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May 25, 2013   Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Sir 17:1-15 God from the earth created man,and in his own image he made him.He makes man return to earth again,and endows him with a strength of his own.Limited days of life he gives him,with power over all things else on earth.He puts the fear of him in all flesh,and gives him rule over beasts and birds.He created for them counsel, and a tongue and eyes and ears, and an inventive heart,and filled them with the discipline of understanding.He created in them knowledge of...

Perhaps we need to pray for the second coming After reading headlines and the news this morning, I realized that the only way out of our rush to chaos, is to find a leader who can awaken the sleeping, invigorate the downhearted, punish the guilty and annihilate the evil.

Out of the Pit Today's Scripture “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on the solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” (Psalm 40:2, NLT) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Everyone goes through seasons when they feel like they are in a pit. That pit can be a frustration or disappointment or a feeling of discouragement, despair or hopelessness. And maybe you can’t see a way out, but you’ve got to know that God is still with you, and He will make a way...

The Delight of Despair "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead" —Revelation 1:17 It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.� There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to...

May 24, 2013 Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Sir 6:5-17 A kind mouth multiplies friends and appeases enemies,and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.Let your acquaintances be many,but one in a thousand your confidant.When you gain a friend, first test him,and be not too ready to trust him.For one sort is a friend when it suits him,but he will not be with you in time of distress.Another is a friend who becomes an enemy,and tells of the quarrel to your shame.Another is a friend, a boon companion,who will not be with you when sorrow...

On Sunday, May 26th, solemnity of the Holy Trinity, Pope Francis will visit the Parish of Saints Elizabeth and Zechariah in Rome where he will preside over the morning Mass.During the celebration, the Holy Father will give First Eucharist to 16 children and will distribute Communion to 28 others.“For May 26th, we had planned for the First Communion on third Sunday [of the month] but given the extraordinary circumstances of the event, we thought it would be good for the children who received Communion last year to participate in this feast with our Bishop. That way all plus 44 more...

From a reader: we will be on a Greek island without a Catholic church on a Sunday:can we attend the Greek mass and/or receive the Sacrament? You can, and I think should, attend the Greek Divine Liturgy if attending a Catholic Mass is not possible. The impossibility of attending a Catholic Mass in a Catholic church or chapel that day absolves you of your obligation (no one is bound by law to do what is impossible).Even though you can’t fulfill your canonical Sunday obligation, and therefore you are absolved of that obligation, you still have an obligation in natural law...

Remain Confident of This Today's Scripture “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria When David wrote Psalm 27, he was going through a tough time. Things weren’t going his way. But he said in effect, “I’m not worried. I’m not upset. I am confident that I will see God’s goodness.” In other words, “This situation I’m in may be rough, but that’s not going to steal my vision. That’s not going to cause me to give up on...

Our Careful Unbelief ". . . do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on" —Matthew 6:25 Jesus summed up commonsense carefulness in the life of a disciple as unbelief. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will squeeze right through our lives, as if to ask, “Now where do I come into this relationship, this vacation you have planned, or these new books you want to read?� And He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first...

May 23, 2013   Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Sir 5:1-8 Rely not on your wealth;say not: “I have the power.”Rely not on your strengthin following the desires of your heart.Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”for God will surely exact the punishment.Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”for the Most High bides his time.Of forgiveness be not overconfident,adding sin upon sin.Say not: “Great is his mercy;my many sins he will forgive.”For mercy and anger alike are with him;upon the wicked alights his...

(RNS) Nothing upsets the folks in the pews as much as changing the liturgy that theyÂ’re accustomed to, and that seemed likely to be the case when the Vatican ordered revisions to the familiar prayers and rubrics of the Catholic Mass.But now, more than a year after the changes took effect in U.S. parishes, a survey of American priests shows that they are more disturbed by the innovations than their flocks.Congregants pray during Catholic mass at St. Therese Little Flower parish in Kansas City, Mo. on Sunday, May 20, 2012. RNS photo by Sally Morrow This image available for Web...

The Place of Blessing Today's Scripture Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’ 1 Kings 17:2-4, NIV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria In scripture, God had a place of provision for Elijah. He gave specific instructions, and as long as Elijah obeyed, he would walk right in to His place of blessing. Just as God directed Elijah to his place of blessing, God is...

The Explanation For Our Difficulties ". . . that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . ." —John 17:21 If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one� with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became...

May 22, 2013 Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Sir 4:11-19 Wisdom breathes life into her childrenand admonishes those who seek her.He who loves her loves life; those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.He who holds her fast inherits glory;wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.Those who serve her serve the Holy One;those who love her the LORD loves.He who obeys her judges nations;he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.If one trusts her, he will possess her;his descendants too will inherit her.She walks with him as a strangerand...

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.(Genesis 1:1)This simple sentence, given to us as a Revelation from God through Moses, has launched hundreds of thousands of books, papers, sermons, and essays, and has underpinned our entire civilization. It is a theological statement, but it has also led to our modern concept of science, technology, philosophy, and our western epistemology (concept of truth). Thus the departure from Genesis 1:1 and all that follows it, has been the deepest and perhaps least appreciated reason for our current civilizational decline and pending collapse. Here in these spare words, selected by...

He Opens and Closes Doors Today's Scripture I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:8, ESV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria God opens doors of opportunity before us that no one is able to shut. But we have to realize, sometimes He also closes doors because He has something better in store. We may see a logical opportunity, but just because it’s the...

Having God’s “Unreasonable” Faith "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" —Matthew 6:33 When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. “. . . seek first the kingdom of God . . . .� Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, “But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.� The great concern of our lives is not...

May 21, 2013 Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Sir 2:1-11 My son, when you come to serve the LORD,stand in justice and fear,prepare yourself for trials.Be sincere of heart and steadfast,incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,undisturbed in time of adversity.Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;thus will you be wise in all your ways.Accept whatever befalls you,when sorrowful, be steadfast,and in crushing misfortune be patient;For in fire gold and silver are tested,and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.Trust God and God will help you;trust in...

Father Jordi Piqué, dean of the Pontifical University of Saint Anselmo's liturgical institute. Rome, Italy, May 20, 2013 / 09:34 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A pontifical university in Rome has launched a master's program in Gregorian chant and the use of the organ at Mass so as to build unity among Catholics world-wide. “The most important thing is that music, when it is truly liturgical, creates community,� Father Jordi Piqué, dean of the Pontifical University of Saint Anselmo's liturgical institute, said May 20. “When one hears a Mass that is sung or the organ interpreting a beautiful melody, it’s never...

His Ways Are Higher Today's Scripture For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8, ESV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria We all have dreams that we’re believing God for and situations we want to see turn around. Too often, we put God in a box and tell Him how to do it, when to do it, and who to use to do it. We’ve got it all figured out: how God is going to bring us out of debt, how He is going to change our loved one,...

Taking Possession of Our Own Soul "By your patience possess your souls" —Luke 21:19 When a person is born again, there is a period of time when he does not have the same vitality in his thinking or reasoning that he previously had. We must learn to express this new life within us, which comes by forming the mind of Christ (see Philippians 2:5). Luke 21:19 means that we take possession of our souls through patience. But many of us prefer to stay at the entrance to the Christian life, instead of going on to create and build our...

May 20, 2013   Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Sir 1:1-10 All wisdom comes from the LORDand with him it remains forever, and is before all timeThe sand of the seashore, the drops of rain,the days of eternity: who can number these?Heaven’s height, earth’s breadth,the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?Before all things else wisdom was created;and prudent understanding, from eternity.The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdomand her ways are everlasting.To whom has wisdom’s root been revealed?Who knows her subtleties?To whom has the discipline of wisdom been...

We sing the Psalms because the people of God have been doing so since as early as Moses (Ps. 90) and especially during the days of David, when the Psalter became the “hymnal” of Israel. When we sing them, we identify with our most ancient forefathers and offer transcendent praise, applicable in all times and in all places.

Out of the Wreck I Rise "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" —Romans 8:35 God does not keep His child immune from trouble; He promises, “I will be with him in trouble . . .� (Psalm 91:15). It doesn’t matter how real or intense the adversities may be; nothing can ever separate him from his relationship to God. “In all these things we are more than conquerors . . .� (Romans 8:37). Paul was not referring here to imaginary things, but to things that are dangerously real. And he said we are “super-victors� in the midst...

May 19, 2013 Pentecost Sunday - Mass during the Day   Reading 1 Acts 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,they were all in one place together.And suddenly there came from the skya noise like a strong driving wind,and it filled the entire house in which they were.Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,which parted and came to rest on each one of them.And they were all filled with the Holy Spiritand began to speak in different tongues,as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heavenstaying in Jerusalem.At...

May 19, 2013 Pentecost Sunday - At the Vigil Mass   Reading 1 Gn 11:1-9 The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.While the people were migrating in the east,they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.They said to one another,“Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.”They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a cityand a tower with its top in the sky,and so make a name for ourselves;otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.” The LORD...

Living Simply— Yet Focused "Look at the birds of the air . . . . Consider the lilies of the field . . ." —Matthew 6:26, 28 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin�— they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and...

May 18, 2013   Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself,with the soldier who was guarding him. Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews.When they had gathered he said to them, “My brothers,although I had done nothing against our peopleor our ancestral customs,I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem.After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me,because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty.But when the Jews objected, I was...

Secret Petitions Today's Scripture “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4, AMP) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria In the Psalms, it talks about the secret petitions of our heart. These are the hidden dreams that you haven’t told anybody about. One way you know they’re from God is that they’re so big you cannot accomplish them on your own. God does this on purpose so that it will take faith. Faith is what pleases God. Faith is what allows Him to do the impossible....

His Ascension and Our Access "It came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven" —Luke 24:51 We have no experiences in our lives that correspond to the events in our Lord’s life after the transfiguration. From that moment forward His life was altogether substitutionary. Up to the time of the transfiguration, He had exhibited the normal, perfect life of a man. But from the transfiguration forward— Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection— everything is unfamiliar to us. His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race...

May 17, 2013 Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 25:13b-21 King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesareaon a visit to Festus.Since they spent several days there,Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying,“There is a man here left in custody by Felix.When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jewsbrought charges against him and demanded his condemnation.I answered them that it was not Roman practiceto hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusersand had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge.So when they came together...

Ask Big Today's Scripture …you do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2, NKJV. Today's Word from Joel and Victoria I wonder today how many people have been disappointed simply because they didn’t pray and ask God for the big things in their hearts. You might say, “Well, Joel, God is God. If He wants to bless me, He will bless me.” But no, it says in James 4:2, “You have not because you ask not.” If you’re not asking big, you are shortchanging yourself. You will never reach the fullness of your potential if you only...

The Habit of Recognizing God’s Provision ". . . you may be partakers of the divine nature . . ." —2 Peter 1:4 We are made “partakers of the divine nature,� receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, “Oh, I can’t afford it.� One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us...

May 16, 2013   Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Wishing to determine the truthabout why Paul was being accused by the Jews,the commander freed himand ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,so he called out before the Sanhedrin,“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”When he said this,a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and...

The problem with much Christian worship in the contemporary world, Catholic and Protestant alike, is not that it is too entertaining but that it is not entertaining enough. Worship characterized by upbeat rock music, stand-up comedy, beautiful people taking center stage, and a certain amount of Hallmark Channel sentimentality neglects one classic form of entertainment, the one that tells us, to quote the Book of Common Prayer, that “in the midst of life we are in death.” It neglects tragedy. Tragedy as a form of art and of entertainment highlighted death, and death is central to true Christian worship. The...

Dare to Ask Today's Scripture “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20, NLT) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria When was the last time you asked God to do something impossible, something out of the ordinary? I believe that one reason we don’t see God do great things is because we only ask Him for small things. Most people pray over their food, pray for protection, or pray for wisdom. That’s all good, but don’t limit what God...

The Habit of Rising to the Occasion ". . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling . . ." —Ephesians 1:18 Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must “work out...

POETRY I always long to compose poetry to condense my love into most beautiful expressions for God, but time after time, I threw my poem and writing away right after I finished. It is impossible to describe how I love Him because He only knows, already knows, and knows more than myself. How can I describe my beating heart of which all motions are only magical vibrations from its Maker’s. I love Him because He first loves me with unconditional and boundless love. I truly believe my poetry, even never materially written, is constantly recited by Him, Him alone, for...

