Frankston Catholic

08/06/2026

Tuesday of the tenth week in Ordinary Time, Yr. A
Memorial of Saint Ephrem
June 9, 2026

First Reading 1 Kings 17:7-16
A reading from the first book of Kings
The jar of meal shall not be spent.

The stream in the place where Elijah lay hidden dried up, for the country had no rain. And then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, 'Up and go to Zarephath, a Sidonian town, and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to give you food.' So he went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, 'Please bring a little water in a vessel for me to drink.' She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. 'Please' he said 'bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.' 'As the Lord your God lives,' she replied 'I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.' But Elijah said to her, 'Do not be afraid, go ahead and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel:
"Jar of meal shall not be spent,
jug of oil shall not be emptied,
before the day when the Lord sends
rain on the face of the earth"'

The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm 4:2-5, 7-8
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

When I call, answer me, O God of justice;
from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me!
O men, how long will your hearts be closed,
will you love what is futile and seek what is false? R.

It is the Lord who grants favours to those whom he loves;
the Lord hears me whenever I call him.
Fear him; do not sin: ponder on your bed and be still. R.

'What can bring us happiness?' many say.
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
You have put into my heart a greater joy
than they have from abundance of corn and new wine. R.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your light shine before all,
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father.
Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 5:13-16
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
You are the light of the world.

Jesus said to his disciples: 'You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

'You are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

08/06/2026

Monday of the tenth week in Ordinary Time, Yr. A
June 8, 2026.

First Reading 1 Kings 17:1-6
A reading from the first book of the Kings
Elias stands before the Lord God of Israel.

Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead said to Ahab, 'As the Lord lives, the God of Israel whom I serve, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except at my order.'

The word of the Lord came to him, 'Go away from here, go eastwards, and hide yourself in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. You can drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to bring you food there.' He did as the Lord had said; he went and stayed in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening, and he quenched his thirst at the stream.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm 120:1-8
R. Our help is from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains:
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth. R.

May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel's guard. R.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
by day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night. R.

The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever. R.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad;
your reward will be great in heaven.
Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 5:1-12
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Happy are the poor in spirit.

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
'How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

'Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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06/06/2026

06/06/2026

Homily - The Solemnity Of The Body And Blood Of Christ, Year A

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ or “Corpus Christi”. It originated in France in the mid thirteenth century, and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. This feast of Corpus Christi has three feasts in one: the feast of the Eucharistic sacrifice, feast of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the feast of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It is a doctrinal feast established for three purposes: 1) to give God collective thanks for Christ’s abiding presence with us in the Eucharist and to honor him there; 2) to instruct the people in the Mystery, Faith and devotion surrounding the Eucharist, and 3) to teach us to appreciate and make use of the great gift of the Holy Eucharist, both as a Sacrament and as a sacrifice. This shows that the whole body of the Church is living with one life, the life of Jesus. He is the living bond of love that binds us together.

Today's celebration of the Body and Blood of the Lord is Christ's gift of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our life together as the Church. "The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of the God-man are really, truly, substantially, and abidingly present together with his soul and divinity by reason of the Transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. This takes place in the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass," (Council of Trent, 1551; CCC # 1374).

Our belief in this Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist derives from the literal interpretation of the promise of Christ to give us his Body and Blood for our spiritual food and drink, as found in St. John's Gospel, Chapter 6. Eucharistic theologians explain the Real Presence by a process called transubstantiation: the entire substance of bread and wine is changed into the entire substance of the risen and glorified Body and Blood of Christ, retaining only the “accidents” (taste, color, shape) of bread and wine. Can there be a religion in which God is closer to man than our Catholic Christianity? Jesus does not believe that he is humiliating himself in coming to us and giving himself to us in his Flesh and Blood; rather, he is expressing his everlasting love for us.

Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist during the Last Supper as a Sacramental banquet and a sacrificial offering. As a Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist is an outward sign in and through which we meet Jesus who shares his life of grace with us. “In the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained" (CCC #1374). In this Sacrament of the Eucharist, we do meet Jesus, the Risen Lord who comes to us under the signs of Bread and Wine to nourish and strengthen us for our journey through life. As a Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist imparts to us Jesus’ abiding presence in our souls. We share in his Divine life, which is an assurance of eternal life. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of our union with Jesus. In this Sacrament, Jesus gives us his own Body, broken for us on the cross and his precious Blood poured out for us, in order that our sins may be forgiven.

A life without Christ is a starved life. Jesus is the living bread, the food that is life itself. Man does not live by bread alone, but by the food of God’s word and the Eucharist. He lives in us and we live in Him. With understanding that Jesus equates the Eucharistic bread with his total person, we can see that, strictly speaking, it is an understatement to say that the Eucharistic bread is the body of Christ. It is more than the Body of Christ. It is the whole of Christ. It is ‘the body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Similarly, Jesus Christ is not merely present in the Blessed Sacrament; rather the Blessed Sacrament is Jesus Christ himself. It is not so much a question of presence as that of identity.

