THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of Holy Week, April 1st, 2015
Liturgical texts here
READERS have heard me quote several popes [1]cf. Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting? who, over the decades have been warning, as Benedict did, that “the very future of the world is at stake.” [2]cf. On the Eve That led one reader to question whether I simply thought that the whole world was all bad. Here’s my answer.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting? |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | cf. On the Eve |
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of Holy Week, March 31st, 2015
Liturgical texts here
Judas and Peter (detail from ‘The Last Supper”), by Leonardo da Vinci (1494–1498)
THE Apostles are aghast at being told that one of them would betray the Lord. Indeed, it is the unthinkable. So Peter, in a moment of indignation, perhaps even self-righteousness, begins to look his brothers over with suspicion. Lacking the humility to see into his own heart, he sets about finding the fault of the other—and even gets John to do the dirty work for him:
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 28th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
ONE of the most common questions I hear on the possibility of a coming “era of peace” is why? Why wouldn’t the Lord simply return, put an end to wars and suffering, and bring about a New Heavens and New Earth? The short answer is simply that God would have utterly failed, and Satan won.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 27th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
St. Sophia the Almighty’s Wisdom, Nicholas Roerich (1932)
THE Day of the Lord is near. It is a Day when the manifold Wisdom of God will be made known to the nations. [1]cf. The Vindication of Wisdom
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Vindication of Wisdom |
|---|
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 26th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THE words came to me recently:
Whatever happens, happens. Knowing about the future does not prepare you for it; knowing Jesus does.
There is a gigantic gulf between knowledge and Wisdom. Knowledge tells you what is. Wisdom tells you what to do with it. The former without the latter can be catastrophic on many levels. For example:
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 25th, 2015
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Liturgical texts here
from The Annunciation by Nicolas Poussin (1657)
TO understand the future of the Church, look no further than the Blessed Virgin Mary.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 24th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THERE is a growing sense of anticipation among those who are watching the signs of the times that things are coming to a head. And that’s good: God is getting the world’s attention. But along with this anticipation comes at times an expectation that certain events are just around the corner… and that gives way to predictions, calculating dates, and endless speculation. And that can sometimes distract people from what’s necessary, and can ultimately lead to disillusionment, cynicism, and even apathy.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 23rd, 2015
Liturgical texts here
ONE of the key harbingers of The Growing Mob today is, rather than engage in a discussion of facts, [1]cf. The Death of Logic they often resort to simply labeling and stigmatizing those with whom they disagree. They call them “haters” or “deniers”, “homophobes” or “bigots”, etc. It is a smokescreen, a reframing of the dialogue so as to, in fact, shut down dialogue. It is an attack on freedom of speech, and more and more, freedom of religion. [2]cf. The Progression of Totalitarinism It is remarkable to see how Our Lady of Fatima’s words, spoken nearly a century ago, are unfolding precisely as she said they would: the “errors of Russia” are spreading throughout the world—and the spirit of control behind them. [3]cf. Control! Control!
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Death of Logic |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | cf. The Progression of Totalitarinism |
| ↑3 | cf. Control! Control! |
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 21st, 2015
Liturgical texts here
WHEN Jesus became man and began His ministry, He announced that humanity had entered the “fullness of time.” [1]cf. Mark 1:15 What does this mysterious phrase mean two thousand years later? It is important to understand because it reveals to us the “end time” plan that is now unfolding…
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Mark 1:15 |
|---|
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 19th, 2015
Solemnity of St. Joseph
Liturgical texts here
FATHERHOOD is one of the most amazing gifts from God. And it’s time we men truly reclaim it for what it is: an opportunity to reflect the very face of the Heavenly Father.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 18th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THE whole of Jesus’ life consisted in this: doing the will of the Heavenly Father. What is remarkable is that, even though Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, He still does absolutely nothing on His own:
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 17th, 2015
St. Patrick’s Day
Liturgical texts here
THE Holy Spirit.
