We may do so like a path, where birds immediately come and eat the seeds.  This would be distraction, a great danger of our time.  Beset by lots of small talk, by many ideologies, by continuous opportunities to be distracted inside and outside the home… We may receive the Word of God like rocky ground, with little soil.

There the seeds spring up quickly, but they soon wither away, because they are unable to sink roots to any depth.  This is the image of those who receive the Word of God with momentary enthusiasm… We may receive the Word of God like ground where thorny bushes grow. And the thorns are the deceit of wealth, of success, of worldly concerns... Lastly - the fourth possibility - we may receive it like good soil.  Here, and only here the seed takes root and bears fruit. T he seed fallen upon this fertile soil represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, safeguard it in their heart and put it into practice in everyday life.”
Pope Francis 
 

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin
Psalm 48
God upholds his city for ever

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.

God upholds his city for ever

Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.

God upholds his city for ever

For lo! the kings assemble,
they come on together;
They also see, and at once are stunned,
terrified, routed.

God upholds his city for ever

Quaking seizes them there;
anguish, like a woman’s in labor,
As though a wind from the east
were shattering ships of Tarshish.

God upholds his city for ever

MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020
 
“Faith is either missionary or it is no faith at all. Faith takes us out of ourselves and toward others. Faith must be transmitted, not to convince but to offer a treasure. Let us ask the Lord to help us live our faith with open doors: a transparent faith.”
 Pope Francis

 
Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 50
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“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.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you 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.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 
“Jesus raises a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father because he revealed the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor and to the simple; Jesus praises the Father because he has kept the secrets of his Kingdom, of his truth, hidden “from the wise and understanding” (Mt 11:25)… He calls them so with a veil of irony because they presume to be wise, understanding, and therefore, very often, have a closed heart. True wisdom also comes from the heart. It is not only a matter of understanding ideas: true wisdom also enters the heart. And if you know many things but have a closed heart, you are not wise. Jesus tells them that his Father’s mysteries are revealed to the “little ones”, to those who confidently open themselves to his Word of salvation, who open their heart to the Word of salvation, who feel the need for him and await everything from him. The heart that is open and trustful towards the Lord.”
Pope Francis 

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 65
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2020 
“The culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of other people, makes us live in soap bubbles which, however lovely, are insubstantial; they offer a fleeting and empty illusion which results in indifference to others; indeed, it even leads to the globalization of indifference. In this globalized world, we have fallen into globalized indifference. We have become used to the suffering of others: it doesn’t affect me; it doesn’t concern me; it’s none of my business…! 

May the Virgin Mary, Solacium migrantium, “Solace of Migrants,” help us discover the face of her Son in all our brothers and sisters forced to flee their homeland because of the many injustices that continue to afflict our world.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot
Psalm 93
The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2020 
“To seek the face of God is an assurance that our journey through this world will end well. It is an exodus towards the Promised Land, our heavenly home. The face of God is our destination and the guiding star that helps us not to lose our way… This quest is fundamental for the life of every believer, for we have come to realize that our ultimate goal in life is the encounter with God.”
Pope Francis 

Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 51
My mouth will declare your praise.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

My mouth will declare your praise.

Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart,
and in my inmost being you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

My mouth will declare your praise.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

My mouth will declare your praise.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

My mouth will declare your praise.

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020 
“A true communicator dedicates himself or herself completely to the welfare of the others, at every level, from the life of each individual to the life of the entire human family. We cannot truly communicate unless we become personally involved, unless we can personally attest to the truth of the message we convey. All communication has its ultimate source in the life of the triune God, who shares with us the richness of his divine life and calls us in turn to communicate that treasure to others by our unity in the service of his truth… Only the gaze of the Spirit allows us not to close our eyes to those who suffer and to seek the true good of all. Only with that gaze can we effectively work to overcome the diseases of racism, injustice and indifference that disfigure the face of our common family.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 80
Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken.
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power.

Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see:
Take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted,
the son of man whom you yourself made strong

Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2020 
“Jesus says that if we go to Him, we will find refreshment. The “refreshment" that Christ offers to the weary and oppressed is not merely psychological solace or a lavish handout, but the joy of the poor who are evangelised and are builders of the new humanity: this is solace. Joy… It is a message for all of us, for all people of good will, which Jesus still conveys today in the world that exalts those who become rich and powerful … But how many times do we say, “Ah, I would like to be like him, like her, who are rich, have a lot of power, lack nothing…” The world exalts those who are rich and powerful, no matter by what means, and at times tramples upon the human being and his or her dignity… And it is a message for the Church, called to live works of mercy and to evangelise the poor, to be meek and humble. This is how the Lord wants His Church, that is, us, to be. 

