Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Jun 12 - Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837)
Summary: Bl Anna Maria Taigi, a good example of how an ordinary mother with little education can become a saint and influence others by her spirituality. Patrick Duffy tells her story here.
Early Life
Anna Maria Gesualda was born in 1769. She came from a moderately wealthy family of apothecaries in Siena. The family business failed when she was six and they had to move to Rome where she grew up in real poverty. Her parents had to work as domestic servants.
Schooling and Marriage
After her schooling she could recite most of the psalms by heart, but could scarcely read or write. Her father found employment with a relative of the prominent Chigi family and Anna fell in love with Domenico Taigi, the kitchen porter for Prince Chigi, who used to bring food to her family from the Chigi palace. They married - he was twenty eight, she was twenty. They had seven children, three of whom died.
Holiness and Tensions
Married life was hard enough. Domenico was a bit coarse, but when Anna's mother moved in, it caused untold difficulties as she proved quite interfering. Anna Maria herself felt a call to expiate for the sins of the world by exceptional penances. She had a vision of a dazzling globe surrounded by a crown of thorns where she could see present and future events anywhere in the world as well as the state of grace of individuals, living and dead. Domenico, not having any such vision, became ill-tempered and demanding. Also Napoleon's invasion of Rome caused the Chigi family to leave Rome and so Domenico was unemployed for some time.
Works of Charity, Prayer, and Spiritual Advice
Anna felt called to engage in many practical works of charity - caring for the sick and dying in hospitals, helping battered wives and even looking after stray cats. Many famous people - such as Napoleon's mother Letizia Buonaparte and the daughter of the queen of Spain Marie-Louise de Bourbon - heard of her great powers and came seeking spiritual advice. She had become a tertiary of the Order of the Trinity and later became the centre of a confraternity which met every Friday for the Stations of the Cross and prayer.
Her Death and Beatification
Anna's health failed and she died in 1837. The process for her beatification brought many testimonies of her holiness from nobles, cardinals and even the pope. Benedict XV beatified her in 1920 holding her as an example of how an ordinary mother can become a saint and influence others by her spirituality. Her feast is kept on the 9th June.
Bl Anna's body still lies uncorrupt. mage above right.
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Memorable Saying for Today
God created women with beauty and grace
to reflect His love and light in the world
~ Unknown ~
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Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 12th June, 2026
12 June 2026- The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - Solemnity, Year A
World Day of Prayer for Priests
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy 7 :6-11
The Lord set his heart on you and chose you.
Moses said to the people:
'You are a people consecrated to the Lord your God; it is you that the Lord our God has chosen to be his very own people out of all the peoples on the earth.
'
If the Lord set his heart on you and chose you, it was not because you outnumbered other peoples: you were the least of all peoples. It was for love of you and to keep the oath he swore to your fathers that the Lord brought you out with his mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know then that the Lord your God is God indeed, the faithful God who is true to his covenant and his graciousness for a thousand generations towards those who love him and keep his commandments, but who punishes in their own persons those that hate him; he makes him work out his punishment in person. You are therefore to keep and observe the commandments and statutes and ordinances that I lay down for you today.'
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 102:1-4. 6-8. 10.
Response The love of the Lord is everlasting
upon those who hold him in fear.
1. My soul, give thanks to the Lord, all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings. Response
2. It is he who forgives all your guilt, who heals everyone of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion. Response
3. The Lord does deeds of justice, gives judgement for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses and his deeds to Israel's sons. Response
4. The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St John 4:7-16
Love comes from God
My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love. God's love for us was revealed when God sent into the world his only Son so that we could have life through him; this is the love I mean: not our love for God, but God's love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.My dear people, since God has loved us so much, We too should love one another. No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another,
God will live in us and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit. We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in God's love towards ourselves.
God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Gospel Acclamation Mt 11:29
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 11:25-30 Glory to you, O Lord
I am gentle and humble in heart.
'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Reflection Friday, The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Matthew 11:25-30
In the traditional image of the Sacred Heart, Jesus reveals a heart that has been pierced. That image is probably inspired by today’s gospel reading, where a soldier pierces the side of Jesus, and immediately a flow of blood and water came forth. In that culture, blood and water were, in different ways, symbols of life. Through this scene, the evangelist is saying that the death of Jesus has been life-giving for all. We know from experience that truly selfless human love is always life-giving for those who receive such love. Jesus’ death on the cross revealed to the full his self-emptying love for us all. It is because his death was an expression of his love, God’s love, that it brings us life, symbolized by the flow of blood and water.