Have you met this Person yet? There is the Father and the Son, yes, and it is easy for us to imagine them because of Christ’s face and the image of fatherhood. But the Holy Spirit… what, a bird? No, the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, and the one who, when He comes, makes all the difference in the world.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 16th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
WHEN the official comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal his son, the Lord replies:
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” (Today’s Gospel)
With dozens of new subscribers coming on board now each week, old questions are popping up such as this one: Why aren’t the Pope’s speaking about the end times? The answer will surprise many, reassure others, and challenge many more. First published September 21st, 2010, I have updated this writing to the present pontificate.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent, March 14th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
Due to the surprise announcement by Pope Francis yesterday, today’s reflection is slightly longer. However, I think you will find its contents worth reflecting on…
THERE is a certain sense building, not only among my readers, but also of mystics with whom I’ve been privileged to be in contact with, that the next few years are significant. Yesterday in my daily Mass meditation, [1]cf. Sheathing the Sword I wrote how Heaven itself has revealed that this present generation is living in a “time of mercy.” As if to underline this divine warning (and it is a warning that humanity is on borrowed time), Pope Francis announced yesterday that Dec. 8th, 2015 to Nov. 20th, 2016 will be a “Jubilee of Mercy.” [2]cf. Zenit, March 13th, 2015 When I read this announcement, the words from St. Faustina’s diary came immediately to mind:
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Sheathing the Sword |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | cf. Zenit, March 13th, 2015 |
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of the Third Week of Lent, March 13th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
The Angel atop St. Angelo’s Castle in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy
THERE is a legendary account of a pestilence that broke out in Rome in 590 A.D. due to a flood, and Pope Pelagius II was one of its numerous victims. His successor, Gregory the Great, ordered that a procession should go around the city for three consecutive days, imploring God’s help against the disease.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, March 12th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
Joseph Sold Into Slavery by His Brothers by Damiano Mascagni (1579-1639)
WITH the death of logic, we are not far from when not only truth, but Christians themselves, will be banished from the public sphere (and it’s already begun). At least, this is the warning from the seat of Peter:
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, March 11th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
Courtesy Universal Studios
LIKE watching a train wreck in slow-motion, so it is watching the death of logic in our times (and I’m not speaking of Spock).
I could have written this for the past week. First published
THE Synod on the family in Rome last autumn was the beginning of a firestorm of attacks, assumptions, judgments, grumbling, and suspicions against Pope Francis. I set everything aside, and for several weeks responded to reader’s concerns, media distortions, and most especially distortions of fellow Catholics that simply needed to be addressed. Thanks be to God, many people stopped panicking and started praying, started reading more of what the Pope was actually saying rather than what the headlines were. For indeed, Pope Francis’ colloquial style, his off-the-cuff remarks that reflect a man who is more comfortable with street-talk than theological-speak, has required greater context.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent, March 10th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THERE is a key to God’s heart, a key that can be held by anyone from the greatest sinner to the greatest saint. With this key, the heart of God can be opened, and not only His heart, but the very treasuries of Heaven.
And that key is humility.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Third Week of Lent, March 9th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
IN truth, we are surrounded by the miraculous. You have to be blind—spiritually blind—not to see it. But our modern world has become so skeptical, so cynical, so stubborn that not only do we doubt that supernatural miracles are possible, but when they do happen, we still doubt!