May Mary, the humblest and highest of creatures, implore from God wisdom of the heart for us - the wisdom of the heart - that we may discern its signs in our lives and be sharers in those mysteries which, hidden from the proud, are revealed to the humble.”
Pope Francis 
 

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 105
Seek always the face of the Lord.

Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!

Seek always the face of the Lord.

Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.

Seek always the face of the Lord.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

Seek always the face of the Lord.

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020 
“Indeed, the experience of these past months has shown how essential is the mission of the communications media for bringing people together, shortening distances, providing necessary information, and opening minds and hearts to truth…Today, as much as ever, our communities count on newspapers, radio, TV and social media to share, to communicate, to inform and to unite…We need media capable of building bridges, defending life and breaking down the walls, visible and invisible, that prevent sincere dialogue and truthful communication between individuals and communities. We need media that can help people, especially the young, to distinguish good from evil, to develop sound judgments based on a clear and unbiased presentation of the facts, and to understand the importance of working for justice, social concord and respect for our common home… I ask you, then, to be united and a sign of unity among yourselves. Media can be large or small, but in the Church these are not the categories that count. In the Church we have all been baptized in the one Spirit and made members of the one body (cf. 1 Cor 12:13).”
Pope Francis 
 

Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 115
The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.

Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.

The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.

They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not.

The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.

They have hands but feel not;
they have feet but walk not.
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone that trusts in them.

The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 
“God wishes to make us grow in giving: only in this way can we become great. We grow if we give ourselves to others… Here is what to ask of God: not only the grace of the moment, but the grace of life…What, then, is the secret of a blessed life; what is the secret of a happy life?  Recognizing Jesus, but Jesus as the living God, not as a statue.  Because it is not important to know that Jesus was great in history; it is not so important to appreciate what he said or did; what matters is the place I give him in my life, the place I give to Jesus in my heart.”
Pope Francis 

Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 145
The Lord is gracious and merciful.

Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.

The Lord is gracious and merciful.

Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.

The Lord is gracious and merciful.

They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.

The Lord is gracious and merciful.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

The Lord is gracious and merciful.

SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2020 
“God’s generous gratitude takes into account even the smallest gesture of love and service given to our brothers and sisters.  Again in these days, I heard from a priest who was moved because in his parish a child came up to him and said, "Father, these are my savings; not very much. They are for the poor, for those who are in need because of the pandemic”.  A little thing, but a great thing.  It is a contagious gratitude that helps every one of us to be grateful toward those who take care of our needs. When someone offers us some service, we should not think that we deserve everything. 

No. Many services are carried out freely…Volunteers and how many of them have lost their lives in this pandemic. They do it out of love, simply to serve. Gratitude, appreciation is, first of all, good manners, but it is also characteristic of a Christian. It is a simple but genuine sign of the kingdom of God which is the kingdom of gratuitous and grateful love.  May Mary Most Holy, who loved Jesus more than life itself and who followed Him even to the cross, help us to always put ourselves before God with willing hearts, allowing His Word to judge our behaviour and our choices.”
Pope Francis 

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 145

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020 
 Pope Francis
“Prophecy is born whenever we allow ourselves to be challenged by God, not when we are concerned to keep everything quiet and under control  Prophecy is not born from my thoughts, from my closed heart.  When the Gospel overturns certainties, prophecy arises.  Only someone who is open to God’s surprises can become a prophet… Today we need prophecy, but real prophecy: not fast talkers who promise the impossible, but testimonies that the Gospel is possible.  What is needed are not miraculous shows.  It makes me sad when I hear someone say, “We want a prophetic Church”.  All right.  But what are you doing, so that the Church can be prophetic?  We need lives that show the miracle of God’s love.  Not forcefulness, but forthrightness.  Not palaver, but prayer.  Not speeches, but service.  Do you want a prophetic Church?  Then start serving and be quiet  Not theory, but testimony.  We are not to become rich, but rather to love the poor.  We are not to save up for ourselves, but to spend ourselves for others.”

 
Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 85
The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.

The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.

The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.