Earlier in this gospel of John Jesus had said that no one has greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. On the cross, Jesus revealed that greater love to the fullest possible extent. That is why we look upon the cross not just as an instrument of death but as a source of life. Earlier in John’s gospel Jesus had said that he came that we may life and have it to the full, and he completes that life-giving mission on the cross. Jesus was full of God’s love, throughout his ministry and especially on the cross. He calls on us to receive from his fullness, to open our hearts to the love that filled his heart.
In the language of Saint Paul, our lives are to be planted in the Lord’s love and to be built on his love. Today’s feast calls on us to be receptive to the fullness of God’s love poured out upon us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. In receiving this ‘greater love’, we will become more alive, and we will be empowered to love one another as the Lord has loved us, and, thereby, to be the same life-giving presence for others the Lord is for us.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from Reflections on the Weekday Readings : Your word is a lamp for my feet and light for my path by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 12th June, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHTSliocht as an Leabhar Deotranaimí 7:6-11
Istú a thogh an Tiarna do Dhia as na ciníocha uile ar chlár na cruinne le bheith i do phobalar leith aige féin.
Dúirt Maois leis an pobal:
Óir is pobal tú atá coisricthe don Tiarna do Dhia; istú a thogh an Tiarna do Dhia as na ciníocha uile ar chlár na cruinne le bheith i do phobalar leith aige féin.
“Níor thug an Tiarna grá daoibh, ná níor thogh sé sibh de bhrí gur líonmhaire sibh ná pobal ar bith eile, óir ba sibh an pobal ba shuaraí de na pobail go léir. Is le barr a ghrá daoibh agus toisc go bhfuil an Tiarna ag comhlíonadh an mhionna a mhionnaigh sé do bhur n-aithreacha, a thug an Tiarna amach sibh le láimh láidir agus a d’fhuascail sé sibh ó theach na daoirse, agus ó chumhacht Fhorainn rí na hÉigipte. Bíodh a fhios agat dá bhrí sin gur Dia dáiríre an Tiarna do Dhia, Dia dílis a choimeádann a chonradh agus a bhuanghrá ar feadh míle glúin ina leith siúd a ghránn é agus a chomhlíonann a aitheanta, ach a agraíonn é lena mbéal ar lucht a fhuatha agus scriosann iad. Is beag an mhoill air an té a thugann fuath dó a scrios; agraíonn sé lena bhéal air é.Coimeád, dá bhrí sin, go beacht, na haitheanta agus na reachta agus na dlíthe a ordaímse duit inniu.Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm: 102: 1-4. 6-8. 10.
Freagra Ach maireann buanghrá an Tiarna go síoraídon dream
ar a mbíonn a eagla.
1. Beannaigh an Tiarna, a anam liom; go mbeannaí a bhfuil ionam a ainm naofa.
Beannaigh an Tiarna, a anam liom; ná tabhair i ndíchuimhne a thíolacthaí uile. Freagra
2. Maitheann sé do chionta go léir duit; agus leigheasann sé d’easláintí uile.
Fuasclaíonn sé d’anam ón uaigh; corónaíonn sé le buanghrá is le trua thú. Freagra
3. Cuireann an Tiarna an fhíréantacht i bhfeidhm; tugann sé ceart dá mbíonn faoi dhaorsmacht.
Chuir sé a shlite in iúl do Mhaois; agus a ghníomhartha in iúl do chlann Iosrael. Freagra
4. Is grámhar trócaireach é an Tiarna, foighneach agus lán de cheansacht.
Ní de réir ár bpeacaí a roinneann sé linn; ní de réir ár gcionta a chúitíonn sé linn. Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Sliocht as céad Litir Naomh Pól Eoin 4:7-16
Is ó Dhia a thagannn an grá.
A chairde cléibh, tugaimis grá dá chéile mar gur ó Dhia an grá agus an té a thugann grá is ó Dhia a rugadh é,
agus aithníonn sé Dia. An té nach dtugann grá ní aithnid dó Dia, mar is é Dia an Grá.
