Readings for the Optional Memorial of St. John of Avila

Readings
for the Memorial of

John of Avila
Priest and Doctor of the Church
May 10

Go to the Liturgy of the Hours

MASS

From the Common of Pastors: For One Pastor, or the Common of Doctors of the Church.

FIRST READING Acts 13:46-49
Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM          23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6

R.(1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

ALLELUIA      Mt 5:16
Let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father

GOSPEL           Mt 5:13-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Liturgy of the Hours
John of Avila

Office of Readings

SECOND READING

From the writings of Saint John De Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church
(Tractatus de amore Dei erga nos, 1.2.4: Madrid 2004)

The love of Christ, his face ever turned toward the Father

The source which draws our heart more completely to the love of God is the vision of the deepest love with which God himself burns for us, and his most blessed Son, our Lord, burns with him. By this, the heart is drawn toward loving rather than rewards: a benefactor may give what he possesses, but a lover offers himself with all that he possesses, so that there is nothing left for him to give

Now, let us therefore explore, O Lord, whether you love us, and, if you do, how great must be your love toward us.

Parents greatly love their children, but do you truly love us as a father loves? We have not entered the bosom of your heart, my God, that we might be able to perceive all that is there. But your Only Begotten Son, who descended from that bosom, brought the signs of these things, and commanded us to call you Father because of the infinite love with which you loved us. For as you alone are good by the eminence of your sovereign kindness, so you alone are Father; thus, you do such great things that no one may stand before the very depths of your fatherhood and in the same sense be called father.

And if you, dear reader, still lack trust in this great love, consider all the blessings that God has granted you, because they are all pledges and witnesses of his love. Consider how numerous these blessings are, and you will see that whatever exists in the heavens and on the earth, even your body and its organs, every hour and moment of your life, are all blessings bestowed by the Lord. Consider also how much good counsel you have received, the good things that you have had in this life, and even the dangers that you have escaped in this life, and the diseases and punishments which could have overtaken you had he not set you free. These are all clear signs of love for you. And finally, turn your eyes toward this whole world which was created only for your good and, together with all creatures within it, demonstrates love, proclaims love, and makes you a sharer in love.

And now let us see also how great is the love with which the Son he gave us has burned for us. No tongue is worthy to speak of it! Some lacking knowledge and understanding still cannot experience this love, which, in their opinion, results from the perfection of the one being loved.

The love of Christ, however, does not arise from a perfection inherent in us, but from that which Christ possesses, namely a face ever turned toward the Father.

RESPONSORY Cf. Eph 3:18-19; Jn 3:16
May you have strength to comprehend the love of Christ that surpasses all understanding,
- And be filled with all the fullness of God, alleluia.

For God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son,
so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life:
- And be filled with all the fullness of God, alleluia.

COLLECT
O God, who gave to your clergy and people Saint John De Avila,
a teacher outstanding for the holiness and zeal of his life,
grant, we pray, that in our own time
the Church may increase in holiness
by the exceptional devotion of your ministers.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Home

Prayers

The
Saints