Letters From Home

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Thursday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time by Dr. Scott Hahn.

NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST Solemnity / Day First Reading: Isaiah 49: 1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 139: 1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
Second Reading: Acts 13: 22-26
Alleluia: Luke 1: 76
Gospel: Luke 1: 57-66, 80

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

Ordinary Weekday / Paulinus of Nola, Bishop / John Fisher, Bishop, Martyr, and Thomas More, Married Man, Martyr First Reading: Second Kings 22: 8-13; 23: 1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 119: 33, 34, 36, 37, 40
Alleluia: John 15: 4a, 5b
Gospel: Matthew 7: 15-20

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for the Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga by Dr. James Merrick.

Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious Obligatory Memorial First Reading: Second Kings 19: 9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 48: 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 10-11
Alleluia: John 8: 12
Gospel: Matthew 7: 6, 12-14

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time by Dr. Scott Hahn.

Ordinary Weekday First Reading: Second Kings 17: 5-8, 13-15a, 18
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 60: 3, 4-5, 12-13
Alleluia: Hebrews 4: 12
Gospel: Matthew 7: 1-5

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Lecturas:
Génesis 14, 18–20
Salmo 110,1–4
1 Corintios 11, 23–26
Lucas 9,11–17

En el alba de la historia de la salvación, Dios reveló nuestro futuro mediante figuras. Sobre ello trata la primera lectura de hoy: un rey y sumo sacerdote viene de Jerusalén (cfr. Sal 76,3) y ofrece pan y vino para celebrar la victoria del amado siervo de Dios—Abrán—sobre sus adversarios.

Por medio de su ofrenda, Melquisedec consigue bendiciones divinas para Abrán.

Nos quiere mostrar también que un día recibiremos las bendiciones de Dios y también lo bendeciremos a Él; nos enseña cómo le daremos gracias por librarnos de nuestros enemigos, del pecado y de la muerte.

Como Pablo nos recuerda en la epístola de hoy, Jesús transformó el signo de pan y vino, haciéndolo signo de su Cuerpo y Sangre, mediante el cual Dios nos concede las bendiciones de su “nueva alianza”.

Jesús es el “sacerdote para siempre, según el orden de Melquisedec” de quien Dios jura—en el salmo de hoy—que regirá desde Sión, la nueva Jerusalén (cfr. Hb 6,20–7,3).

En el Evangelio de este día, con el milagro de los panes y peces, Jesús prefigura nuevamente las bendiciones de la Eucaristía.

Notemos que Él toma el pan, lo bendice, lo parte y lo se lo da a los Doce. Las mismas palabras, en idéntico orden, aparecen en la Última Cena (cfr. Lc 22,19) y en la celebración de la Eucaristía que Jesús hace la primera noche de pascua (cfr. Lc 24,30).

La Eucaristía cumple la ofrenda de Melquisedec. Es el milagro diario obrado por el sacerdocio celestial de Jesús.

Cristo confiere a los Apóstoles el sacerdocio al ordenarles alimentar a la multitud; al llenar exactamente doce canastas con el pan sobrante; al mandarles, la noche que iba a ser entregado: “Hagan esto en memoria mía”.

Por medio de sus sacerdotes, Jesús sigue alimentándonos en el “desierto” de nuestro exilio en esta tierra. Y mediante este signo nos da la prenda de la gloria futura. Cada vez que participamos de su Cuerpo y Sangre, proclamamos que ha vencido a la muerte hasta el día en que venga de nuevo para hacer nuestra su victoria.

Readings:
Genesis 14:18–20
Psalm 110:1–4
1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Luke 9:11–17

At the dawn of salvation history, God revealed our future in figures. That’s what’s going on in today’s First Reading: a priest-king comes from Jerusalem (see Psalm 76:3), offering bread and wine to celebrate the victory of God’s beloved servant, Abram, over his foes.

By his offering, Melchizedek bestows God’s blessings on Abram. He is showing us, too, how one day we will receive God’s blessings and in turn “bless God”—how we will give thanks to Him for delivering us from our enemies, sin and death.

As Paul recalls in today’s Epistle, Jesus transformed the sign of bread and wine, making it a sign of His body and blood, through which God bestows upon us the blessings of His “new covenant.”

Jesus is “the priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,” that God, in today’s Psalm, swears will rule from Zion, the new Jerusalem (see Hebrews 6:20–7:3).

By the miracle of loaves and fishes, Jesus in today’s Gospel, again prefigures the blessings of the Eucharist.

Notice that He takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to the Twelve. You find the precise order and words in the Last Supper (see Luke 22:19) and in His celebration of the Eucharist on the first Easter night (see Luke 24:30).

The Eucharist fulfills the offering of Melchizedek. It is the daily miracle of the heavenly high priesthood of Jesus.

It is a priesthood He conferred upon the Apostles in ordering them to feed the crowd, in filling exactly twelve baskets with leftover bread—in commanding them on the night He was handed over:
“Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Through His priests He still feeds us in “the deserted place” of our earthly exile.

And by this sign He pledges to us a glory yet to come. For as often as we share in His body and blood. we proclaim His victory over death, until He comes again to make His victory our own.

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time by Mr. Clement Harrold.

Ordinary Weekday / Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary First Reading: Second Chronicles 24: 17-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 89: 4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34
Alleluia: Second Corinthians 8: 9
Gospel: Matthew 6: 24-34

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

Ordinary Weekday First Reading: Second Kings 11: 1-4, 9-18, 20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 132: 11, 12, 13-14, 17-18
Alleluia: Matthew 5: 3
Gospel: Matthew 6: 19-23

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Thursday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time by Dr. Scott Hahn.

Ordinary Weekday First Reading: Sirach 48: 1-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 97: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7
Alleluia: Romans 8: 15bc
Gospel: Matthew 6: 7-15

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

Ordinary Weekday First Reading: Second Kings 2: 1, 6-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 31: 20, 21, 24
Alleluia: John 14: 23
Gospel: Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18

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