Aside from the tears He shed when Lazarus died and when He wept for Jerusalem, Jesus became vulnerable when He told His disciples, “Stay here and watch with me.” Unlike Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, I find it hard to be vulnerable to God, to myself, and to others. Partly because my ego won’t let me and partly because people have turned away from me when I was at my weakest. So, I learned to put up a brave front while I cried silently within. Alone.

In my faith journey, if there’s anyone with whom I can be weak and in pain, it’s Jesus. He promised to be with me always (Matthew 28:20). No matter the mess I’ve made, He never forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5). Just as the Father stayed with Jesus at His weakest on the cross, Jesus is also there for me at every moment.

At His most vulnerable, Jesus surrendered Himself to the Father’s will. By His mercy and grace, may I surrender too. 

Dina Pecaña (dina.p@shepherdsvoice.com.ph) 

reflect

“We must become vulnerable to ourselves, to God, and to those around us. This is the pathway to biblical strength that God calls us all to.” (John Edwards)

Jesus, teach me to be vulnerable like You. There is strength in vulnerability, for it is when I am weak that I am strong. Let me rely on Your wisdom and strength because these are enough for me.

St. Justus of Urgel, pray for us.

First Reading | Genesis 22:9-18 (or Hebrews 10:4-10)

We have all been chosen by God for eternal life; however, we must respond to Him. When we embrace His offer of grace, anything is possible. But if we rely solely on our strength, we will face suffering and adversity. God knows us best! Let us follow His lead and walk the path toward the fullness of life.

⁹ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’ ¹² He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, from me.’ ¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’ ¹⁵ Again the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, ¹⁶ and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sands which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies, ¹⁸ and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.’  

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 40:7-8, 10-11, 17

R: Behold I have come, Lord, to do your will.

⁷ You delight not in sacrifice and offering, but in an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and sin-offering. ⁸ Then said I, ‘Behold, I come.’ (R) ¹⁰ Your righteousness I have proclaimed in the great assembly. My lips I have not sealed; you know it, O Lord. ¹¹ Your saving help I have not hidden in my heart; your faithfulness and salvation I have spoken. (R) ¹⁷ O, let there be rejoicing and gladness for all who seek you; let them ever say, ‘The Lord is great,’ who long for your salvation. (R)  

Gospel | Matthew 26:36-42

Trusting in the Lord at all times is one of the great challenges of a Christian. To trust someone, we must build a relationship with them, which requires time and commitment. Otherwise, that relationship will wither and fade. In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks the disciples to stay awake and pray. He longs for their support and solidarity in this difficult moment of His life. Yet, they let Him down—they fall asleep. This passage invites us to reflect on our own relationships and consider whether we, too, have been “missing in action” rather than attentive to and supportive of our friends in their times of need.

Gospel Acclamation

Christ became obedient for us unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has exalted him and given him a name which is above every name.

³⁶ Jesus went with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ ³⁷ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, ‘My soul is sorrowful, even to death; remain here and keep watch with me.’ ³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’ ⁴⁰ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ ⁴² Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, thy will be done!’

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 SAMUEL  29 - 31 today.

It Takes a Village to Make a Priest

The Thursday after the Feast of Pentecost is the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest. Why Thursday? Because it was on a Thursday, during the Last Supper, when Jesus established the sacraments of the Priesthood and the Eucharist.

The priesthood of priests during the Old Testament times was primarily cultic. Their role was to offer sacrifices of atonement by slaughtering and burning the animals offered by the people and brought to the temple of Jerusalem as an atonement for sins.

The priesthood of Jesus was different. His priesthood was not cultic and confined to the sanctuary. He went about preaching and inaugurating the Kingdom of heaven. He did not offer sacrifice—He Himself became the sacrifice. 

Today, we thank God for the gift of the priesthood that Jesus, the High Priest, left us as a perpetual memorial of His once-and-for-all sacrifice. How can we thank God for this gift of priesthood?

First, by our prayer, especially for the gift of more vocations to the priesthood. Jesus instructed us in the Gospels: “Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38). More importantly, pray for the priests’ perseverance and preservation in holiness. St. John Mary Vianney once taught that if there is one devil assigned for every individual person, there are a multitude working for the downfall of each priest. Understandably, because if a priest falls, it affects the multitude with him.

Second, by our participation. Priests cannot do it alone. The Church is called the Body of Christ for a reason. As every limb and organ contribute to the overall health of one’s body, so every baptized Christian has an important contribution in the growth of the Church community.

And lastly, by our praise. Praise simply means a pat on the back or a word of encouragement. Priests are humans as well, and every word of thanks and appreciation will surely encourage their spirit. 

Fr. Joel O. Jason 

reflection question

In the middle of the word “church” is the letter “U.” That letter is you!

O Mary, mother of priests, pray for us. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________________________