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Casting Out the Ruler of This World

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 20th, 2014
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

‘VICTORY over the “prince of this world” was won once for all at the Hour when Jesus freely gave himself up to death to give us his life.’ [1]Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2853 The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper, and continues to come into our midst through the Holy Eucharist. [2]CCC, n. 2816 As today’s Psalm says, “Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.” If that is so, why does Jesus say in today’s Gospel:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2853
↑2 CCC, n. 2816

Christianity and the Ancient Religions

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 19th, 2014
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

IT is common to hear those opposed to Catholicism invoke arguments such as: Christianity is just borrowed from pagan religions; that Christ is a mythological invention; or that the Catholic Feast days, such as Christmas and Easter, are just paganism with a face-lift. But there is an entirely different perspective on paganism that St. Paul reveals in today’s Mass readings.

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Stand Back

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 16th, 2014
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHEN you look at skin up close, very close, suddenly it doesn’t look so nice! A beautiful face, under a microscope, can look quite unattractive. But take a step back, and all one sees is the big picture that together—eyes, nose, mouth, hair—is lovely, despite the little flaws.

All week, we have been reflecting on God’s plan of salvation. And we need to. Otherwise, we get drawn into the small picture, looking at our own times through a microscope that can make things look rather frightening.

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God's Timeline

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 15th, 2014
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here


Israel, from a different perspective…

 

 

THERE are two reasons souls fall asleep to the voice of God speaking through His prophets and the “signs of the times” in their generation. One is that people simply don’t want to hear that everything is not peachy.

It’s our very sleepiness to the presence of God that renders us insensitive to evil: we don’t hear God because we don’t want to be disturbed, and so we remain indifferent to evil… the disciples’ sleepiness [in Gethsemane] is not a problem of that one moment, rather of the whole of history, ‘the sleepiness’ is ours, of those of us who do not want to see the full force of evil and do not want to enter into his Passion. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Catholic News Agency, Vatican City, Apr 20, 2011, General Audience

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The Twelfth Stone

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 14th, 2014
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle

Liturgical texts here


St. Matthias, by Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640)

 

I often ask non-Catholics who wish to debate the Church’s authority: “Why did the Apostles have to fill the vacancy left by Judas Iscariot after his death? What’s the big deal? St. Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles that, as the first community gathered in Jerusalem, ‘there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place.’ [1]cf. Acts 1:15 So there were plenty of believers on hand. Why, then, did the office of Judas have to be filled?”

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Acts 1:15

Mother of All Nations

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 13th, 2014
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Opt. Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima

Liturgical texts here


Our Lady of All Nations

 

 

THE unity of Christians, indeed all peoples, is the heartbeat and infallible vision of Jesus. St. John captured Our Lord’s cry in a beautiful prayer for the Apostles, and the nations that would hear their preaching:

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When God Goes Global

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 12th, 2014
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here


Peace is Coming, by Jon McNaughton

 

 

HOW many Catholics ever pause to think that there is a global plan of salvation underway? That God is working each and every moment toward the fulfillment of that plan? When people look up at the clouds floating by, few think of the near infinite expanse of galaxies and planetary systems that lay beyond. They see clouds, a bird, a storm, and continue on without reflecting on the mystery lying beyond the heavens. Soo too, few souls look beyond the present day triumphs and storms and realize that they are leading toward the fulfillment of Christ’s promises, expressed in today’s Gospel:

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Never Give Up On a Soul

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 9th, 2014
Friday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here


Flower springing up after a forest fire

 

 

ALL must appear lost. All must appear as if evil has won. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die…. and only then does it bear fruit. So it was with Jesus… Calvary… the Tomb… it was as though darkness had crushed the light.

But then Light burst forth from the abyss, and in a moment, darkness was vanquished.

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The Fires of Persecution

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 8th, 2014
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHILE a forest fire can devastate the trees, it is precisely the heat of fire that opens up pine cones, thus, reseeding the woodland all over again.

Persecution is a fire that, while consuming religious freedom and purifying the Church of dead wood, opens up seeds of new life. Those seeds are both the martyrs who give witness to the Word by their very blood, and those who witness by their words. That is, the Word of God is the seed that falls into the ground of hearts, and the blood of the martyrs waters it…

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The Harvest of Persecution

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 7th, 2014
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHEN was Jesus finally tried and crucified? When light was taken for darkness, and darkness for light. That is, the people chose the notorious prisoner, Barabbas, over Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Then Pilate released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. (Matt 27:26)

As I listen to reports coming out of the United Nations, we are once again seeing light being taken for darkness, and darkness for light. [1]cf. LifeSiteNews.com, May 6th, 2014 Jesus was portrayed by His enemies as a disturber of the peace, a potential “terrorist” of the Roman state. So too, the Catholic Church is fast becoming the new terror organization of our times.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. LifeSiteNews.com, May 6th, 2014

The Masters of Conscience

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 6th, 2014
Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

IN every age, in every dictatorship, whether it is a totalitarian government or an abusive husband, there are those who seek to control not only what others say, but even what they think. Today, we are seeing this spirit of control rapidly gripping all the nations as we move toward a new world order. But Pope Francis warns:

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The Eclipse of Reason

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 5th, 2014
Monday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

SAM Sotiropoulos was only asking the Toronto Police force a simple question: if Canada’s Criminal Code forbids public nudity, [1]Section 174 states that a person who is “so clad as to offend against public decency or order” is “guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.” will they be enforcing that law at the Toronto Gay Pride parade? His concern was that children, who are often brought to the parade by parents and teachers, may be exposed to illegal public nudity.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Section 174 states that a person who is “so clad as to offend against public decency or order” is “guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.”

Prophecy Properly Understood

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WE are living in a time when prophecy has perhaps never been so important, and yet, so misunderstood by the vast majority of Catholics. There are three harmful positions being taken today regarding prophetic or “private” revelations that, I believe, are doing at times great damage in many quarters of the Church. One is that “private revelations” never have to be heeded since all we are obligated to believe is the definitive Revelation of Christ in the “deposit of faith.” Another harm being done is by those who tend to not only put prophecy above the Magisterium, but give it the same authority as Sacred Scripture. And last, there is the position that most prophecy, unless uttered by saints or found without error, should be mostly shunned. Again, all these positions above carry unfortunate and even dangerous pitfalls.

 

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Unless the Lord Build the Community…

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 2nd, 2014
Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop & Doctor of the Church

Liturgical texts here

LIKE the believers in the early Church, I know many today likewise feel a strong call toward Christian community. In fact, I have dialogued for years with brothers and sisters about this desire that is intrinsic to Christian life and the life of the Church. As Benedict XVI said:

I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus also towards unity with all Christians. We become “one body”, completely joined in a single existence. —Deus Caritas Est, n. 14

This is a beautiful thought, and not a pipe dream either. It is the prophetic prayer of Jesus that we “may all be one.” [1]cf. Jn 17:21 On the other hand, the difficulties facing us today in forming Christian communities are not small. While Focolare or Madonna House or other apostolates provide us with some valuable wisdom and experience in living “in communion,” there are a few things we should keep in mind.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Jn 17:21

Community Must be Ecclesial

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 1st, 2014
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
St. Joseph the Worker

Liturgical texts here

UnitybookIcon
Christian Unity

 

 

WHEN the Apostles are brought again before the Sanhedrin, they do not answer as individuals, but as a community.

We must obey God rather than men. (First reading)

This one sentence is loaded with implications. First, they say “we,” implying a fundamental unity between them. Second, it reveals that the Apostles were not following human tradition, but the Sacred Tradition that Jesus imparted to them. And last, it supports what we read earlier this week, that the first converts in turn were following the Apostles’ teaching, which was Christ’s.

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Community… an Encounter with Jesus

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 30th, 2014
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer, Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904)

 

 

THE same Apostles who fled Gethsemane at the first rattle of chains now, not only defy the religious authorities, but go straight back into hostile territory to witness to the resurrection of Jesus.

The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people. (First reading)

Chains that once were their shame now begin to weave a glorious crown. Where did this courage suddenly come from?

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The Sacrament of Community

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 29th, 2014
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena

Liturgical texts here


Our Lady of Combermere gathering her children—Madonna House Community, Ont., Canada

 

 

NOWHERE in the Gospels do we read Jesus instructing the Apostles that, once He departs, they are to form communities. Perhaps the closest Jesus comes to it is when He says, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” [1]cf. Jn 13:35

And yet, after Pentecost, the very first thing the believers did was form organized communities. Almost instinctively…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Jn 13:35

Christianity that Changes the World

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 28th, 2014
Monday of the Second Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

THERE is a fire in the early Christians that must be re-kindled in the Church today. It was never meant to go out. This is the task of Our Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit in this time of mercy: to bring about the life of Jesus within us, the light of the world. Here is the kind of fire that must burn in our parishes again:

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St. John Paul II

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Giovanni Paolo II

ST. JOHN PAUL II — PRAY FOR US

 

 

I traveled to Rome to sing in a concert tribute to St. John Paul II, October 22nd, 2006, to honor the 25th anniversary of the John Paul II Foundation, as well as the 28th anniversary of the late pontiff’s installation as pope. I had no idea what was about to happen…

A story from the archives, first published October 24th, 2006….

 

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Lift Our Hands!

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CHRIST IS RISEN, ALLELUIA!

Let us lift our hands to our King!

 

 Mark Mallett with Natalie MacMaster on fiddle:

 

 

 

The Gospel of Suffering

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 18th, 2014
Good Friday

Liturgical texts here

 

 

YOU may have noticed in several writings, lately, the theme of “springs of living water” flowing from within the soul of a believer. Most dramatic is the ‘promise’ of a coming “Blessing” that I wrote about this week in The Convergence and the Blessing.

But as we meditate upon the Cross today, I want to speak of one more wellspring of living water, one that even now can flow from within to irrigate the souls of others. I am speaking of suffering.

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The Third Memorial

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 17th, 2014
Holy Thursday

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THREE times, at the Lord’s Supper, Jesus asked us to imitate Him. Once when He took Bread and broke it; once when He took up the Cup; and last, when He washed the feet of the Apostles:

If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. (Today’s Gospel)

The Holy Mass is not complete without the third memorial. That is, when you and I receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, the Holy Meal is only satisfied when we wash the feet of another. When you and I, in turn, become the very Sacrifice that we have eaten: when we give our lives in service for another:

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Betraying the Son of Man

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 16th, 2014
Wednesday of Holy Week

Liturgical texts here

 

 

BOTH Peter and Judas received the Body and Blood of Christ at the Last Supper. Jesus knew beforehand both men would deny Him. Both men went on to do so in one manner or another.

But only one man did Satan enter:

After he took the morsel, Satan entered [Judas]. (John 13:27)

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You Were Born for This Time

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 15th, 2014
Tuesday of Holy Week

Liturgical texts here

 

 

AS you peer out at the Storm that is roiling on the horizon of humanity, you might be tempted to say, “Why me? Why now?” But I want to assure you, dear reader, that you were born for these times. As it says in the first reading today,

The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 

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His Unfathomable Mercy

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 14th, 2014
Monday of Holy Week

Liturgical texts here

 

 

NO one can fathom how wide and how deep is the love of God for humanity. Today’s first reading gives us an insight into this tenderness:

A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth…

We are on the threshold of the Day of the Lord, that day which will bring about an era of peace and justice, establishing it to “the coastlands.” The Church Fathers remind us that the Day of the Lord is not the end of the world or even a single 24 hour period. Rather…

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They Will Not See

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 11th, 2014
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THIS generation is like a man standing on a beach, watching a ship disappear over the horizon. He does not think of what is beyond the horizon, where the ship is going, or where other ships are coming from. In his mind, what is reality is only that which lies between the shore and the skyline. And that is it.

This is analogous to how many perceive the Catholic Church today. They cannot see beyond the horizon of their limited knowledge; they do not understand the transforming influence of the Church over the centuries: how she introduced education, health care, and charities on several continents. How the sublimity of the Gospel has transformed art, music, and literature. How the power of her truths have manifested in the splendor of architecture and design, civil rights and laws.

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Jesus is God

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 10th, 2014
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

MUSLIMS believe He is a prophet. Jehovah’s Witnesses, that He was Michael the archangel. Others, that He is just a historical figure, and yet others, a mere myth.

But Jesus is God.

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Receive Song for Karol Free!

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Prepare for the canonization of John Paul II
on April 27th, Divine Mercy Sunday…

Order Mark Mallett’s Divine Mercy Chaplet
set to JPII’s Stations of the Cross
and receive
FREE
a copy of Song For Karol,
the beloved hymn to the late Pope that Mark wrote on the day of the pontiff’s passing.

Only $14.99 for 2 CDs.
plus shipping

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I Will Not Bow

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 9th, 2014
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

NOT negotiable. That was essentially the reply of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when King Nebuchadnezzar threatened them with death if they did not worship the state god. Our God “can save us”, they said,

But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up. (First reading)

Today, believers are once again being forced to bow before the state god, these days under the names of “tolerance” and “diversity.” Those who don’t are being harassed, fined, or forced from their careers.

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The Sign of the Cross

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 8th, 2014
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHEN the people were being bitten by snakes as a punishment for their persistent doubting and complaining, they at last repented, appealing to Moses:

We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.

But God didn’t take away the serpents. Rather, He gave them a remedy by which to be cured should they succumb to a poisonous bite:

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Persisting in Sin

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 7th, 2014
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here


The Valley of the Shadow of Death, George Inness, (1825-1894)

 

 

ON Saturday evening, I had the privilege of leading a group of young people and a handful of adults in Eucharistic Adoration. As we gazed upon Jesus’ Eucharistic face, listening to the words He spoke through St. Faustina, singing His name while others went to Confession… the love and mercy of God descended powerfully upon the room.

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Father, Forgive Them…

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 4th, 2014
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THE truth is, friends, the world is rapidly closing in from all sides on Christians for holding fast to the truth. In Middle Eastern countries, our brothers and sisters are being tortured, [1]cf. endoftheamericandream.com beheaded, [2]cf. IndianDefence.com and burned out of their homes and churches. [3]cf. Persecution.org And in the West, freedom of speech is disappearing in real time before our very eyes. Cardinal Timothy Dolan is not far off in his prediction of three years ago. [4]Read also what I wrote in 2005, which is now coming to pass: Persecution!… and the Moral Tsunami

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. endoftheamericandream.com
↑2 cf. IndianDefence.com
↑3 cf. Persecution.org
↑4 Read also what I wrote in 2005, which is now coming to pass: Persecution!… and the Moral Tsunami

The Golden Calf

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 3rd, 2014
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WE are are at the end of an era, and the beginning of the next: The Age of the Spirit. But before the next begins, the grain of wheat—this culture—must fall into the ground and die. For the moral foundations in science, politics, and economics have mostly rotted. Our science is now frequently used to experiment on humans, our politics to manipulate them, and economics to enslave them.Continue reading →

The Four Ages of Grace

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 2nd, 2014
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

IN yesterday’s first reading, when an angel took Ezekiel to the trickle of water that was flowing to the east, he measured four distances from the temple from where the small river began. With each measurement, the water became deeper and deeper until it could not be crossed. This is symbolic, one could say, of the “four ages of grace”… and we are on the threshold of the third.

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Falling Short…

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SINCE the launch of the daily Now Word Mass reflections, the readership to this blog has skyrocketed, adding 50-60 subscribers each week. I am now reaching tens of thousands each month with the Gospel, and several of them priests, who use this website as a homiletic resource.