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Second Week of Lent, March 7th, 2015
First Saturday of the Month
Liturgical texts here
THREE minutes in a pig barn, and your clothes are done for the day. Imagine the prodigal son, hanging out with swine, feeding them day after day, too poor to even buy a change of clothes. I have no doubt that the father would have smelled his son returning home before he saw him. But when the father did see him, something amazing happened…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of the Second Week of Lent, March 6th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
Rescued By Love, by Darren Tan
THE parable of the tenants in the vineyard, who murder the landowners servants and even his son is, of course, symbolic of centuries of prophets that the Father sent to the people of Israel, culminating in Jesus Christ, His only Son. All of them were rejected.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the Second Week of Lent, March 5th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
TRUTH without charity is like a blunt sword that cannot pierce the heart. It might cause people to feel pain, to duck, to think, or step away from it, but Love is what sharpens truth such that it becomes a living word of God. You see, even the devil can quote Scripture and produce the most elegant apologetics. [1]cf. Matt 4;1-11 But it is when that truth is transmitted in the power of the Holy Spirit that it becomes…
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Matt 4;1-11 |
|---|
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 4th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
Ecce Homo, by Michael D. O’Brien
JESUS was not crucified for His charity. He was not scourged for healing paralytics, opening the eyes of the blind, or raising the dead. So too, rarely will you find Christians being sidelined for building a women’s shelter, feeding the poor, or visiting the sick. Rather, Christ and His body, the Church, were and are persecuted essentially for proclaiming the truth.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 3rd, 2015
Liturgical texts here
WHEN it comes to weeding out sin this Lent, we cannot divorce mercy from the Cross, nor the Cross from mercy. Today’s readings are a powerful blend of both…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Second Week of Lent, March 2nd, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THERE is a line from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings that, among others, jumped out at me when the character Frodo wishes for the death of his adversary, Gollum. The wise wizard Gandalf responds:
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the First Week of Lent, February 28th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
I listened to Canada’s state radio broadcaster, the CBC, on the ride home last night. The host of the show interviewed “astonished” guests who could not believe that a Canadian Member of Parliament admitted to “not believing in evolution” (which usually means that one believes that creation came into existence by God, not aliens or the implausible odds atheists have put their faith in). The guests went on to highlight their unflinching devotion to not only evolution but global warming, vaccinations, abortion, and gay marriage —including the “Christian” on the panel. “Anyone who questions the science really is not fit for public office,” said one guest to that effect.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of the First Week of Lent, February 27th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
The Prodigal Son, by John Macallen Swan, 1888 (Tate Collection, London)
WHEN Jesus told the parable of the “prodigal son”, [1]cf. Luke 15:11-32 I believe He was also giving a prophetic vision of the end times. That is, a picture of how the the world would be welcomed into the Father’s house through Christ’s Sacrifice… but eventually reject Him again. That we would take our inheritance, that is, our free will, and over the centuries blow it on the kind of unbridled paganism we have today. Technology is the new golden calf.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Luke 15:11-32 |
|---|
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the First Week of Lent, February 26th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
The Intercession of Christ and the Virgin, attributed to Lorenzo Monaco, (1370–1425)
WHEN we speak of a “last chance” for the world, it is because we are talking about an “incurable evil.” Sin has so entwined itself in men’s affairs, so corrupted the very foundations of not only economics and politics but also the food chain, medicine, and the environment, that nothing short of cosmic surgery [1]cf. The Cosmic Surgery is necessary. As the Psalmist says,
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Cosmic Surgery |
|---|
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, February 25th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THERE is a lot of chatter today about when this or that prophecy will be fulfilled, particularly over the next few years. But I frequently ponder on the fact that tonight might be my last night on earth, and so, for me, I find the race to “know the date” superfluous at best. I often smile when I think of that story of St. Francis who, while gardening, was asked: “What would you do if you knew the world would end today?” He replied, “I suppose I would finish hoeing this row of beans.” Herein lies the wisdom of Francis: the duty of the moment is the will of God. And God’s will is a mystery, most especially when it comes to time.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the First Week of Lent, February 24th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
PONDER again these words from today’s Gospel:
…thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Now listen carefully to the first reading:
So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
If Jesus gave us this “word” to pray daily to our Heavenly Father, then one must ask whether or not His Kingdom and His Divine Will shall be on earth as it is in heaven? Whether or not this “word” we have been taught to pray will achieve its end… or simply return void? The answer, of course, is that these words of the Lord will indeed accomplish their end and will…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the First Week of Lent, February 23rd, 2015
Liturgical texts here
IT is from a total and complete abandonment to God that something beautiful happens: all those securities and attachments that you clung desperately to, but leave in His hands, are exchanged for the supernatural life of God. It is hard to see from a human perspective. It often looks about as beautiful as a butterfly still in a cocoon. We see nothing but darkness; feel nothing but the old self; hear nothing but the echo of our weakness steadily ringing in our ears. And yet, if we persevere in this state of total surrender and trust before God, the extraordinary happens: we become co-workers with Christ.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday after Ash Wednesday, February 20th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THE animal kingdom is essentially content. Birds are content. Fish are content. But the human heart is not. We are restless and unsatisfied, constantly searching for fulfillment in myriad forms. We are in an endless pursuit of pleasure as the world spins its advertisements promising happiness, but delivering only pleasure—fleeting pleasure, as if that were an end in itself. Why then, after buying the lie, do we inevitably continue seeking, searching, hunting for meaning and worth?
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday after Ash Wednesday, February 19th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
IT is pretty clear, even by a mere cursory glance at the news headlines, that much of the first world is in a free-fall into unbridled hedonism while the rest of the world is increasingly threatened and scourged by regional violence. As I wrote a few years ago, the time of warning has virtually expired. [1]cf. The Last Hour If one cannot perceive the “signs of the times” by now, then the only word left is the “word” of suffering. [2]cf. The Watchman’s Song
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Last Hour |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | cf. The Watchman’s Song |
Still trying to decide
what sacrifice or penance to make for Lent?
How about giving up 5 minutes a day with Mark, meditating upon the daily Now Word in the Mass readings for these forty days.
A sacrifice that will feed your soul!
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Read today’s message for Ash Wednesday.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Ash Wednesday, February 18th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
ASHES, sackcloth, fasting, penance, mortification, sacrifice… These are the common themes of Lent. So who would think of this penitential season as a time of joy? Easter Sunday? Yes, joy! But the forty days of penance?
A Light to the Gentiles by Greg Olsen
WHY did Jesus come to earth as He did—clothing His divine nature in the DNA, chromosomes, and genetic heritage of the woman, Mary? For Jesus could very well have simply materialized in the desert, entered immediately upon forty days of temptation, and then emerged in the Spirit for His three year ministry. But instead, He chose to walk in our footsteps from the very first instance of His human life. He chose to become little, helpless, and weak, for…
WHEN a ship goes off course by only a degree or two, it is barely noticeable until several hundred nautical miles later. So too, the Barque of Peter has likewise veered somewhat off course over the centuries. In the words of Blessed Cardinal Newman:
The Supreme Court Justices of Canada
IT was a strange convergence this past weekend. All week long at my concerts, as a preamble to my song Call Your Name (listen below), I felt compelled to speak about how truth is being turned upside down in our day; how good is being called evil, and evil good. I noted how “judges are getting up in the morning, having their coffee and cereal like the rest of us, and then go into work—and completely overturn the Natural Moral Law that has existed since time memorial.” Little did I realize that the Supreme Court of Canada was planning to issue a ruling last Friday that opens the door for doctors to help kill someone with a ‘grievous and irremediable medical condition (including an illness, disease or disability)’.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
AFTER Mass today, the words came strongly to me:
My young priests, do not be afraid! I have put you in place, like seeds scattered among fertile soil. Do not be afraid to preach My Name! Do not be afraid to speak the truth in love. Do not be afraid if My Word, through you, causes a sifting of your flock…
As I shared these thoughts over coffee with a courageous African priest this morning, he nodded his head. “Yes, we priests often want to please everyone rather than preach the truth… we have let the lay faithful down.”
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
DISCIPLINE, mortification, fasting, sacrifice… these are words that tend to make us cringe because we associate them with pain. However, Jesus did not. As St. Paul wrote:
For the sake of the joy that lay before him, Jesus endured the cross… (Heb 12:2)
The difference between a Christian monk and a Buddhist monk is precisely this: the end for the Christian is not the mortification of his senses, or even peace and serenity; rather it is God himself. Anything less is falling short of fulfillment as much as throwing a rock in the sky falls short of hitting the moon. Fulfillment for the Christian is to allow God to possess him that he may possess God. It is this union of hearts that transforms and restores the soul into the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. But even the most profound union with God can also be accompanied by a dense darkness, spiritual dryness, and sense of abandonment—just as Jesus, though in complete conformity to the Father’s will, experienced abandonment on the Cross.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015
Opt. Memorial St. Blaise
Liturgical texts here
MANY Catholics go to Mass every Sunday, join the Knights of Columbus or CWL, put a few bucks in the collection basket, etc. But their faith never really deepens; there is no real transformation of their hearts more and more into holiness, more and more into Our Lord himself, such that they can begin to say with St. Paul, “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.” [1]cf. Gal 2:20
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Gal 2:20 |
|---|
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, January 29th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THE Old Testament is more than a book telling the story of salvation history, but a shadow of things to come. The temple of Solomon was but a type of the temple of Christ’s body, the means by which we could enter into the “Holy of holies”—the very presence of God. St. Paul’s explanation of the new Temple in today’s first reading is explosive:
