Catholic – Page 29 – deacon rudy's notes

July 4, 2020July 3, 2020

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020

Picture of hand reaching up with the worlds the Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down across image

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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-10
Responsorial: Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14
Second Reading: Romans 8:9, 11-13
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070520.cfm
www.deaconrudysnotes.org

No, no, no! I’m going to do this my way! I don’t need anyone’s advice. What happens next? So, you get on the hamster wheel and run as fast as you can. You spend more than you earn. Why? Well, you say to yourself, “They wouldn’t have given me that credit card if they didn’t believe I could handle it!” So, you buy things – trendy things – expensive things. You lease a new car.

You make slightly more than minimum payments, and you think to yourself, “why are these minimums so high?” You start to feel a little bitter that your paycheck is gone within days. Don’t they know how much I’m worth? What little there was, was spent at the bar chillaxing with your buddies. It’ll be alright because you get paid in a couple of weeks.

Suddenly, the music stops and the hamster wheel comes to a screeching halt! Pandemic. Social distancing. Layoffs. Isolation.

How did we get here?

Painful as it has been and as its going to be as employers move to reorganize, and surely some will never reopen again, hopefully we’ve all taken a little time during this pandemic to re-evaluate how we live our lives.

For example, have we confused “nice to have” with “need to have”? All of this can seem so overwhelming!

But my brothers and sisters, I have good news! We don’t need to face uncertainty alone. As our psalmist reminds us, our, “Lord supports all those who are falling down,” (Psalm 145:14). In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us, “Come here to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I shall give you rest,” (Matthew 25:28).

Ok, you might be thinking, “Yeah, deacon, that’s a nice idea, but how exactly is the Lord going to help me?”

Well, I think we need to start with prayer. We need to look to God and tell him about all the pressures we’re carrying around. We need to turn our burdens over to the Lord. What does that mean?

I think it means that we need to be a lot more selective of the stuff we really need. That doesn’t mean we need to have a yard sale or throw our excess away immediately – this can be either physical stuff or emotional baggage. But it does mean that we need to detach ourselves from the things of this world.

Here’s one exercise we could try. Create a two-column list. Title one column “nice to have” and the other “need to have”. Now, start placing items in your home on one of these two lists. This might take some time, so I suggest you start with your clothes. This is really important – start with your own clothes and not your spouse’s/roommate’s/partner’s clothes. Trust me! They won’t appreciate you deciding for them what is important and what’s not.

As you’re going through your clothes, really ask yourself if you need everything you have. Do you really need 22 t-shirts? Do you really need 10 different types of sneakers? Do you really need 5 rain jackets? Do you really need all those different jeans and shirts that are stained or ripped that you’ve been saving for whenever you want to get to work on that “project”? Hey, maybe you do! No judgment! But as you go through your clothes, you might surprise yourself with how much you have and what you really no longer need.

Next, you could tackle your books, magazines, journals, etc. As you look at each one, ask yourself on which list should you place it: the nice to have or need to have list? When you finish that, start going through closets and drawers. Dig in to all that stuff! If this sounds familiar, then you know I’m taking a page from the Japanese minimalist Marie Kondo. <1> She has some excellent strategies that not only can help us declutter our lives, but from a spiritual perspective help us detach ourselves from all those things we thought we couldn’t live without.

You see, many of us, I think, don’t realize that we’ve been working to support things that we really don’t need – or for that matter things we really could live without. Once we understand that, then letting go becomes easier. This is an example of giving it up to Jesus. Let go of the burdens we decided we must carry. Jesus tells us in the Gospel, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…for my yoke is easy, and my burden light,” (Matthew 11:29-30).

Sometimes we think the path of the disciple is much too impossible to bear, so, we set out on our own path doing things our way, which is to say, the way the world tells us things should be. Yet all too often, we saddle ourselves with stuff and jobs and expenses that we don’t really need. Our self-imposed burden is very often heavier than the life of the disciple.

No, we probably can’t make the switch overnight, but we can begin by handing Jesus the stuff we don’t really need – from our emotional baggage to our excesses – and praying for the grace to let go and live a simpler, Christ-centered life. These are the first steps that we as recommitted disciples of the pandemic can take as we refocus our lives on what is important and begin the difficult task of cleaning up after the seemingly never ending party came to an end. That is to say, begin the process of paying down debt, saving money and getting rid of the excess we never really needed in the first place.

