Today, June 16
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Readings of the Day
1st book of Kings 21,17-29.
After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: "Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has come to take possession. This is what you shall tell him, 'The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession? For this, the LORD says: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.'" "Have you found me out, my enemy?" Ahab said to Elijah. "Yes," he answered. "Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD'S sight, I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you and will cut off every male in Ahab's line, whether slave or freeman, in Israel. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah, because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin." (Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared, "The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.") "When one of Ahab's line dies in the city, dogs will devour him; when one of them dies in the field, the birds of the sky will devour him." Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab, urged on by his wife Jezebel. He became completely abominable by following idols, just as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD drove out before the Israelites. When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh. He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued. Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time. I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son."
Psalms 51(50),3-4.5-6ab.11.16.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: "Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight." Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt. Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God; then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5,43-48.
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Daily Reflection
“So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith” (Gal 6:10). This present time, the time during which the course of our life runs, is the time of sowing. During this life we can sow whatever we wish. When this life has run its course the time of activity will be taken away. That is why our Savior says: “Work while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work” (Jn 9:4). Whether we are sick or well, of low or high degree, poor or rich, starving or well fed, let us do everything patiently in the name of the Lord with equanimity of soul. Then the words of Scripture will be accomplished in us: “All things work for good for those who love God” (Rom 8:28). Even anger, passion, insults that cry out for revenge, become so many occasions of victory for me if I master myself, if I maintain silence for God’s sake, if, through each wounding sting and under the pressure of vice, I think of God looking at me from on high. When we distribute gifts don’t let us say: this one is a friend, that one I don’t know, this one deserves to receive, that one should be overlooked. Let us imitate our Father “who makes his sun rise on the bad and the good and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45). The source of his bounty is open to all. Slave and free, commoner and king, rich and poor, all drink freely from it. The lighted lamp in the house gives light to all without distinction. At the end of his life, when he could no longer express his thoughts in an extended narrative, Saint John the Evangelist only had this word to offer: “My little children, love one another” (cf. Jn 13:34). In the end his disciples said to him: “Master, why are you always telling us this?” John replied with this statement worthy of himself: “Because this is the teaching of the Lord; only fulfil it and that is enough.”