Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinty (b)
This Week’s Liturgy Calendar.
Ordinary Cycle of the Year (b)
Weekdays – Year 1
Sunday 31st May: Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. (B)
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, a feast that reminds us that God is not isolated or remote but is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are given the opportunity to reflect on the very mystery of God, as a God who created, who redeems and who calls us to holiness.
The first reading is from the Book of Deuteronomy and is prayer of Moses reminding them of God’s deeds and declaring that there is but one God.
The second reading, from the Letter to the Romans, reminds us that we are all God’s children, co-heirs with Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit
The Gospel passage we hear how, from a mountain top in Galilee the disciples are given to preach and baptise in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Monday 1st June: Memorial of St. Justin.
Justin was born in Palestine about the beginning of the second century. He was born of pagan parents and took up philosophy as a profession. His search for ultimate truth led him to the great Christian faith. He settled in Rome and put himself at the service of the Church. In one of his books, he left an invaluable description of the Mass as celebrated at Rome in the second century. It also included a description of the ritual of Baptism. He was martyred about 165 in the period of persecution by Marcus Aurelius.
Tuesday 2nd June: Tuesday of the 9th week of the year.
Today we begin a series of readings from the Book of Tobit. It tells the fictional story of a dutiful servant son, Tobias, who is given miraculous help by an angel. It was written among the Jews of the Dispersion, possibly Egypt, around the beginning of the second century BC. Tobit was a very religious and law abiding Jew. Among his good deeds was the burying of the dead, even in war.
Tobit had been blinded but he remained loyal to God and put his trust in him. He prays for forgiveness of sin
The followers of Jesus are expected to be noticed, to stand out from the crowd. If people see the good works that Christians perform then they give praise to God and perhaps begin to follow him.
Wednesday 3rd June: Memorial of St. Charles Lawanga and Companions.
St. Charles and his twenty-one companions are venerated as the first martyrs equatorial Africa. They were natives of Uganda, a country first evangelised about 1880 by the White Father. Only five years later, a savage persecution of the Christians broke out under King Mwanga. Charles and his companions who were officials of the king’s court were arrested. The group were martyred in 1886 and were canonised by Paul VI in 1964
Thursday 4th June: Thursday of the 9th week of the year.
Tobias was asked by his father to travel to collect money he had invested. It leads to him meeting Sarah, who was to become his wife. Today, we hear a prayer, prayed by Tobias and Sarah, asking for God’s protection which was duly given them.
Still Jesus is subjected to aggressive questioning and efforts to trap him this time with a question about the commandments. He reminds the questioners that if they were good Jews they would know the answer.
Friday 5th June: Memorial of St. Boniface.
Boniface was born in England and became a teacher and later a priest. He wanted to be a missionary and was eventually sent by the Pope to what is now southern Germany. He became Archbishop of Mainz in 747 and was eventually martyred in 754.
Saturday 6th June: Saturday of the 9th week of the year.
The travellers wanted to repay Raphael for his help. He tells them that it was him who presented their prayers to God when their faith was being tested. Then he revealed his identity as the angel of the Lord.
Jesus again attacks the hypocritical attitudes of the Pharisees – proud and over bearing. He contrasts this with the poor widow who was total in her giving while others were conditional, looking for something in return.
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning,
Is now
And shall be evermore.
Amen.