This won’t be easy. But it could be the beginning of a process of lifelong learning – learning about ourselves, learning more about discipleship, learning about ways we can be the hands and feet of Christ and empowered by the Eucharist and with the grace of the Holy Spirit begin to heal this broken world.

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions which come to us from the bishops of the United States: <1>

Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. How can I grow in humility? How can I be a lifelong learner about my life?
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. How do I come to know God better? How can I help others know God?
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. What burdens do I need to turn over to the Lord? When have I felt God supporting me in a difficult time?

I think our homework will help us recommit to discipleship by helping us center our lives on Christ Jesus and rid ourselves of our emotional and materialistic burdens. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Unknown. JPEG file.

Notes:
<1> For more information, see Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.
<2> Lectio Divina Of The Gospels, (Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019), 180-181.

References:
1. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
2. Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017.
3. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010.
4. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Jesus reveals the Father, 151
2. The Father is revealed by the Son, 238-42
3. Jesus our model, 459
4. Knowledge of mysteries of Christ, communion in his mysteries, 514-21
5. Christ’s resurrection and ours, 658, 995
6. Names of the Spirit, 693
7. Law of the Spirit, 972
8. General resurrection, 988-91, 1002-4
9. Prayer of Jesus, 2603, 2701

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070520.cfm
Lectionary: 100

Reading 1
Zechariah 9:9-10
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial
Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2
Romans 8:9, 11-13
Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

Alleluia
CF. Matthew 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

July 2, 2020July 2, 2020

ATC 17 On the Common Good

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Did you know extremists suggest that the Catholic idea of the common good is actually part of a vast conspiracy to foist communism on the West?

Hola and welcome to another edition of All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. If you have a question that you’d like me to address, send it to me. You may use the comment form on the website, or by email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org. I invite you to share the Good News we discuss on this podcast with everyone you know!

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about the common good. There seems to be some confusion about “the common good”. In the United States, an on-air political pundit dismissed the idea of the common good promoted by the Catholic Church saying it is synonymous with communism. Communism is a bit of a poison pill in U.S. politics, and in its current forms is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church.

I think it’s important that we address this as the United States begins its race to the November elections, and as other nations who’ve completed their elections move to implement the policies of their newly elected governments. What is the common good? Why should it be important to me? What is it that we Christians are called to do?

What is the common good? Let’s work with the definition given to us by Pope John XXIII: the sum total of conditions of social living whereby persons are enabled more fully and more readily to achieve their own perfection, (Mater et magistra, no. 60. Also see Heyer, Prophetic & Public: The Social Witness of U.S. Catholicism, 37). Alright, using this as our working definition, let’s take a very fast trip through time.

First, I think it’s important to make a basic observation about the “common good”. The idea is aimed for people who live in society. The vast majority of us do not live by ourselves on deserted islands. We live in communities and nations. We pool our resources for the benefit of each and every one of us, but also for the community as a whole. Why? Excellent question! Let’s push forward then.

Second, I think it’s important to clarify that the “common good” is not a specifically Christian or religious term. From a secular perspective, we can trace the idea of the common good to Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato. Indeed, Aristotle’s philosophy which continues to influence political philosophy to this day is based on his idea of the “common interest,” (Aristotle, Politics, pp. 3, 6-7, 12). These Greek ideas influenced political philosophers and economists including Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, John Locke, Rousseau, James Madison, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill, John Maynard Keynes, and John Rawls, to name a few. Many of them argued that the idea of the common good is vitally to both a sound democracy and a capitalist economy.

But the idea of the common good goes back even further than the Greeks – way back to early Jewish teachings found in the Talmud and the Midrash based on Hebrew Scripture. Specifically, we find in Leviticus, “When strangers reside with you in your land, you shall not wrong them … for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33, 34). This had huge implications on Jewish economics and life.

In general, the priestly class did not own land. So, landowners tithed, which is to say the allocated a percentage of their produce for the benefit of the priestly class. Landowners were also called on to leave unharvested food in the fields for the poor – a second harvest of sorts. Later, the prophet Isaiah pronounced that the “House of God will be “a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7), affirming that we serve God not through ritual alone, but through actively working to eliminate hunger, homelessness and oppression,” (see Leah Broyde Abrahams, “Judaism seeks peace and the common good”).

Against this backdrop, we receive the very startling words of Christ found in Matthew’s Gospel account. “‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked, or sick or in prison and didn’t minister you?’ Then he’ll answer them, ‘Amen I tell you, whenever you failed to do it to one of these littlest ones, you failed to do it to me.’ And these ones will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous ones will go into eternal life,” (Matthew 25:37-46).

