SATURDAY  20  MAY

SAINT Bernardino of Siena

Bernardino (“Little Bernard”) was born in Tuscany. Inspired by St Vincent Ferrer, he was an energetic and popular preacher. He denounced usury, promoted peace, worked hard for the reform and discipline of the Franciscan order, and for church unity.

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. 1 Pt 2: 9

O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia.

Collect

O God, whose Son, at his Ascension to the heavens, was pleased to promise the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, grant, we pray, that, just as they received manifold gifts of heavenly teaching, so on us, too, you may bestow spiritual gifts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

First reading: Acts 18:23-28

Paul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers. An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way. When Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God’s grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way he refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Psalm 46:2-3, 8-10

R/ God is king of all the earth.

All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear, great king over all the earth.

God is king of all the earth, sing praise with all your skill. God is king over the nations; God reigns on his holy throne.

The princes of the people are assembled with the people of Abraham’s God. The rulers of the earth belong to God, to God who reigns over all.

Gospel Acclamation: Jn14:16

Alleluia, alleluia! I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever. Alleluia!

Gospel: John 16:23-28

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you most solemnly, anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete. I have been telling you all this in metaphors, the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors; but tell you about the Father in plain words. When that day comes you will ask in my name; and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you, because the Father himself loves you for loving me and believing that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world and now I leave the world to go to the Father.”

Prayer over the Offerings

Graciously sanctify these gifts, O Lord, we pray, and, accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us an eternal offering to you. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Jn 17: 24

Father, I wish that, where I am, those you gave me may also be with me, that they may see the glory that you gave me, alleluia.

Prayer after Communion

We have partaken of the gifts of this sacred mystery, humbly imploring, O Lord, that what your Son commanded us to do in memory of him may bring us growth in charity. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

Asking God for something in Jesus’ name is different from asking in our own name. We need to include him in our decision making and try to see things as he does. When we do this, we transcend ourselves, we are open to God’s will. God may not give us exactly what we ask for, but he will never fail to give us what we need. Jesus speaks easily of coming from the Father and into the world, and leaving the world again to go to the Father. Do I feel the Father’s presence? Do I feel that he is here with me in love throughout my life, as he will be in the world to come?