The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 
“Unity is the fruit of prayer, for prayer allows the Holy Spirit to intervene, opening our hearts to hope, shortening distances and holding us together at times of difficulty… We today can ask: “Are we protecting our unity, our unity in the Church, with prayer?  Are we praying for one another?”  What would happen if we prayed more and complained less, if we had a more tranquil tongue?... God expects that when we pray we will also be mindful of those who do not think as we do, those who have slammed the door in our face, those whom we find it hard to forgive.”
Pope Francis 

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Psalm 117
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

For steadfast is his kindness for us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020 
“Jesus admonishes: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” - that is, for love, for love of Jesus, love for one’s neighbour, for service towards others (Matthew 10:39). This is the Gospel paradox. But even regarding this, we have many, many examples, thank God! We see it in these days, how many people, how many people, are bearing crosses to help others, they sacrifice themselves to help others who are in need in this pandemic... But, always with Jesus, it can be done. The fullness of life and joy is found by giving oneself for the Gospel and for others, through openness, welcoming and goodness.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 19
The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;

Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2020 

“There is no true love without the cross, that is, without a personal price to pay...And when borne with Jesus, the cross is not scary because He is always at our side to support us in the hour of the most difficult trial, to give us strength and courage. Nor is it necessary to get agitated to preserve one’s own life through fearful or egotistical behaviour.”
Pope Francis 

Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 50
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“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.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“For mine are all the animals of the forests,
beasts by the thousand on my mountains.
I know all the birds of the air,
and whatever stirs in the plains, belongs to me.”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“If I were hungry, I should not tell you,
for mine are the world and its fullness.
Do I eat the flesh of strong bulls,
or is the blood of goats my drink?”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020 
“Jesus asks His disciples to take the demands of the Gospel seriously, even when that requires sacrifice and effort… He says: “Whoever loves father or mother […] son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (v. 37). Jesus certainly does not intend to undervalue love for parents and children, but He knows that family bonds, if put in first place, can deviate from the true good…All of us can give many examples in this regard, not to mention those situations in which family affections are intermingled with choices that are contrary to the Gospel.  When, instead, love toward parents and children is inspired and purified by love for the Lord, it then becomes totally fruitful and produces fruit for the good of the family itself as well as beyond it. Jesus says this phrase with this meaning…The true love of Jesus requires a true love of parents and children, but to seek out family interests first always leads to the wrong path.”
Pope Francis 

 
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 5
Lead me in your justice, Lord

At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.

Lead me in your justice, Lord

You hate all evildoers;
you destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.

Lead me in your justice, Lord

But I, because of your abundant mercy,
will enter your house;
I will worship at your holy temple
in fear of you, O LORD.

Lead me in your justice, Lord

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2020 
“In the Gospels, Jesus is called “son of David” a number of times; in fact, like him, He was born in Bethlehem…Let us look at David; let us think about David. Holy and sinful, persecuted and persecutor, victim and manslayer, which is a contradiction. David was all of this, together. And we too have recorded events in our lives that are often opposed to each other; in the drama of life, all people often sin by inconsistency. There is a single golden thread running through David’s life, that gives unity to everything that happens: his prayer. That is the voice that is never extinguished. David the saint prays: David the sinner prays; David the persecuted prays; David the persecutor prays. Even David the manslayer prays…That is the voice that is never silenced: whether it assumes tones of jubilation or those of lament, it is always the same prayer; only the melody changes. In so doing, David teaches us to let everything enter into dialogue with God: joy as well as guilt, love as well as suffering, friendship as much as sickness. Everything can become a word spoken to the “You” who always listens to us.”
Pope Francis 

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Psalm 34
The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.

The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.

The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 
“Dear brothers and sisters, let us continue our celebration of Holy Mass: the Memorial that heals our memory. Let us never forget: the Mass is the Memorial that heals memory, the memory of the heart. The Mass is the treasure that should be foremost both in the Church and in our lives. And let us also rediscover Eucharistic adoration, which continues the work of the Mass within us. This will do us much good, for it heals us within. Especially now, when our need is so great.”
Pope Francis 

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 89
For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;”
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and the Holy One of Israel, our king.

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

SATUDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 
“Prayer gives us nobility. It is capable of securing our relationship with God who is the true Companion on the journey of every man and woman, in the midst of life’s thousand adversities; good or bad, but always prayer: Thank you, Lord. I am afraid, Lord. Help me, Lord. Forgive me, Lord. Because the nobility of prayer leaves us in God’s hands. Those hands wounded by love: the only sure hands we have.”
Pope Francis 

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 74
Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your flock which you built up of old,
the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,
Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;
toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;
they have set up their tokens of victory.
They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees.