Augustine picks up this idea in his work, the City of God. In Book XIX Chapters 5-17, Augustine asks, “Is human wellbeing found in the good of the whole society, the common good?” He emphatically answers “yes”.

Why should the common good be important to me as a Christian? It’s not enough to just follow the Law. Christians believe that all people have dignity rooted in our creation in the image and likeness of God. That has implications for how we live. We must incorporate the Law in our lives and it should bear fruit, like showing concern for those who lack material necessities, like food and clothing, or emotional necessities, like the consolation a visit gives the sick or imprisoned.

Ok, this has been a cursory look at the development of the concept of the “common good”. My point is to make sure we know that the common good has both secular and religious roots going back to at least the ancient Greek and Hebrew cultures. This is not a “modern” idea and it’s not a change in direction for the Catholic Church or the Christian people.

What is it that we Christians are called to do? Well, the Church doesn’t teach that advocating for the common good is a specifically Christian requirement. Rather, the Church has taught that all people of good will should work together to create a just society that respects the dignity of the human person and that enables human flourishing. It’s inconceivable that non-Christians wouldn’t be interested in promoting the common good.

That said, what are some things we as Christians should do?

First, we pray. We should fervently pray for our elected officials that they receive the grace to avoid temptation and work on behalf of all of us, and not just special interests.

We can donate to worthy causes which advocate for the common good. Advocacy groups try to help hold government accountable, and they try to encourage conversation about important topics.

Advocate for justice. Let your voice be heard if you perceive your government is doing something unjust or disregarding human dignity. We can write letters to our elected officials at all levels of government about specific measures, rules or laws they are considering. Better yet, try to meet with your local elected representatives. Find out what’s going on. Try to contribute to the discussion. Be part of the solution.

And for goodness sake – GO VOTE!

Hopefully, this bird’s eye view has been helpful to understand that the idea of the common good is not a modern attempt from some vast conspiracy to force communism on society. For the Christian, it’s about incorporating Christ’s teachings flowing from our human dignity as created in the image and likeness of God. It’s about trying to promote the conditions for human flourishing so that we can all be the best versions of ourselves, and about caring for those in society who cannot adequately care for themselves. We’ve also quickly run through some ideas about ways all of us, whether or not you’re Christian, can advocate for the common good. Our purpose here is only to start a conversation about what we can do – what we should do – and whether that has implications for the way we cast our ballots.

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to All Things Catholic. Please send me your questions! You can use the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. All Things Catholic will be back next month, and don’t forget to tune in for the weekend edition where we break open the Word. Peace!

Note: All Scripture passages are taken from The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020

The Self-Corroding Self

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Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16A
Responsorial: Psalm 89:2-3, 16-19
Second Reading: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062820.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

I really enjoy watching the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr. In A Game of Shadows, Mycroft Holmes says, “He’s all me, me, me, isn’t he?” I think that gets to the heart of the Gospel message today.

Jesus describes some shocking ideas in the Gospel today. He says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me,” (Matthew 10:31).

What is Jesus getting at?

He’s not telling us that we shouldn’t love our parents, or our families, or our friends. What he is saying is that we humans have a funny ability to put someone or something at the center of our lives – perhaps without even realizing it. Anything we place in the center – it could be family or material successes like wealthy or authority or some other prize – anything we place in the center has the potential of becoming a god to us.

That’s why our Judeo-Christian faith teaches us about the dangers of idolatry. That is also why in our Catholic faith tradition, we must be very careful to remind ourselves and others that an object like a statue is only a reminder – a signpost if you will on our journey to the Kingdom. Even blessed, it is no substitute for Christ. To put it another way, we can use blessed objects like a church, statue, a rosary, a holy medal, to help us worship Jesus, to sing as our Psalmist suggests, “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord,” (Pslam 89:2), but we never worship the object.

Jesus affirms our understanding by reminding us that our purpose is to know, love and serve God – period. But things can get in our way, which is why he uses the painful and humiliating image of the cross. This is not an easy message!

Consider current events – whether it’s about requirements to wear a face mask or violence provoked by the murder of George Floyd. Both of these are filled with examples that help to illustrate the Gospel message.

