Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection June 08, 2026
Monday – 10th Week in Ordinary Time
08th June 2026 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 2
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kings 17:1-6
In those days: Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Psalm 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 R. (see 2)
R/. Our help shall come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
At that time: Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Monday – 10th Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: The world calls the strong and the self made happy. Jesus calls the poor, the mourning, and the hungry blessed. True happiness begins where our own resources end and God’s begin.
1. Ask almost anyone what makes a person happy, and the answers come quickly. Money. Comfort. Power. Being in control. We spend our whole lives chasing these things, certain that once we have enough, we will finally be at peace. Today Jesus quietly turns that whole list on its head.
2. He goes up the mountain, sits down, and begins the most famous sermon ever preached. But notice who He calls blessed. The poor in spirit. Those who mourn. The meek. The ones who hunger for righteousness. Not a single name on the world’s list of winners appears here.
3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the foundation of all the rest. To be poor in spirit is to know, deep down, that we cannot save ourselves. It is to stand before God with open, empty hands instead of a proud, full fist.
4. The first reading gives this a face. Elijah announces a drought, and then God sends him to hide by a tiny brook. There he has no income, no store of food, no plan of his own. He has nothing but the promise of God. And God commands the ravens to bring him bread and meat, morning and evening.
5. Think how strange that is. Ravens were unclean birds, scavengers, the last creatures you would trust to feed you. Yet God uses exactly them. When we are truly empty, God often provides through the very things we would never have chosen. Our job is simply to trust and receive.
6. That is the secret hidden inside the Beatitudes. They are not a list of nice virtues to admire. They are a portrait of a person who has stopped relying on self and started relying on God. The poor, the mourning, the hungry are blessed because their hands are open enough for God to fill.
7. And here is where it stings. Most of us would rather be self sufficient than blessed. We would rather have a full bank account than an open hand. We treat dependence on God as a last resort, something for emergencies, when Jesus calls it the doorway to real happiness.
8. Elijah sat by that drying brook with nothing but God’s word, and he was provided for. The Beatitudes promise the same. The kingdom, comfort, mercy, and the vision of God all belong to those humble enough to admit they need them. Heaven is not earned by the full. It is given to the empty.
My Practice: Where are you still pretending you do not need God? Find the corner of your life you have been managing entirely on your own, your finances, your future, your stubborn independence, and bring it to Him with open hands. Elijah trusted God for his next meal and the ravens came. Stop clutching, and let yourself be fed.
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