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.
They set your sanctuary on fire;
the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned.

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Look to your covenant,
for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.
May the humble not retire in confusion;
may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 

“The Lord, offering himself to us in the simplicity of bread, also invites us not to waste our lives in chasing the myriad illusions that we think we cannot do without, yet that leave us empty within. The Eucharist satisfies our hunger for material things and kindles our desire to serve. It raises us from our comfortable and lazy lifestyle and reminds us that we are not only mouths to be fed, but also his hands, to be used to help feed others. It is especially urgent now to take care of those who hunger for food and for dignity, of those without work and those who struggle to carry on.  And this we must do in a real way, as real as the Bread that Jesus gives us.  Genuine closeness is needed, as are true bonds of solidarity.  In the Eucharist, Jesus draws close to us: let us not turn away from those around us!”

Pope Francis 

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 137
Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.

Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
“Sing for us the songs of Zion!”

Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!

Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.

Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2020 
“The Lord knows that evil and sins do not define us; they are diseases, infections. And he comes to heal them with the Eucharist, which contains the antibodies to our negative memory. With Jesus, we can become immune to sadness. We will always remember our failures, troubles, problems at home and at work, our unrealized dreams. But their weight will not crush us because Jesus is present even more deeply, encouraging us with his love.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 79
For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020 
“So many people have memories marked by a lack of affection and bitter disappointments caused by those who should have given them love and instead orphaned their hearts. We would like to go back and change the past, but we cannot. God, however, can heal these wounds by placing within our memory a greater love: his own love. The Eucharist brings us the Father’s faithful love, which heals our sense of being orphans. It gives us Jesus’ love, which transformed a tomb from an end to a beginning, and in the same way can transform our lives. It fills our hearts with the consoling love of the Holy Spirit, who never leaves us alone and always heals our wounds.”
Pope Francis 

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Psalm 139
I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.

I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2020 
“It’s true that Christian life is to obey the Commandments (Cf. Exodus 20:1-11); this must be done. Christian life is to follow the way of the Beatitudes (Cf. Matthew 5:1-13); this must be done. Christian life is to carry out works of mercy, as the Lord teaches us in the Gospel (Cf. Matthew 25:35-36), and this must be done. But, it’s more: it is this mutual abiding. Without Jesus, we can do nothing, as the branches without the vine. And He — may the Lord permit me to say it — seems unable to do anything without us, because the branch bears the fruit, not the tree, not the vine. In this community, in this intimacy of “fruitful abiding,” the Father and Jesus abide in me and I abide in Them.”
Pope Francis 
 

Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 48
God upholds his city for ever

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.

God upholds his city for ever

Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.

God upholds his city for ever

O God, we ponder your mercy
within your temple.
As your name, O God, so also your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Of justice your right hand is full.

God upholds his city for ever

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2020 
“The protection of the environment and respect for the biodiversity of the planet are issues that affect us all. We cannot pretend to be healthy in a world that is sick. The wounds inflicted on our mother earth are wounds that also bleed in us. Caring for ecosystems demands a look to the future, one that is not concerned only with the immediate moment or that seeks a quick and easy profit, but rather one that is concerned for life and that seeks its preservation for the benefit of all.”
Pope Francis 

Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 60
Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses;
you have been angry; rally us!

Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

You have rocked the country and split it open;
repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
You have made your people feel hardships;
you have given us stupefying wine.

Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

Have not you, O God, rejected us,
so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies?
Give us aid against the foe,
for worthless is the help of men.

Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2020 

“I encourage you to pray for priests, for your parish priest, for those who are close to you and know ..., so that through your prayer the Lord will strengthen them in their vocation, comfort them in their ministry and always be ministers of Joy of the Gospel for all people.”
Pope Francis

 
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 69
Lord, in your great love, answer me.

For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's children,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!’‘

Lord, in your great love, answer me.

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2020 
“May freedom of conscience be respected always and everywhere, and may every Christian give the example of the consistency of an upright conscience enlightened by the Word of God. Upon you and your families I invoke the joy and peace of the Lord. May God bless you!”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Psalm 89
For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”

For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven.”

For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“If his sons forsake my law
and walk not according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes
and keep not my commands.”

For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.”

