Daily Readings
Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation, I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We cause no one to stumble in anything, in order that no fault may be found with our ministry; on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left; through glory and dishonor, insult and praise. We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
RESPONSORIAL Psalm:
PS 98:1, 2B, 3AB, 3CD-4
Response <R> : The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. <R>
In the sight of the nations, he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. <R>
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. <R>
SECOND READING: Romans 5:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
GOSPEL: Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
DAILY REFLECTION: 16 June 2025
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s responsorial Psalm –The Lord has made known his salvation- sets the tone in understanding both the 1st reading as well as the Gospel.
The Gospel speaks of the Jewish laws of equality in punishment –eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth- which is not an invitation to exact revenge but rather aims to limit the extent of revenge one can exact. This prevents the use of overwhelming force and curtails the amount of damage one may inflict on an aggressor. Jesus, in expounding the heart of this Law, invites us to transcend our human tendency to react to aggression in favour of acting like children of God. Why? Because as the Psalmist echoes, this is God’s way of bringing salvation.
St Paul in the first reading reiterates this attitude, exhorting the Corinthians –and us- “not to neglect the grace of God that we have received”. He invites us to challenge the mundane mindset with the mind of Christ by “purity, knowledge, patience and kindness and a spirit of holiness”. In acting as such, we prove ourselves to be followers of Christ and “servants of God” and not of the world.
Are you ready to work under a new Divine Management?