Free Republic

7 May 2024 Tuesday of the 6th week of Eastertide St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, Wilmington, DelawareReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 16:22-34 ©Become a believer and you will be saved, and your household tooThe crowd joined in and showed their hostility to Paul and Silas, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, following his instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the...

6 May 2024 Monday of the 6th week of Eastertide St. Dominic Savio Parish in Bellflower, CA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 16:11-15 ©The Lord opened Lydia's heart to accept what Paul was sayingSailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat...

5 May 2024 6th Sunday of Easter Edmund Rice Heritage Centre, Mount Sion, Waterford, Ireland Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).If the Ascension of the Lord is going to be celebrated next Sunday, the alternative Second Reading and Gospel shown here (which would otherwise have been read on that Sunday) may be used today.First readingActs 10:25-26,34-35,44-48 ©The pagans have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we haveAs Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only...

If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived thereof. If any...

4 May 2024 Saturday of the 5th week of Eastertide San Ciriaco – Ancona's Cathedral Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 16:1-10 ©'Come across to Macedonia and help us'From Cilicia Paul went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where...

Friday 3 May 2024 Saints Philip and James, Apostles Feast St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, Flower Mound, Texas Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: B(II).First reading1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ©The Lord appeared to James, and then to all the apostlesBrothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything. Well then, in the first place, I taught you...

2 May 2024 Saint Athanasius, Bishop, Doctor on Thursday of the 5th week of Eastertide St Athanasius R.C. Church - Carluke, ScotlandReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst readingActs 15:7-21 ©I rule that we do not make things more difficult for the pagans who turn to GodAfter the discussion had gone on a long time, Peter stood up and addressed the apostles and the elders. ‘My brothers,’ he said ‘you know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the pagans were...

1 May 2024 Wednesday of the 5th week of Eastertide Saint James Cathedral in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 15:1-6 ©They were to go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and eldersSome men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.’ This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to...

30 April 2024 Tuesday of the 5th week of Eastertide Pope Saint Pius V Church, in Saint Louis, Missouri Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 14:19-28 ©They gave an account of how God had opened the door of faith to the pagansSome Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to...

29 April 2024Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin, Doctor on Monday of the 5th week of Eastertide Chapel of Saint Catherine of Siena (Basilica of San Domenico) Siena, Tuscany, ItalyReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst readingActs 14:5-18 ©We have come with good news to turn you to the living GodEventually with the connivance of the authorities a move was made by pagans as well as Jews to make attacks on the apostles and to stone them. When the apostles came to hear of this, they went off for...

Sunday 28 April 20245th Sunday of Easter St. Louis de Montfort Parish, Litchfield, CT Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 9:26-31 ©Barnabas explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul on his journeyWhen Saul got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name...

“Abide in the Vine” (John 15:1-8) About a year and a half ago, some friends and I went up to western Michigan, and, among our stops, we visited a vineyard. We walked over to where the grapes were growing, and saw them up close. Clusters of big, juicy-looking grapes hanging from the branches! Just beautiful! And what did all these clusters of grapes have in common? They were all on branches that were attached to the vine. There weren’t any broken-off branches lying on the ground that had beautiful grapes on them. No, just the branches that were attached to...

27 April 2024 Saturday of the 4th week of EastertideSaint Lupita remembered for simplicity and devotion to poor and sick, RomeReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 13:44-52 ©Since you have rejected the word of God, we must turn to the pagansThe next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you...

26 April 2024 Friday of the 4th week of Eastertide The tomb of Rafael Arnáiz Barón in Venta de Baños, Spain Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 13:26-33 ©God has fulfilled his promise by raising Jesus from the deadPaul stood up in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, held up a hand for silence and began to speak: ‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you. What the people of Jerusalem and their rulers did, though they did not realise it, was in fact to...

Thursday 25 April 2024 Saint Mark, Evangelist Feast St. Mark the Evangelist, Summerfield, FLReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: B(II).First reading1 Peter 5:5-14 ©My son, Mark, sends you greetingsAll wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day; unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you. Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking...

24 April 2024Wednesday of the 4th week of Eastertide St. Fidelis Church, College Point, New York Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 12:24-13:5 ©'I want Barnabas and Saul set apart'The word of God continued to spread and to gain followers. Barnabas and Saul completed their task and came back from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them. In the church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and...

23 April 2024 Tuesday of the 4th week of Eastertide Basilica of Saint Adalbert, Grand Rapids, MichiganReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 11:19-26 ©They started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord JesusThose who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped...

22 April 2024 Monday of the 4th week of Eastertide Painting of the church of San Caio in Rome by Achille Pinelli in the early 1800sNow demolishedReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 11:1-18 ©God can grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to lifeThe apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the details point by...

21 April 2024 4th Sunday of EasterSt Anselm's Catholic Church, part of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in Pembury, Kent, UKReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 4:8-12 ©The name of Jesus Christ is the only name in which we can be savedFilled with the Holy Spirit, Peter said: ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of...

“Salvation in the Good Shepherd and in No One Else” (Acts 4:1-12; John 10:11-18) Today we are celebrating “Good Shepherd Sunday,” the day every year when the readings, the hymns, etc., all deal with Jesus as our Good Shepherd. Which makes our first reading today seem a little out of place. Because in this text from Acts 4 there is no mention of “shepherd” or “flock” or that type of language. But it is a strong resurrection text, which makes it fitting during this Easter season. And it certainly proclaims salvation in Christ most clearly. And this does tie in...