For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020 

“It is vital to remember the good we have received. If we do not remember it, we become strangers to ourselves, “passers-by” of existence.  Without memory, we uproot ourselves from the soil that nourishes us and allow ourselves to be carried away like leaves in the wind.  If we do remember, however, we bind ourselves afresh to the strongest of ties; we feel part of a living history, the living experience of a people.  Memory is not something private; it is the path that unites us to God and to others.  This is why in the Bible the memory of the Lord must be passed on from generation to generation... But there is a problem: what if the chain of transmission of memories is interrupted?

And how can we remember what we have only heard, unless we have also experienced it?  God knows how difficult it is, he knows how weak our memory is, and he has done something remarkable: he left us a memorial. He did not just leave us words, for it is easy to forget what we hear.  He did not just leave us the Scriptures, for it is easy to forget what we read. He did not just leave us signs, for we can forget even what we see.  He gave us Food, for it is not easy to forget something we have actually tasted. He left us Bread in which he is truly present, alive and true, with all the flavour of his love.”
Pope Francis 

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Psalm 103
The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits.

The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.

The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 
“God never liked to have anything to do with those who prayed the “easy” way. And Moses was not a “weak” dialogue partner either, from the very first day of his vocation… Moses urges us to pray with the same ardour as Jesus, to intercede for the world, to remember that despite all its frailties, it still belongs to God. Everyone belongs to God. The worst sinners, the wickedest people, the most corrupt leaders, they are children of God, and Jesus feels this and intercedes for everyone. And the world lives and thrives thanks to the blessing of the righteous, to the prayer for mercy, this prayer for mercy that the saint, the righteous, the intercessor, the priest, the bishop, the Pope, the layperson, any baptised person incessantly raises up for humanity, in every place and time in history. Let us think of Moses, the intercessor. And when we want to condemn someone and we become angry inside… to get angry is good it can be healthy - while to condemn does no good, let us intercede for him or her; this will help us a lot.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 97
Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes round about.
His lightnings illumine the world;
the earth sees and trembles.

Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.

Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

All who worship graven things are put to shame,
who glory in the things of nought;
all gods are prostrate before him.

Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

WEDESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020 
“Given the current health crisis in various countries, many children are forced into jobs that are inappropriate for their age, so as to help their own families who are in conditions of extreme poverty.  Many cases are forms of slavery and confinement, resulting in physical and psychological suffering. We are all responsible for this. I appeal that every effort be made on the part of institutions to protect minors, by filling the economic and social gaps that underlie the distorted dynamic in which they are unfortunately involved.  Children are the future of the human family: all of us are expected to promote their growth, health and tranquility.”
Pope Francis 
 

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 31
Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 
“I urge you to reflect on “life after the pandemic,” for while this storm shall pass, its grave consequences are already being felt.  You are not helpless. You have the culture, the method, and most of all, the wisdom that are kneaded with the leaven of feeling the suffering of others as your own.  I hope that this time of danger will free us from operating on automatic pilot, shake our sleepy consciences and allow a humanist and ecological conversion that puts an end to the idolatry of money and places human life and dignity at the centre.  Our civilization — so competitive, so individualistic, with its frenetic rhythms of production and consumption, its extravagant luxuries, its disproportionate profits for just a few — needs to downshift, take stock, and renew itself. You are the indispensable builders of this change that can no longer be put off.  Moreover, when you testify that to change is possible, your voice is authoritative. You have known crises and hardships … that you manage to transform — with modesty, dignity, commitment, hard work and solidarity — into a promise of life for your families and your communities.”
Pope Francis 

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 51
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 
“O Mary, woman and mother, you wove the divine Word in your womb, you recounted by your life the magnificent works of God. Listen to our stories, hold them in your heart and make your own the stories that no one wants to hear. Teach us to recognize the good thread that runs through history. Look at the tangled knots in our life that paralyze our memory. By your gentle hands, every knot can be untied. Woman of the Spirit, mother of trust, inspire us too. Help us build stories of peace, stories that point to the future. And show us the way to live them together.”
Pope Francis 

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 5
Lord, listen to my groaning.

Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!

Lord, listen to my groaning.

At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.

Lord, listen to my groaning.

You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.