There is always need for repentance, and a need for the Sacramental confession of grave sins, before we receive Holy Communion. We should remember the warning given by St. Paul: Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the Bread and drink of the Cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the Body, eat and drink judgment against themselves." Let us receive Holy Communion with fervent love and respect -- not merely as a matter of routine. Such a union, plainly, means that our outward piety towards the consecrated Bread and Wine cannot coexist with rudeness, unkindness, slander, cruelty, gossiping or any other breach of charity toward our brothers and sisters. Jesus wants his followers to possess kindness, honesty, compassion, justice, transparency and pure motives, conscious that He is in them.

As we celebrate this great feast of Faith, let us worship what St. Thomas Aquinas did not hesitate to call, "the greatest miracle that Christ ever worked on earth.” .....My Body........ My Blood". Before the greatness of this mystery, let us exclaim with St. Augustine, "O Sacrament of devotion! O Sign of unity! O Bond of charity!"

As we receive communion today, let us be conscious that we are receiving Jesus Christ himself and let us open our hearts to receive the new life that He brings to us. Let us also repeat St. Thomas Aquinas' prayer of devotion in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament: "O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament Divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!"

Fr. Jude CSSp.

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06/06/2026

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

06/06/2026

THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
June 7, 2026

First Reading Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy
He gave you food which you and your ancestors did not know.

Moses said to the people: 'Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart - whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

'Do not then forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.'

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates,
he has blessed the children within you. R.

He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command. R.

He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees. R.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians
Though we are many, we form a single body because we share this one loaf.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live for ever.
Alleluia!

Gospel John 6:51-58
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.

Jesus said to the Jews:
'I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.'

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' they said. Jesus replied:
'I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

06/06/2026

Saturday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time, Yr. A

First Reading 2 Timothy 4:1-8
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy
Proclaim the Good News. lam already being destroyed and the Lord will give me the crown of righteousness.

Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience - but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching. The time is sure to come when, far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth, they will turn to myths. Be careful always to choose the right course; be brave under trials; make the preaching of the Good News your life's work, in thoroughgoing service.

As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 70:8-9, 14-17, 22
R. I will sing of your salvation.

My lips are filled with your praise,
with your glory all the day long.
Do not reject me now that I am old;
when my strength fails do not forsake me. R.

But as for me, I will always hope
and praise you more and more.
My lips will tell of your justice
and day by day of your help
(though I can never tell it all). R.

I will declare the Lord's mighty deeds
proclaiming your justice, yours alone.
O God, you have taught me from my youth
and I proclaim your wonders still. R.

So I will give thanks on the lyre
for your faithful love, my God.
To you will I sing with the harp
to you, the Holy One of Israel. R.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy the poor in spirit;
the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 12:38-44
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
This poor widow has given more than all others.

In his teaching Jesus said, 'Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men that swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.'

He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, 'I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

06/06/2026

Friday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time, Yr. A
Memorial of Saint Boniface.

First Reading 2 Timothy 3:10-17
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy
Whoever tries to live for Christ will be persecuted.

You know what I have taught, how I have lived, what I have aimed at; you know my faith, my patience and my love; my constancy and the persecutions and hardships that came to me in places like Antioch, Iconium and Lystra - all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord has rescued me from every one of them. You are well aware, then, that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.

You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures - from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm 118:157, 160-161, 165-166, 168
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Though my foes and oppressors are countless
have not swerved from your will.
Your word is founded on truth:
your decrees are eternal. R.

Though princes oppress me without cause
I stand in awe of your word.
The lovers of your law have great peace;
they never stumble. R.

I await your saving help, O Lord,
I fulfil your commands.
I obey your precepts and your will;
all that I do is before you. R.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
All who love me will keep my words,
and my father will love them, and we will come to them.
Alleluia, alleluia!

Gospel Mark 12:35-37
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
How can the scribes maintain that Christ is the son of David?

While teaching in the Temple, Jesus said, 'How can the scribes maintain that the Christ is the son of David? David, himself, moved by the Holy Spirit, said:
The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit at my right hand
and I will put your enemies
under your feet.
David himself calls him Lord, in what way then can he be his son?'
And the great majority of the people heard this with delight.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. See less

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06/06/2026

Thursday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time, Yr. A

First Reading 2 Timothy 2:8-15
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy
The word of God is not chained. If we have died with him, we shall live with him.

Remember the Good News that I carry, 'Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David'; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal - but they cannot chain up God's news. So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it.

Here is a saying that you can rely on:
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
If we disown him, then he will disown us.
We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful,
for he cannot disown his own self.

Remind them of this; and tell them in the name of God that there is to be no wrangling about words: all that this ever achieves is the destruction of those who are listening. Do all you can to present yourself in front of God as a man who has come through his trials, and a man who has no cause to be ashamed of his life's work and has kept a straight course with the message of the truth.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm 24:4-5, 8-10, 14
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Lord, make me know your ways.
Lord, teach me your paths.
Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:
for you are God my saviour. R.

The Lord is good and upright.
He shows the path to those who stray,
he guides the humble in the right path;
he teaches his way to the poor. R.

His ways are faithfulness and love
for those who keep his covenant and will.
The Lord's friendship is for those who revere him;
to them he reveals his covenant. R.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our Saviour Jesus Christ has done away with death
and brought us life through his gospel.
Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 12:28-34
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
This is the first commandment. The second is similar to it.

One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, 'Which is the first of all the commandments?' Jesus replied, 'This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord. and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.' The scribe said to him, 'Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.' Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And after that no one dared to question him any more.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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