First Reading: 2 Kings 11: 1-4, 9-28
Psalms: Psalm 57: 3-6, 11, 16
Gospel Reading: Matthew 6: 19-23

Vigil of Saint John the Baptist

First Reading: Jeremiah 1: 4-10
Psalms: Psalm 132: 11-14, 17-18
Second Reading: 1 Peter 1: 8-12
Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 5-17


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Saturday, June 17, 2000

Saturday June 24:
Feast of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist on Saturday

White vestments

First Reading: Isaiah 39: 1-6
Psalms: Psalm 139: 1-3, 13-15
Second Reading: Acts 13: 22-26
Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 57-66, 80


Feast of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist
    As the account of Luke 1: 5-80 relates, Saint John the Baptist was the son of Elizabeth and Zachariah. Elizabeth of course was the cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary who came to help her cousin while both were pregnant. John, while in Elizabeth's womb, recognized the Divinity of the child in Mary's womb as "he leapt for joy". During this time his father Zachariah had been struck dumb because he doubted while in the temple where he beheld a vision from the Archangel Gabriel foretelling of John's role as preparing the way for the Savior. Still without voice at John's birth, the relatives and highpriests were arguing among themselves as to what this child's name should be when God gave voice back to Zachariah after he had written on a tablet for all to see: "John is his name." Indeed, as we all know, John went on to be "the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord." He became known as "the Baptist" or "Baptizer" because he baptized countless people, exhorting them to do penance and to amend their ways. Just as he was the precursor to Christ, his agenda was also the precursor for the Sacrament of Reconciliation which he proclaimed when he beheld Jesus at the shore of the River Jordan, "Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1: 29) John was the bridge between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In Sirach 48: 1-10 we see that he is the new Elijah. John was born in the summer when the days begin to get shorter while Jesus was born in the winter when the days begin to grow longer. This symbolism was pointed out by Saint Augustine in his writings. Because of his role in salvation, the beloved St. John the Baptist is given two feast days in the Liturgical Calendar - today and August 29th when his martyrdom by beheading is commemorated.

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SUNDAY, June 23, 2000

CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY June 25:
SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
Nineteenth Anniversary of the Apparitions in Medjugorje

White vestments

First Reading: Exodus 24: 3-4
Psalms: Psalm 116: 12-13, 15-18
Second Reading: Hebrews 9: 11-15
Gospel Reading: Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26


FEAST OF THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

    Jesus says in John 6: 48, "I am the Bread of Life." The Feast of Corpus Christi which means "The Body of Christ" is intended to glorify the Blessed Sacrament in which Jesus is present Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. For centuries the custom was to exclaim this publicly by processing through the church and often into the streets on this feast with the celebrant holding the Eucharist aloft in the sacred Monstrance for all to see and worship. Many times the procession would stop at smaller altars, especially in Europe where side altars were the norm, to offer Benediction with the final Benediction and blessing given at the main altar. This special feast was first established in 1246 by Bishop Robert de Thorote of Liege through the encouragement of Saint Juliana of Mont Cornilon and less than 20 years later in 1264 this feast was extended to the universal Church by Pope Urban IV at the urging of Saint Thomas Aquinas whose deep love for the Blessed Sacrament is legendary. Thomas wrote the original office of this feast including the Sequence sung at the Mass Pange Lingua. In recent times the Feast of Corpus Christi has officially been called the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ and celebrated on the Sunday following the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

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Monday, June 19, 2000

Monday June 19:
Weekday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: 2 Kings 17: 5-8, 13-15
Psalms: Psalm 60: 3-5, 12-13
Gospel Reading: Matthew 7: 1-5







June 23-25, 2000
volume 11, no. 112
DAILY LITURGY

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