Lord, listen to my groaning.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 
“We all have an appointment during the night with God, in the night of our life, in the many nights of our life: dark moments, moments of sin, moments of disorientation.  And there we have an appointment with God, always.  He will surprise us at the moment we least expect, when we find ourselves truly alone.  That same night, struggling against the unknown, we will realize that we are only poor men and women - “poor things”, I dare say - but right then, in that moment in which we feel we are “poor things”, we need not fear: because God will give us a new name, which contains the meaning of our entire life; He will change our heart and He will offer us the blessing reserved to those who have allowed themselves to be changed by Him.  This is a beautiful invitation to let ourselves be changed by God. He knows how to do it, because He knows each one of us. “Lord, You know me”, every one of us might say. “Lord, You know me. Change me.””
Pope Francis 

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
Psalm 147
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2020 
““You” – Saint Paul wrote – “are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor 3:3). The Holy Spirit, the love of God, writes within us. And as he writes within us, he establishes goodness in us and constantly reminds us of it. Indeed, to “re-mind” means to bring to mind, to “write” on the heart. By the power of the Holy Spirit, every story, even the most forgotten one, even the one that seems to be written with the most crooked lines, can become inspired, can be reborn as a masterpiece, and become an appendix to the Gospel. Like the Confessions of Augustine. Like A Pilgrim’s Journey of Ignatius. Like The Story of a Soul of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus... Like countless other stories, which have admirably scripted the encounter between God’s freedom and that of man. Each of us knows different stories that have the fragrance of the Gospel, that have borne witness to the Love that transforms life. These stories cry out to be shared, recounted and brought to life in every age, in every language, in every medium.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Psalm 16
You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2020 
“Stand firm in your struggle and care for each other as brothers and sisters. I pray for you, I pray with you.  I want to ask God our Father to bless you, to fill you with his love, and to defend you on this path, giving you the strength that keeps us standing tall and that never disappoints: hope. Please pray for me, because I need it too.”
Pope Francis 
 

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 27
I long to see your face, O Lord.

Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.

I long to see your face, O Lord.

Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.

I long to see your face, O Lord.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

I long to see your face, O Lord.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020 
“Now, in the midst of this pandemic, I think of you in a special way and wish to express my closeness to you…You often feel rage and powerlessness at the sight of persistent inequalities and when any excuse at all is sufficient for maintaining those privileges. Nevertheless, you do not resign yourselves to complaining: you roll up your sleeves and keep working for your families, your communities, and the common good. Your resilience helps me, challenges me, and teaches me a great deal.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Psalm 98
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 
“For no one is an extra on the world stage, and everyone’s story is open to possible change.  Even when we tell of evil, we can learn to leave room for redemption; in the midst of evil, we can also recognize the working of goodness and give it space.”
Pope Francis 
 

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 16
Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

They multiply their sorrows
who court other gods.
Blood libations to them I will not pour out,
nor will I take their names upon my lips.

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2020 
“In the life of our “father in faith”, we see a new way of relating to God. Abraham hears the voice of God and trusts in his word and promises. In obedience to the divine word, he leaves his former life behind to journey wherever God leads him, even to the ultimate test of being asked to sacrifice his own son, Isaac.  Through such fidelity, he becomes a member of God’s family, capable even of arguing with him, but always faithful. Abraham’s obedience to the word marks a radically new step in the religious development of man.  From now on, the life of believers is seen in terms of vocation, a personal call to live one’s life in fulfillment of God’s promises.  The God of Abraham, then, becomes “my God”, the Lord of my own history who guides my steps and never abandons me.  May we learn from Abraham’s example how to pray with faith: to listen, to journey, to converse and even argue with God, but always prepared to welcome the word and put it into practice.”
Pope Francis 

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 4
Lord, let your face shine on us.

When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart?
Why do you love what is vain and seek after falsehood?

Lord, let your face shine on us.

Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
Tremble, and sin not;
reflect, upon your beds, in silence.

Lord, let your face shine on us.

O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart,
more than when grain and wine abound.

Lord, let your face shine on us.

MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020 
“Many people suffer due to the great difficulties they endure.  We can help them by accompanying them along an itinerary full of compassion which transforms people’s lives. I t brings them closer to the Heart of Christ, which welcomes all of us into the revolution of tenderness.  We pray that all those who suffer may find their way in life, allowing themselves to be touched by the Heart of Jesus.”
Pope Francis 
 

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 121
Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2020 
“Our own story becomes part of every great story.  As we read the Scriptures, the stories of the saints, and also those texts that have shed light on the human heart and its beauty, the Holy Spirit is free to write in our hearts, reviving our memory of what we are in God’s eyes. When we remember the love that created and saved us, when we make love a part of our daily stories, when we weave the tapestry of our days with mercy, we are turning another page.  We no longer remain tied to regrets and sadness, bound to an unhealthy memory that burdens our hearts…Telling God our story is never useless: even if the record of events remains the same, the meaning and perspective are always changing.  To tell our story to the Lord is to enter into his gaze of compassionate love for us and for others.  We can recount to him the stories we live, bringing to him the people and the situations that fill our lives.  With him we can re-weave the fabric of life, darning its rips and tears. How much we, all of us, need to do exactly this!”
Pope Francis 
 

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
DN 3
Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Glory and praise for ever!

