Churches of the Day

Monday of 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Year 2

Saint of the Day: 20 July; St Apollinaris, bishop, martyr
C/f A short look at this Saint's life day can be found below today's Readings and Reflection.

FIRST READING      

A reading from the book of the Prophet Micah           6:1-4. 6-8
What the Lord asks of you has been explained to you.

Listen to what the Lord is saying:
Stand up and let the case begin in the hearing of the mountains and let the hills hear what you say.
Listen, you mountains, to the Lord's accusation, give ear, you foundations of the earth, for the Lord is accusing his people, pleading against Israel:
My people, what have I done to you, how have I been a burden to you? Answer me.
I brought you out of the land of Egypt, I rescued you from the house of slavery;
I sent Moses to lead you, with Aaron and Miriam.

- 'With what gift shall I come into the Lord's presence and bow down before God on high?
Shall I come with holocausts, with calves one year old?
Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand, with libations of oil in torrents?
Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong, the fruit of my body for my own sin?'


- What is good has been explained to you, man;
this is what the Lord asks of you: only this,
~ to act justly,
~ to love tenderly and
~ to walk humbly with your God.

The Word of the Lord            Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm         Ps 49: 5-6. 8-9. 16-17. 21. 23. R/v 23
Response                             I will show God's salvation to the upright.

1. 'Summon before me my people who made covenant with me by sacrifice.'
The heavens proclaim his justice, you forgave the guilt of your people
and covered all their sins. You averted all your rage, you calmed the heat of your anger.
                                                                                                                                 Response                                 2. Revive us now, God, our helper!, Put an end to your grievance against us.
Will you be angry with us for ever, will your anger never cease?                    Response

3. Will you not restore again our life? that your people may rejoice in you?
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.                         Response

Gospel Acclamation          2 Tim 1: 10
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our saviour Christ Jesus abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality
through the Good News.
Alleluia!

Or                                                Ps 94: 8
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today' but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia

GOSPEL 

The Lord be with you                     And with your spirit.

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew  12:38-42
The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation and condemn it.

Some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up.
'Master,' they said 'we should like to see a sign from you'.
'He replied, 'It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign!
The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.
On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.'

The Gospel of the Lord        Glory to you, O Lord
********************
Gospel Reflection     Monday,        Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time            Matthew 12:38-42

There are times when the message of the Jewish Scriptures anticipates very clearly the teaching of Jesus. We find an example of that in today’s first reading. The prophet Micah gives a succinct statement of what God wants of us, what God asks of us: ‘to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God’. It is a very striking formulation of the two great commandments, to love God with all one’s being and our neighbour as ourselves. Walking humbly with our God implies a loving and trusting relationship with God. Acting justly and loving tenderly spells out the meaning of loving our neighbour as ourselves. In the gospel reading, Jesus claims to be greater than the wise men and women of Israel, greater than Solomon, and greater than the prophets of Israel, greater than Jonah.

Yet much of Jesus’ teaching is in line with the teaching of the wise men and prophets of Israel, especially the prophets. Jesus is in continuity with his Jewish tradition but also goes beyond it. He claims to be bringing it to completion or fulfilment. God has given us the gift of his Son, Jesus, someone greater than all the prophets and wise people of Israel. We are indeed blest to have received such a gift. God’s gift of his Son is with us to the end of time. Someone greater than Solomon and Jonah is here, with us, now and every day of our lives. We don’t come to Jesus demanding signs from him, like the Pharisees in the gospel reading. The Lord will give us signs of his presence, without us having to ask for them. The most powerful of his signs is to be found in the lives of all those people who are trying to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with their God.



The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Gospel Reflection is available with our thanks from Reflections on the Weekday Readings:  My Words Will Not Pass Away by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookstore

____________

Saint of the Day: 20 July; St Apollinaris, bishop, martyr

Apollinaris, a native of Antioch in Syria, became a disciple of St Peter and preached the Gospel in the region of Ravenna, Italy. He suffered many tortures and was martyred for his faith in the crucified and Risen Christ.

Patrick Duffy tells the story.

Ravenna is a city on the Adriatic coast of Italy with many beautiful churches and probably the most beautiful collection of Christian mosaics in the world. The tradition is that the city and surrounding area were first evangelised by Apollinaris, a disciple of Peter, who travelled there with some sailors from Antioch in Syria.

Founder of the Church in Ravenna
The figure of Saint Apollinaris has for centuries dominated the history and religious life of the north Italian city of Ravenna, where there are two basilicas dedicated to him - one in what was the former port city of Classe, but now silted up and inland, (Sant'Apollinare in Classe), and the other in the centre of the city, called Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. Both basilicas have world-famous mosaics dating from the sixth century.

From Antioch in Syria
The tradition about Saint Apollinaris is that he was from Antioch in Syria where he was a favoured disciple of the apostle Peter, who commissioned him to go with Syrian sailors and be bishop of the important Adriatic sea-port of Classe near Ravenna. From here, despite opposition and persecution, he evangelised the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. He was said then to have been exiled for three years to Corinth and Thrace, but returned to Ravenna before being martyred during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian in 74 AD.

Tribute of St Peter Chrysologus
Sermon 128 of St Peter Chrysologus, who was bishop of Ravenna from 433 to 450, pays tribute to Apollinaris in the following words:
"Blessed Apollinaris, the first bishop, alone honoured the church in Ravenna with the glory of martyrdom suffered here. Following the mandate of his God, he lost his life in order to find it again for all eternity. To die only once is very little for those who can gloriously conquer the enemy more often for their king. Loyalty and devotion, more than death, make the martyr. Just as falling on the battlefield for love of the king is proof of valour, so too is sustaining the battle at length and bringing it to a close proof of perfect virtue.... The confessor spilled his blood many times and with his wounds and the faith of his soul bore witness to his Lord.... He sustained and nourished the church throughout its fragile infancy and, as he wished, the martyr was kept alive.... He lives and just as the good shepherd stays with his flock, the spirit of he who came before us in body and in time will never leave us. He preceded us in life, but his bodily presence remains with us.'

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe
The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe was constructed from money provided by a Greek banker Julianus Argentarius during the reign of the Emperor Justinian by the mandate of the Bishop Ursicinus (533-536) and was consecrated by Bishop Maximinian on 9th May 549.

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
The second basilica - Sant' Apollinare Nuovo - was originally the palace church of the Ostrogoth King Theodoric, who was an Arian. It was later given a dedication to St Martin of Tours who was deemed an opponent of Arianism, but in 856 the relics of Sant' Apollinaris were brought here because of perceived danger at Classis and it was called Sant'Apollinare Nuovo.

P.S. Historical Difficulties
The story of Apollinaris's coming with sailors from Antioch comes from the Passio Sancti Apollinaris written in the 7th century by Archbishop Maurus. It seems to date the saint earlier than he actually was and linked him to St Peter, perhaps in a bid to obtain greater autonomy for the Church of Ravenna from that of Rome.

******************************

Memorable Saying for Today

If God permits the challenge: He will provide the grace to meet it

~ Max Lucado and Hebrews 4:16~

******************************

- Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

FIRST READING

A reading from the First Book of Kings 3:5. 7-12
You have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, here and now I do what you ask.

 At Gibeon the Lord appeared in a dream to Solomon during the night. God said,
'Ask what you would like me to give you'.
Solomon replied,
Lord my God, you have made your servant king in succession to David my father. But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership. Your servant finds himself in the midst of this people of yours that you have chosen, a people so many its number cannot be counted or reckoned.
Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, for who could govern this people of yours that is so great?'
It pleased the Lord that Solomon should have asked for this.
'Since you have asked for this' the Lord said 'and not asked for long life for yourself or riches or the lives of your enemies, but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, here and now I do what you ask.
I give you a heart wise and shrewd as none before you has had and none will have after you.

The Word of the Lord.              Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm            Ps 118: 57. 72. 76-77. 127-130 R/ v 97
Response                                Lord how I love your law!

1. My part, I have resolved, O Lord, is to obey your word.
The law from your mouth means more to me. than silver and gold.                 Response

2. Let your love be ready to console me by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come to me and I shall live for your law is my delight.               Response

3. That is why I love your commands more than finest gold.
That is why I rule my life by your precepts: I hate false ways.                            Response

4. Your will is wonderful indeed; therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light and teaches the simple.                         Response


SECOND READING

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to Romans           8:28-30
God intends us to become true images of his Son.

We know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory. 

The Word of the Lord.                      Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation                  Jn 15: 15
Alleluia, alleluia!
I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
Alleluia!

Or                                                    Mt 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL  

The Lord be with you                        And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew    13:44-52      Glory to you, O Lord
He sells everything he owns and buys it.

Jesus spoke to the crowds:
'The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

'Have you understood all this?'
They said, 'Yes'.
And he said to them, 'Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old'.

The Gospel of the Lord    Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

________________

Shorter form of the Gospel

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you                         And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew   13:44-52        Glory to you, O Lord
He sells everything he owns and buys it.

Jesus spoke to the crowds:
'The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

The Gospel of the Lord.      Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/



The scripture readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers.