The week begins with Trinity Sunday, which always follows Pentecost. It celebrates the un-knowable relationship between the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit - and their loving support for us in our lives.
Monday is the Memorial of St. Justin, Martyr. Wednesday is the Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, martyrs. Friday is the Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr.
The first readings this week are from the Second Letter of Peter, who exhorts us to “be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace” and from the Second Letter to Timothy: “Stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”
In Mark’s Gospel this week, Jesus is in the midst of a struggle with the religious leaders in Jerusalem who do not like him. He tells them the Parable of the tenant farmers, telling them that the stone rejected by builders has become the cornerstone. They almost arrest him. His opponents try to ensnare Jesus with question about the temple tax, but he isn’t trapped by them. When they question him about the resurrection, Jesus tells a parable which teaches that God is the God of the living. When asked which is the first commandment, Jesus gives two - highlighting the equal importance of love of God and neighbor. Jesus is both Son of David and Messiah and Lord. Jesus warns of those who abuse widows on spiritual pretexts and tells his disciples to notice the widow who gave from her poverty.
This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This week is a great preparation for our journey with Jesus more deeply into the mystery of self-giving love. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Daily Prayer This Week
This is a week we can look at letting go -- of riches, honors, pride. In these days we can hand it all over to Jesus and ask for the trust we need in our lives. We can hand over our fears and jealousy, our titles and our possessions - anything that has become too important in our lives can get in the way of how close we allow ourselves to be with Jesus.
As we go through our week, in the smallest moments of the day, we can beg Jesus for the strength of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we awaken in the morning, and in the everyday moments of our lives, an awareness of our desires before Jesus can change our attitudes toward these chores and see them as sacred moments of invitation from the God who loves us with such fire and compassion.
Dear Lord, you know how filled I am with fears. Let each moment of anxiety today be a reminder to open my life, my heart and my soul to the love and courage you offer me. I know that if only I could trust in you more, it would change my life.
I beg you to give me the wisdom and strength I need to trust more and to fear less. Teach me that it’s OK to stop clinging to the fears I have known for so long and that I can embrace the freedom you offer me. Let me be less fear-ful and more generous.
And all day long, as we run our errands or sit at our desks, we can take a moment to say “Thank you” to the God on whom we have such an utter dependence and who loves us with such abandon.