Let’s take the case of Mr. Floyd. Here was a man who after being arrested by the police, dropped to the ground just before the officers are able to get him into the police vehicle. For reasons we don’t know, as one of the first responding officers struggles to get Mr. Floyd into the back of the police vehicle, Mr. Chauvin goes to the other side of the vehicle and pulls Mr. Floyd out on onto the ground. He then kneels on Mr. Floyd’s neck – a restraint neither sanctioned nor taught by any police department or police academy in the United States. Why did he do it? Let’s set aside the question of race. We can only speculate, but was it arrogance? Did he believe that he knew better than his instructors or his boss or the department? Was some sort of overinflated self-importance the center of his world? If race was a component, isn’t that also about an exaggerated self-worth over others? Look at how self-corroding this can be.

Why is it that protestors in the wake of Mr. Floyd’s murder believe that they have the authority to destroy property, loot businesses and pull down and destroy statues? I think these violent protests are also examples of putting something other than Jesus at the center with disastrous effect.

Why is wearing a mask during this pandemic so controversial? The medical community has repeatedly suggested the importance of wearing a mask of some sort to impede the spread of the virus. Yet, many people who themselves are not healthcare professionals dismiss the advice. Now let’s be clear – a homemade cloth face mask may not prevent you from contracting the virus, that’s true. But it can reduce the number of droplets that come from the face mask wearer. Scientists believe that these droplets are the most effective transmission of the virus. So, even if you’re not showing symptoms, you might be a carrier. Wearing a mask reduces the chances that you will unknowingly spread the virus to someone else.

Why then is the suggestion of wearing a face mask so controversial? Why is that people believe they know better than trained physicians and nurses and other healthcare scientists? Why is wearing a mask considered to be part of some deep state conspiracy? Is it because these naysayers place themselves and not Jesus at the center of their world?

These are extreme examples, but I hope they help distinguish between a Christ-centered life from a self-centered life. Indeed, self-centeredness in any of its forms can create a noxious and self-corroding life.

Perhaps the Gospel message of putting Christ at our center is more difficult than we realize. Indeed, St. Paul in our second reading gives us some keen insight that through our baptism, we “are empowered by the Spirit to accomplish by grace what is beyond the ability of human nature.” <2>

What can happen when we live a Christ-centered life? The story of the Prophet Elisha and the influential couple in our first reading from Second Kings gives us a clue. In this story, the couple help provide for Elisha’s material needs. He is a traveling servant of God. The couple create a space in their home for him to stay whenever he wants – free room and board. This is an act of selflessness and it is also a sacrifice. Surely the room the gave up for Elisha served some other purpose. Also, the passage doesn’t say the couple were wealthy, only that she was influential. So, there had to be a cost to put Elisha up whenever he needed it. The story helps us see that to shift the focus of our lives away from ourselves and toward God bears much fruit. In this case, they who could not have a child were blessed with a baby.

Sometimes we think sacrifice – to carry our cross – is some great and unreasonable burden. But honestly, that idea is based on our lack of theological imagination. Don’t we hear Jesus tell us how much more generous will our Father be? (Matthew 7:11).

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions which come to us from the bishops of the United States: <1>

Whoever does not take up this cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. What cross is Jesus asking me to carry this week? Is there someone I can help to carry his or her cross?
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What people and experiences do I find life-giving? How can I lay down my life to serve God and others?
Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. When has Jesus come to me in disguise? How can I be more attentive to opportunities to encounter Christ?

Our homework helps us understand the path of discipleship. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Unknown. JPEG file.

Notes:
<1> Lectio Divina Of The Gospels, (Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019), 180-181.
<2> Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017), 96.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Baptism, to die to self, to live for Christ, 537, 628, 790, 1213, 1226-28, 1694
2. Apostles’ mission, 858
3. Baptism – death and resurrection with Christ, 1214, 1220, 1227
4. Baptism – the sacrament of faith, 1226, 1253-54
5. Anointing of the Sick, 1506
6. Grace justifies through faith and baptism, 1987
7. To follow Christ is the first vocation of the Christian, 2232-33

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062820.cfm
Lectionary: 97

Reading 1
2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16A
One day Elisha came to Shunem,
where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof
and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,
so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.

Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?”
His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes!
She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”
Elisha said, “Call her.”
When the woman had been called and stood at the door,
Elisha promised, “This time next year
you will be fondling a baby son.”

Responsorial
Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19
R. (2a) 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.
R. 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.
R. 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.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2
Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.

If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia
1 Peter 2:9
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation;
announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 10:37-42
Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

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