St. Kevin

St. Kevin
Feast day: June 3

Known in Ireland as Coemgen as well as Kevin, according to tradition he was born at the Fort of the White Fountain in Leinster, Ireland, of royal descent. He was baptized by St. Cronan and educated by St. Petroc. He was ordained, and became a hermit at the Valley of the Two Lakes in Glendalough. After seven years there, he was persuaded to give up his solitary life. He went to Disert-Coemgen, where he founded a monastery for the disciples he attracted, and later moved to Glendalough. He made a pilgrimage to Rome, bringing back many relics for his permanent foundation at Glendalough. He was a friend of St. Kieran of Clonmacnois, and was entrusted with the raising of the son of King Colman of Ui Faelain, by the king. Many extravagant miracles were attributed to Kevin, and he was reputed to be 120 years old at his death. His feast day is June 3rd.

reflection

Matthew 13: 24 - 30
24     Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25     but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
26     So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
27     And the servants of the householder came and said to him, `Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?'
28     He said to them, `An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?'
29     But he said, `No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
30     Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

next sunday

FIRST READING                         Amos 7:12-15

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, 'Go away, seer; get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.' 'I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,' Amos replied to Amaziah. 'I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel." ,

RESPONSORIAL PSALM:     Ps 84:9-14
Response :                                 Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
                                                  and give us your saving help.

1. I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
    a voice that speaks of peace,
    peace for his people.
    His help is near for those who fear him
    and his glory will dwell in our land.          Response

2. Mercy and faithfulness have met;
    justice and peace have embraced.
    Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
    and justice look down from heaven.        Response

3. The Lord will make us prosper
    and our earth shall yield its fruit.
    Justice shall march before him
    and peace shall follow his steps.             Response

SECOND READING                Ephesians 1:3-14

    Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.
    Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,
    to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
    determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ
    for his own kind purposes,
    to make us praise the glory of his grace,
    his free gift to us in the Beloved
    in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.
    Such is the richness of the grace
    which he has showered on us
    in all wisdom and insight.
    He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,
    the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning
    to act upon when the times had run their course to the end:
    that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head,
    everything in the heavens and everything on earth.

    And it is in him that we were claimed as God's own,
    chosen from the beginning,
    under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things
    as he decides by his own will;
    chosen to be,
    for his greater glory,
    the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.
    Now you too, in him,
    have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,
    and have believed it:
    and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the
    Promise,
    the pledge of our inheritance
    which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own,
    to make his glory praised.

Gospel  Acclamation                 Jn 6: 63. 68

Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are spirit, Lord,
and they are life:
you have the message of etemal life.
Alleluia!

or                                              Eph 1: 17. 18                       

Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL                                Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, 'Do not take a spare tunic.' And he said to them, 'If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.' So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.