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🌟365 Days with the Lord🌟
May 20, 2026

✅First Reading: Acts 20:28-38
✅Responsorial Psalm: Ps 68 ~ "Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth."
✅Gospel: Jn 17:11b-19

In his high-priestly prayer in John, Jesus speaks of his protecting and guarding his disciples while he was with them during his ministry of preaching the Gospel. The Synoptic Gospels present Jesus as defending his disciples against the accusations of the scholars of the Law and the Pharisees that these were not fasting, and that they were not observing the Sabbath rest and ritual cleanliness. Jesus rescued his disciples from the storm in the Sea of Tiberias. He healed Mary Magdalene and other women of evil spirits and infirmities. Now that he is returning to the Father, he ask God to keep them safe in the power of his name. He has also revealed to the disciples that they would not be left orphans as the Father will send "another" advocate or helper like him: the Holy Spirit.

📌References:
365 Days with the Lord: Liturgical Biblical Diary 2026; ST PAULS
Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com

🌟365 Days with the Lord🌟
May 19, 2026

✅First Reading: Acts 20:17-27
✅Responsorial Psalm: Ps 68 ~ "Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth."
✅Gospel: Jn 17:1-11a

Today's Gospel reading is the beginning of the great prayer if Jesus which is often called the "high priestly prayer" of Jesus. While it is the Letter to the Hebrews that presents Jesus as our compassionate High Priest, here Jesus acts as our intercessor before God. The high priest in Israel was selected among the people and was appointed to represent the people in matters related to God. And this is what Jesus does.

📌References:
365 Days with the Lord: Liturgical Biblical Diary 2026; ST PAULS
Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com

🌟365 Days with the Lord🌟
May 18, 2026

✅First Reading: Acts 19:1-8
✅Responsorial Psalm: Ps 68 ~ "Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth."
✅Gospel: Jn 16:29-33

The faithfulness of God to Jesus is based on something that is more profound. The foundation of this faithfulness is the oneness between Jesus, the Son, and God who is his Father. The mission of Jesus is from the Father who sent him, and who accompanies him always (Jn 8:29). It is based on their being "one" (Jn 10:30) which hints also at oneness in the Godhead.

📌References:
365 Days with the Lord: Liturgical Biblical Diary 2026; ST PAULS
Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com

Ascension Sunday
Sixth Sunday after Easter

The Ascension is the event, where Jesus arose into heaven, at the end of his time on earth.

Jesus' time on earth began with his birth. It was interrupted for three days by His death on the Cross. During that time, He descended into the realm of the dead and preached the Gospel to the good people who died before Him. This allowed those good and holy souls--the righteous dead, as we call them--who accepted Christ as their Savior to proceed to heaven. On the third day after his death and burial, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, an event we call the Resurrection. He spent the next 40 days preaching and preparing His disciples to perform the work of preaching and baptizing all people.

At the end of this 40 day period, Jesus ascended into heaven. We call this the Ascension.

It is said that by His death and Resurrection, Jesus opened the gates of heaven for all humanity. This is true, and His Ascension demonstrates this to us. It is His proof that those of us who believe in Him in faith and follow Him will also be raised on the last day, and enter into heaven.

From heaven, Jesus hears our prayers and intercedes for us with His Father.

We celebrate this on Ascension Sunday, which is celebrated forty days after Easter. Traditionally it is celebrated on a Thursday as a Holy Day of Obligation. The Church presently observes it on a Sunday to allow more of the faithful to attend Mass. It remains a Holy Day of Obligation, and the faithful are reminded that all Sundays are obligatory by default.

The Ascension should not be confused with Pentecost, which is celebrated 50 days after Easter. Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ, after His Ascension.

Reference: https://www.catholic.org/lent/ascension.php

🌟365 Days with the Lord🌟
May 17, 2026

✅First Reading: Acts 1:1-11
✅Responsorial Psalm: Ps 47 ~ "God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord."
✅Second Reading: Eph 1:17-23
✅Gospel: Mt 28:16-20

Today's Gospel shows us that Jesus does not sever his involvement with humanity when he ascends into heaven. In fact, Matthew, even if he knows that Jesus has gone to the sphere and glory of God, does not the describe the actual, visible event. Rather, he emphasizes the presence of Jesus, albeit no longer in a spatial and temporal order, as when he was preaching the Gospel.

The risen Savior opens a new chapter when he commissions the eleven Apostles to "make disciples of all nations" (v 19). In effect, he calls on each one of us to baptize and teach those that he himself began. This is confirmed by his final words of assurance to his disciples: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (v 20).

📌References:
365 Days with the Lord: Liturgical Biblical Diary 2026; ST PAULS
Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com

🌟365 Days with the Lord🌟
May 16, 2026

✅First Reading: Acts 18:23-28
✅Responsorial Psalm: Ps 47 ~ "God is king of all the earth."
✅Gospel: Jn 16:23b-28

Bible scholars speak of the "Johannine pendulum" in describing the "trajectory" of Jesus' mission. Because of God's love for the world, he sends his Son—the divine Logos—to become flesh, a "human" being, to dwell among men. This is the downward movement. After accomplishing his mission in the paschal events, Jesus—the incarnate Son of God—now returns to the Father. This is the upward movement. This is what he reveals to the disciples, "Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father" (v 28), rather than a cutting of relationship, is an intensification of his presence. Though no longer visible like during his historical time on earth, life on earth is replete with his presence, comfort, and guidance.

📌References:
365 Days with the Lord: Liturgical Biblical Diary 2026; ST PAULS
Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com

Feast Day of St. Isidore
May 15

Isidore has become the patron of farmers and rural communities. In particular, he is the patron of Madrid, Spain, and of the United States National Rural Life Conference.

When he was barely old enough to wield a hoe, Isidore entered the service of John de Vergas, a wealthy landowner from Madrid, and worked faithfully on his estate outside the city for the rest of his life. He married a young woman as simple and upright as himself who also became a saint—Maria de la Cabeza. They had one son, who died as a child.

Isidore had deep religious instincts. He rose early in the morning to go to church and spent many a holiday devoutly visiting the churches of Madrid and surrounding areas. All day long, as he walked behind the plow, he communed with God. His devotion, one might say, became a problem, for his fellow workers sometimes complained that he often showed up late because of lingering in church too long.

He was known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isidore’s supplying them miraculously with food. He had a great concern for the proper treatment of animals.

He died May 15, 1130, and was declared a saint in 1622, with Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, and Philip Neri. Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.”

Many implications can be found in a simple laborer achieving sainthood: Physical labor has dignity; sainthood does not stem from status; contemplation does not depend on learning; the simple life is conducive to holiness and happiness. Legends about angel helpers and mysterious oxen indicate that his work was not neglected and his duties did not go unfulfilled. Perhaps the truth which emerges is this: If you have your spiritual self in order, your earthly commitments will fall into order also. “[S]eek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,” said the carpenter from Nazareth, “and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).

Reference: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-isidore-the-farmer/