Mar seo a foilsíodh grá Dé inár measc gur sheol sé a aon Mhac
sa saol le go mairimis-ne trídsean.
Seo é an grá – ní gur thugamarna grá do Dhia ach
gur thug seisean grá dúinne agus gur sheol uaidh a Mhac go mbeadh ina íobairt sásaimh ar ár bpeacaí. A chairde cléibh, ós fíor gur thug Dia grá dúinne nach mithid dúinne grá a thabhairt dá chéile. Ní fhaca aon duine Dia riamh.
Má thugaimid grá dá chéile maireann Dia ionainn agus is lánfhoirfe ionainn a ghrá.
Mar seo a thuigimid go mairimid ann agus go maireann seisean ionainn,
gur bhronn sé orainn riar dá Spiorad féin.
Agus chonaiceamar agus tugaimid fianaise gur sheol an tAthair uaidh a Mhac, Slánaitheoir an tsaoil.
Cibé admhaíonn gurb é Íosa Mac Dé maireann Dia ann agus maireann seisean i nDia. Agus is feasach dúinn agus creidimid an grá atá ag Dia dúinn.
Is grá é Dia agusan té a mhaireann sa ghrá maireann i nDia agus maireann Dia ann.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Alleluia, alleluia!
Tógaigí oraibh mo chuing agus tagaigí ar scoil chugamsa,
mar táim ceansa uiríseal ó chroí
Alleluia
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Mhatha 11:25-30 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Táim ceansa uiríseal ó chroí, agus gheobhaidh sibh faoiseamh do bhurn-anamacha
Labhair Íosa agus dúirt:“Tugaim buíochas duit, a Athair, a Thiarna neimhe agus talún, de chionn mar a cheil tú na nithe seo ar lucht eagna agus éirime agus mar a d’fhoilsigh tú do naíonáin iad. Sea, a Athair, óir is amhlaidh sin ba mhaith leat é.
Tá gach aon ní tugtha domsa ag m’Athair. Agus níl aithne ag aon neach ar an Mac ach amháin ag an Athair, ná níl aithne ag aon neach ar an Athair ach amháin ag an Mac agus an té ar toil leis an Mac a fhoilsiú dó.
“Tagaigí chugam, sibhse uile a bhfuil saothar agus tromualach oraibh, agus tabharfaidh mé faoiseamh daoibh. Tógaigí oraibh mo chuing agus tagaigí ar scoil chugamsa, mar táim ceansa uiríseal ó chroí, agus gheobhaidh sibh faoiseamh do bhurn-anamacha; 30óir tá mo chuing so-iompair agus m’ualach éadrom.”
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 14th June, 2026
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Exodus 19:2-6
I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation."
From Rephidim they set out again; and when they reached the wilderness of Sinai, there in the wilderness they pitched their camp; there facing the mountain Israel pitched camp.Moses then went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying,
'Say this to the House of Jacob, declare this to the sons of Israel,
"You yourselves have seen what I did with the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. From this you know that now, if you obey my voice and hold fast to my covenant, you of all the nations shall be my very own for all the earth is mine. I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation."
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 99: 2-3. 5. R/v 3
Response We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
1. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy. Response
2. Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock. Response
3. Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Romans 5:6-11
Now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son?
We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man - though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die - but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God's anger?When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Jn 10: 27
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
or Mk 1:15
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Kingdom of God is close at hand, Repent and believe the good news.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 9:36-10:8 Glory to you, O Lord
The harvest is rich but the labourers are few.
When Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples,
'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest'.
He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him.These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:
'Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966, by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 14th June, 2026
CHÉAD LÉACHTSliocht as an Leabhar Exodus 19:2-6
Beidh sibh agamsa in bhur ríocht sagart, in bhur náisiún coisricthe.’
