Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection June 09, 2025
Monday – 10th Week in Ordinary Time
09th June 2025 (Monday)
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
Psalter: Week 2
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:1-7
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
Psalm 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (R. 9a)
R/. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
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: Today on the Monday after the Pentecost Sunday, Mary is honoured as the Mother of the Church. Pope Francis on 3 March 2018 declared Mary is truly the Mother of the Church
1. It is truly meaningful to celebrate Mary as the Mother of the Church soon after the Pentecost. A new church is born on the Pentecost, the day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This newborn child rightly needs a mother. And Mary is that mother who feeds, nurtures, strengthens, guides, and accompanies this newborn church.
2. Mary perfectly fulfils this role of mothering. How this is possible, becomes clear in the light of both the readings. In reference to the first reading, Mary shares abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, and so through Christ she shares abundantly in comfort too. She surrendered herself totally to the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that she is able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the same comfort with which she herself is comforted by God.
3. It is true that in our life we have situations that discourage us. But today we are encouraged by the fact that our God is always a God of encouragement. In our present times, disappointment and discouragement are quite rampant. No one is exempt from this, whether poor or rich, clever or uneducated, high status or low. Many lose a sense of meaning and happiness in life because of discouragement.
4. The beatitudes in the gospel are the most concrete and authentic means and expressions of encouragement. Those who follow the beatitudes obtain God’s greatest encouragement in the form of blessedness and eternal life itself. The encouragement of God that encourages those who follow his beatitudes, overflows to others to encourage them in their afflictions.
5. Mary embodies the beatitudes. We see that the present society languishes in an atmosphere of lack of love, tenderness, sensitivity, and guidance. In other words, this is all the lack of a mother’s heart, the lack of a mothering spirit. Evil breeds when mothering fails. The same thing happens in the church as well.
6. When the so-called followers of Christ denounce and discard the very mother of Christ, they are throwing away deliberately the mothering by the mother. One who does not love the mother, cannot love others as well. This obligatory memorial of Mary as the Mother of the Church is a clear call for all of us to rediscover and recapture the lost love, devotion, and imitation concerning Mary.
My Practice: Jesus knows that we all need a mother, the Mother. He gives his own mother to be our mother. Why do we want to be orphans, rejecting to love her and to be loved by her?.