From a reader: Can my Bishop refuse to allow a priest from another diocese to say the TLM in our parish? Our priest needs someone to cover the Latin Mass during the summer and a priest from an another diocese volunteered to assist. Quite generous and magnanimous!However, apparently the bishop denied permission. Can he do that and if so why would he? Are some clerics that intimidated by the TLM? If so, why??? Are some clerics “intimidated� by the Traditional Latin Mass? Of course they are! What a question. And you know why.But that is not of the essence here.The...

He’ll Make Up for Lost Time Today's Scripture “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten...” (Joel 2:25, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Friend, God knows how to make up for years you’ve lost in your life. No, you can’t relive your childhood, but God can make the rest of your life so rewarding, so fulfilling that you don’t even miss what didn’t happen in the past. You may feel like you wasted years in a relationship that didn’t work out. But God can bring somebody into your life so great, so fun, so...

The Habit of Enjoying Adversity ". . . that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body" —2 Corinthians 4:10 We have to develop godly habits to express what God’s grace has done in us. It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that “the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.� And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Son of God, or just the basic irritation...

May 14, 2013 Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle   Reading 1 Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty personsin the one place).He said, “My brothers and sisters,the Scripture had to be fulfilledwhich the Holy Spirit spoke beforehandthrough the mouth of David, concerning Judas,who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.Judas was numbered among usand was allotted a share in this ministry.For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his encampment become desolate,and may no one dwell in it.and:May another take...

WATERVLIET -- Parts of the bell tower of Saint Patrick's church in Watervliet came crashing down late Friday morning. But most of the structure remained standing. Moments later, a few more columns were ripped out. The bell tower itself didn't go anywhere. Then all eyes were fixated on the structure when several cranes started pulling on steel cables hooked up to the top corners of the tower. Some residents who fought to stop the demolition, prayed for the cables to snap. Their prayers were answered. The steel cables and cranes were no match. The bell tower remains. "It doesn't...

May procession at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Littleton, CO.

Today is the anniversary of the Dedication of the Roman church Santa Maria “ad Martyres“, which took place in 609. This church is also called the Pantheon.Since on upcoming Pentecost, Roman firefighters will be dropping red rose petals through the oculus of the mighty building, I figured we could review what I have posted in the past.In Rome on Pentecost, in the Pantheon, now a minor basilica called S. Maria ad martyres there is a beautiful custom.Rose petals are dropped through the circular oculus opening at the top of the dome, which is the widest is all of Rome, for...

One for the Brick by Brick file.I had a note from a friend in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, where the great Bishop Robert Finn presides.At St. Andrew the Apostle on the north side of KC, Fr. Vince Rogers has installed a new brand new Communion rail!My friend wrote: He has installed altar rails in most of not all of the parishes in which he has served over the past 15-20 years.He noted in his homily this morning, “So, why do I do this everywhere I go? It started when I was a seminarian at the NAC. Mother Teresa...

Hope in the Lord Today's Scripture “So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.” (Exodus 6:9, NLT) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria When you hear that “God wants to bring you out better,” does something come alive in your spirit? Something that says, “Yes, this is for me. I have not seen my best days. God has greater things in my future”? Maybe you want to believe, but like the Israelites, you’ve been burdened down by adversity,...

The Habit of Keeping a Clear Conscience ". . . strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men" —Acts 24:16 God’s commands to us are actually given to the life of His Son in us. Consequently, to our human nature in which God’s Son has been formed (see Galatians 4:19), His commands are difficult. But they become divinely easy once we obey.Conscience is that ability within me that attaches itself to the highest standard I know, and then continually reminds me of what that standard demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul...

May 13, 2013 Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 19:1-8 While Apollos was in Corinth,Paul traveled through the interior of the countryand down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them,“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”They answered him,“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”He said, “How were you baptized?”They replied, “With the baptism of John.”Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,that is, in Jesus.”When they heard this,they...

Father Artysiewicz Every Sunday, Father Theodore Nnabugo is likely to spend as much time behind the wheel of his car as at the altar of a church.Father Nnabugo, pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in La Pine, Ore., also serves three mission parishes spread across a 10,000-square-mile region in the Diocese of Baker, Ore. On Sunday mornings he first heads to Holy Trinity in Sunriver for 8 a.m. Mass, then returns to Holy Redeemer for Mass at 10 a.m. Next up are Masses in two other mission churches, Our Lady of the Snows in Gilchrist at 12:30 p.m. and Holy...