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The River of Life

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 1st, 2014
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here


Photo by Elia Locardi

 

 

I had been debating lately with an atheist (she finally gave up). At the beginning of our conversations, I explained to her that my belief in Jesus Christ had little do with the scientifically verifiable miracles of physical healings, apparitions, and incorruptible saints, and more so to do with the fact that I know Jesus (insofar as He has revealed Himself to me). But she insisted this was not good enough, that I was irrational, duped by a myth, oppressed by a patriarchal Church… you know, the usual diatribe. She wanted me to reproduce God in a petri dish, and well, I just don’t think He was up to it.

As I read her words, it was as if she was trying to tell a man who’d just come out of the rain that he isn’t wet. And the water I speak of here is the River of Life.

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Near the Feet of the Shepherd

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IN my last general reflection, I wrote of the Great Antitdote that St. Paul gave to his readers to counter the “great apostasy” and deceptions of the “lawless one.” “Stand firm and hold fast,” said Paul, to the oral and written traditions that you have been taught. [1]cf. 2 Thess 2:13-15

But brothers and sisters, Jesus wants you to do more than cling to Sacred Tradition—He wants you to cling to Him personally. It’s not enough to know your Catholic Faith. You have to know Jesus, not just know about Him. It is the difference between reading about rock climbing, and actually scaling a mountain. There is no comparison to actually experiencing the difficulties and yet the exhilaration, the air, the elation of reaching plateaus that bring you to new vistas of glory.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. 2 Thess 2:13-15

A New Creation

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 31st, 2014
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHAT happens when a person gives their life to Jesus, when a soul is baptized and therefore consecrated to God? It’s an important question because, after all, what is the appeal of becoming a Christian? The answer lies in today’s first reading…

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Why We Don't Hear His Voice

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 28th, 2014
Friday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

JESUS said my sheep hear my voice. He did not say “some” sheep, but my sheep hear my voice. So why then, you may ask, do I not hear His voice? Today’s readings offer some reasons why.

I am the Lord your God: hear my voice… I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me?” (Today’s Psalm)

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Listen to His Voice

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 27th, 2014
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

HOW did Satan tempt Adam and Eve? With his voice. And today, he works no differently, except with the added advantage of technology, which can propel a horde of voices at us all at once. It is the voice of Satan that led, and continues to lead man into darkness. It is the voice of God that will lead souls out.

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Bringing Jesus Into the World

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 26th, 2014
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

Henry Ossawa Tanner's The AnnunciationThe Annunciation, Henry Ossawa Tanner (1898)

 

 

BRINGING the presence of Jesus into the world is not a complicated process requiring a Masters in Divinity. It is a matter of imitating Jesus:

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. (John 15:10)

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A Prophetic Sign

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 25th, 2014
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Liturgical texts here

 

VAST parts of the world no longer believe in God because they no longer see God among us. “But Jesus ascended into Heaven 2000 years ago—of course they don’t see Him…” But Jesus Himself said that He would be found in the world in His brothers and sisters.

Where I am, there shall my servant be also. (cf. Jn 12:26)

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Stoning the Prophets

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 24th, 2014
Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WE are called to give a prophetic witness to others. But then, you should not be surprised if you are treated as the prophets were.

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A Prophetic Life

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 21st, 2014
Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THE Church needs to become prophetic again. By this, I do not mean “telling the future,” but by our lives becoming a “word” to others that points to something, or rather, Someone greater. This is the truest sense of prophecy:

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Planted by the Stream

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 20th, 2014
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

TWENTY years ago, my wife and I, both cradle-Catholics, were invited to a Baptist Sunday service by a friend of ours who was once a Catholic. We were amazed at all the young couples, the beautiful music, and the anointed sermon by the pastor. The outpouring of genuine kindness and welcoming touched something deep in our souls. [1]cf. My Personal Testimony

When we got into the car to leave, all I could think of was my own parish… weak music, weaker homilies, and even weaker participation by the congregation. Young couples our age? Practically extinct in the pews. Most painful was the sense of loneliness. I often left Mass feeling colder than when I walked in.

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Footnotes