Chuireadar chun siúil arís ó Reifídím agus nuair a shroicheadar fásach Shíonái, shuíodar a gcampa ansiúd san fhásach os comhair an tsléibhe. Ansin chuaigh Maois suas chun Dé agus ghlaoigh an Tiarna air ón sliabh á rá:“Abair é seo le teaghlach Iacóib agus fógair é do chlann Iosrael:
‘Chonaic sibh féin a ndearna mé leis na hÉigiptigh, agus conas mar a thóg mé liom sibh ar eití iolair agus a thug mé chugam féin sibh. Uime sin má ghéilleann sibh do mo ghlór agus cloí le mo chonradh beidh sibhse, thar na ciníocha go léir, i mo sheilbhse ar leithrigh, óir is liomsa an domhan ar fad. Beidh sibh agamsa in bhur ríocht sagart, in bhur náisiún coisricthe.’
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
SALM LE FREAGRA. Sm 99: 2-3. 5. R/v 3
Freagra Sinne a phobal agus caoirigh a pháirce.
1. Fónaigí don Tiarna go lúcháireach. tagaigí ina láthair le hamhráin áthais. Freagra
2. Bíodh a fhios agaibh gurb é an Tiarna is Dia ann. Eisean a rinne sinn; is leis féin sinn;
sinne a phobal agus caoirigh a pháirce. Freagra
3. Á, nach maith égo deimhin an Tiarna, nach marthanach a thrócaire ghrámhar!
Is dílis é ó ghlúin go chéile. Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Sliocht as Litir Naomh Pól chuig na Rómhánaigh 5:6-11
Agus má rinneadh athmhuintearas idir sinn agus Dia trí bhás a Mhic
A bhráithre, nuair a bhíomar fós lag, fuair Críost bás I dtráth ar son drochdhaoine. Is ar éigean a gheobhadh fear bás ar son duine chóir féin – is ea, b’fhéidir go mbeadh sé de chroí aige bás a fháil ar son dea-dhuine. Ach cruthaíonn Dia an grá atá aige dúinn trí Chríost a fháil bháis ar ár son agus sinn fós inár bpeacaigh. Ó táimid fíréanaithe anois trína chuid fola, nach móide go mór go saorfar sinn tríd ó fhearg Dé? Agus má rinneadh athmhuintearas idir sinn agus Dia trí bhás a Mhic agus sinn inár naimhde dó, nach móide go mór anois agus an t-athmhuintearas déanta go saorfar sinn trína bheatha? Agus ní hé sin amháin é, ach táimid mórálach as Dia trínár dTiarna Íosa Críost, an té a ghnóthaigh an t-athmhuintearas sin anois dúinn.Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Alleluia Véarsa Eo 10: 27
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Éisteann mo chaoirigh le mo ghlór, agus aithním iad, agus leanann siad mé.
Alleluia!
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Mhatha, 9:36-10:8 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
San am sin nuair a chonaic Íosa na sluaite, ghlac sé trua dóibh, mar go raibh siad ina luí go tréith mar a bheadh caoirigh gan aoire. Ansin dúirt sé lena dheisceabail: “Tá an fómhar fairsing ach níl ann ach meitheal bheag. Dá bhrí sin guígí Máistir an fhómhair go gcuireadh sé meitheal uaidh isteach ina fhómhar.”
Ghlaoigh sé chuige a dháréag deisceabal agus thug dóibh údarás ar na spioraid mhíghlana chun go gcaithfidís amach iad agus go leigheasfaidís gach galar agus gach éagruas.Is iad seo ainmneacha an dá aspal déag: Síomón ar dtús, ar a dtugtar Peadar, agus Aindrías a dheartháir, Séamas mac Zeibidé agus Eoin a dheartháir, Pilib agus Parthalán, Tomás agus Matha poibleacánach, Séamas mac Ailfáias agus Tadáias, Síomón Díograiseach agus Iúdás Isceiriót, an fear a bhraith é.
Chuir Íosa uaidh an dáréag sin leis na horduithe seo leanas:
“Ná gabhaigí an bóthar chun na ngintlithe agus ná téigí isteach i gcathair Shamárach ar bith; ní hea, ach téigí faoi dhéin chaoirigh caillte theaghlach Iosrael. Agus in bhur mbóthar daoibh, bígí á fhógairt go bhfuil ríocht na bhflaitheas in achmaireacht. Leigheasaigí lucht tinnis, tógaigí na mairbh, glanaigí na lobhair, caithigí amach na deamhain. In aisce a fuair sibh; tugaigí uaibh in aisce.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
