14th Week of Pentecost

THURSDAY
1 John 5:13-21
I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly. We know that no one begotten by God sins; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one. We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Children, be on your guard against false gods.

Luke 16:9-12
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?

Prayer of the Faithful, vol.III
OPENING PRAYER
O loving One,
you make your sun to rise on the good and the bad,
and your rain to fall upon the just and the unjust;
let the light of your divine gifts shine in the hearts of those who adore you.
Illumine us by the light of your feast,
so that resplendent with these lights we may give you glory,
now and forever.
Amen.

Saints of the Day: Saint John of Nicomedia, martyred in 303A.D. at Nicomedia. When an edict of Christian persecution was posted in Nicomedia, John ripped it down and tore it to pieces; for this he was burned alive.
Saint Eupsychius of Caesarea, martyred in the persecutions of the Roman emperor Hadrian aroiund 130A.D. in Caesarea, Cappadocia.

Meditation:
14. When the blessed Apostles
were gathered together
the place shook
and the scent of Paradise,
having recognized its home,
poured forth its perfumes,
delighting the heralds
by whom
the guests are instructed
and come to His banquet;
eagerly He awaits their arrival
for He is the Lover of mankind.

15. Make me worthy through Your grace
to attain to Paradise’s gift
-this treasure of perfumes,
this storehouse of scents.
My hunger takes delight
in the breath of its fragrance,
for its scent gives nourishment to all
at all times,
and whoever inhales it
is overjoyed and forgets his earthly bread;
this is the table of the Kingdom-
blessed is He who prepared it in Eden.
– St. Ephrem the Syrian