GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Friday - June 03, 2022

Friday - June 03, 2022

This divine heart is an abyss filled with all blessings, and into the poor should submerge all their needs. It is an abyss of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an abyss of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an abyss of mercy for the wretched, an abyss of love to meet our every need.

- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

June 3, 2022

 

MEMORIAL OF SAINT CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS

Lectionary: 301

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Acts 25:13b-21

 

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea

on a visit to Festus.

Since they spent several days there,

Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying,

“There is a man here left in custody by Felix.

When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews

brought charges against him and demanded his condemnation.

I answered them that it was not Roman practice

to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers

and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge.

So when they came together here, I made no delay;

the next day I took my seat on the tribunal

and ordered the man to be brought in.

His accusers stood around him,

but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected.

Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion

and about a certain Jesus who had died

but who Paul claimed was alive.

Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy,

I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem

and there stand trial on these charges.

And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody

for the Emperor’s decision,

I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab

 

R.        (19a)  The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

 

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

            and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

            and forget not all his benefits.

R.        The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

 

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

            so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west,

            so far has he put our transgressions from us.

R.        The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

 

The LORD has established his throne in heaven,

            and his kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, all you his angels,

            you mighty in strength, who do his bidding.

R.        The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2:8 Jn 14:26

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Holy Spirit will teach you everything

and remind you of all I told you.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Jn 21:15-19

 

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,

he said to Simon Peter,

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

He then said to Simon Peter a second time,

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

He said to him the third time,

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,

“Do you love me?” and he said to him,

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,

you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;

but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,

and someone else will dress you

and lead you where you do not want to go.”

He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.

And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

 

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

Do You Love Me?

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”  John 21:17

 

Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him.  Why three times?  One reason was so that Peter could “make up” for the three times he denied Jesus.  No, Jesus did not need Peter to apologize three times, but Peter needed to express his love three times and Jesus knew it.

 

Three is also a number of perfection.  For example, we say God is “Holy, Holy, Holy.”  This triple expression is a way of saying that God is the Holiest of all.  By Peter being given the opportunity to tell Jesus three times that He loved Him it was an opportunity for Peter to express His love in the deepest of ways.

 

So we have a triple confession of love and a triple undoing of Peter’s denial going on.  This should reveal to us our own need to love God and seek His mercy in a “triple” way.

 

When you tell God that you love Him, how deep does that go?  Is it more a service of words, or is it a total and all-consuming love?  Is your love of God something that you mean to the fullest extent?  Or is it something that needs work?

 

Certainly we all need to work on our love, and that is why this passage should be so significant to us.  We should hear Jesus asking us this question three times also.  We should realize that He is not satisfied with a simple, “Lord, I love You.”  He wants to hear it again, and again.  He asks us this because He knows we need to express this love in the deepest way.  “Lord, You know everything, You know that I love You!”  This must be our ultimate answer.

 

This triple question also gives us the opportunity to express our deepest longing for His mercy.  We all sin.  We all deny Jesus in one way or another.  But the good news is that Jesus is always inviting us to let our sin be a motivation for deepening our love.  He doesn’t sit and stay angry at us.  He doesn’t pout.  He doesn’t hold our sin over our heads.  But He does ask for the deepest of sorrow and a complete conversion of heart.  He wants us to turn from our sin to the fullest extent.

 

Reflect, today, upon the depth of your love for God and how well you express it to Him.  Make a choice to express your love for God in a triple way.  Let it be deep, sincere and irrevocable.  The Lord will receive this heartfelt act and return it to you a hundredfold.

 

Today's Prayer

 

My loving Lord, You do know that I love You.  You also know how weak I am.  Let me hear Your invitation to express my love for You and my desire for Your mercy.  May I offer this love and desire to the fullest extent.  Jesus, I trust in You.

 

 

God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”