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2020 
“Prayer is always a chain of life: many men and women who pray sow life.  Prayer sows life, small prayers: this is why it is so important to teach children to pray.  I suffer when I encounter children who do not know how to make the sign of the Cross.  They have to be taught to make the sign of the Cross properly, because it is the first prayer.  Then perhaps they may forget, take another path, but the first prayers learned as a child remain in the heart, because they are a seed of life, the seed of dialogue with God.  The journey of God in the history of God is conveyed through them: it has passed through a “remainder” of humanity that has not conformed to the law of the fittest, but has asked God to perform his miracles, and above all to transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh (cf. Ez 36:26).  And this helps prayer: because prayer opens the door to God, turning our often stony hearts into a human heart. And this demands a lot of humanity, and with humanity one can pray well.”
Pope Francis 
 

Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 71
I will sing of your salvation

My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
with your glory day by day.
Cast me not off in my old age;
as my strength fails, forsake me not.

I will sing of your salvation

But I will always hope
and praise you ever more and more.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.

I will sing of your salvation

I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

I will sing of your salvation

So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,
for your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing your praises with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel!

I will sing of your salvation

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020 
“God's plan for humanity is good, but in our daily affairs we experience the presence of evil. It is a daily experience…Do not forget this: the tempter is a bad payer, he does not pay well… While almost everyone behaves in a wicked manner, making hatred and conquest the great engine of human affairs, there are people who are capable of praying to God with sincerity, capable of writing mankind's destiny in a different way… One has the impression that prayer is a bulwark; it is man's refuge before the flood wave of evil that grows in the world.

On closer inspection, we also pray to be saved from ourselves.  It is important to pray: “Lord, please, save me from myself, from my ambitions, from my passions.” T he prayerful of the first pages of the Bible are peace workers: indeed, when prayer is authentic, it frees one from the instincts of violence and it is a gaze directed to God, that he may return to take care of the heart of mankind…Prayer cultivates flowerbeds of rebirth in places where man's hatred has only been able to expand the desert.  And prayer is powerful because it attracts the power of God and the power of God always gives life: always. He is the God of life and he causes rebirth.”
Pope Francis 

Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Psalm 119
O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Though my persecutors and my foes are many,
I turn not away from your decrees.

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Permanence is your word’s chief trait;
each of your just ordinances is everlasting.

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Princes persecute me without cause
but my heart stands in awe of your word.

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

I wait for your salvation, O LORD,
and your commands I fulfill.

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.

O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 
“Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd.  My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.

At the same time, we have to recognize that the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating.  Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost.  Today I join the Church in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and in the entire United States, in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.  Let us pray for the consolation of their grieving families and friends and let us implore the national reconciliation and peace for which we yearn.  May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world.  May God bless all of you and your families.”
Pope Francis 

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 25
Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,

Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.

Teach me your ways, O Lord.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.

Teach me your ways, O Lord.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020 

““When you eat of it … you will be like God” (cf. Gen 3:4): the temptation of the serpent introduces into the fabric of history a knot difficult to undo. “If you possess, you will become, you will achieve…” This is the message whispered by those who even today use storytelling for purposes of exploitation.  How many stories serve to lull us, convincing us that to be happy we continually need to gain, possess, and consume.  We may not even realize how greedy we have become for chatter and gossip, or how much violence and falsehood we are consuming. 

Often on communication platforms, instead of constructive stories which serve to strengthen social ties and the cultural fabric, we find destructive and provocative stories that wear down and break the fragile threads binding us together as a society.  By patching together bits of unverified information, repeating banal and deceptively persuasive arguments, sending strident and hateful messages, we do not help to weave human history, but instead strip others of their dignity.  But whereas the stories employed for exploitation and power have a short lifespan, a good story can transcend the confines of space and time. Centuries later, it remains timely, for it nourishes life.”

Pope Francis