MASS READINGS

You Are Also Called

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday, September 21st, 2015
Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Liturgical texts here

 

THERE is a model of the Church today that is long overdue for an overhaul. And it is this: that the pastor of the parish is the “minister” and the flock are mere sheep; that the priest is the “go to” for all ministry needs, and the laity have no real place in ministry; that there are the occasional “speakers” who come to teach, but we are mere passive listeners. But this model is not only unbiblical, it is harmful to the Body of Christ.

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Into the Deep

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, September 3rd, 2015
Memorial of St. Gregory the Great

Liturgical texts here

 

“MASTER, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing.”

Those are the words of Simon Peter—and the words of perhaps many of us. Lord, I have tried and tried, but my struggles remain the same. Lord, I have prayed and prayed, but nothing has changed. Lord, I have cried and cried, but there seems to be only silence… what is the use? What is the use??

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Rekindling Love for Jesus

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, August 19th, 2015
Opt. Memorial of St. John Eudes

Liturgical texts here

 

IT is palpable: the body of Christ is tired. There are so many loads that many are carrying in this hour. For one, our own sins and the myriad temptations we face in a highly consumerist, sensual, and compulsive society. There is also the apprehension and anxiety about what the Great Storm has yet to bring. And then there are all the personal trials, most notably, family divisions, financial strain, sickness, and fatigue of the daily grind. All of these can begin to pile up, crushing and smothering and defusing the flame of God’s love that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

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The Center of Truth

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, July 29th, 2015
Memorial of St. Martha

Liturgical texts here

 

I often hear both Catholics and Protestants say that our differences really don’t matter; that we believe in Jesus Christ, and that is all that matters. Certainly, we must recognize in this statement the authentic ground of true ecumenism, [1]cf. Authentic Ecumenism which is indeed the confession and commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. As St. John says:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Authentic Ecumenism

Mere Men

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, July 23rd, 2015
Opt. Memorial of St. Bridget

Liturgical texts here

mountainpeakwith-lightning_Fotor2

 

THERE is a crisis coming—and it is already here—for our Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ. It was foretold by Jesus when He said,

…everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined. (Matt 7:26-27)

That is, whatever is built on sand: those interpretations of Scripture that depart from the Apostolic faith, those heresies and subjective errors that have divided Christ’s Church literally into tens of thousands of denominations—is going to be washed away in this present and coming Storm. In the end, Jesus foretold, “there will be one flock, one shepherd.” [1]cf. John 10:16

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. John 10:16

The Glance of God

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, July 21st, 2015
Opt. Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi

Liturgical texts here

 

WHILE the story of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea has frequently been told in both film and otherwise, a small but significant detail is often left out: the moment when Pharaoh’s army is thrown into chaos—the moment when they are given the “glance of God.”

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Keep Still

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday, July 20th, 2015
Opt. Memorial of St. Apollinaris

Liturgical texts here

 

THERE wasn’t always enmity between Pharaoh and the Israelites. Remember when Joseph was entrusted by Pharaoh to hand out grain to all of Egypt? At that time, the Israelites were seen as a benefit and blessing to the country.

So too, there was a time when the Church was perceived as a benefit to society, when her charitable works of building hospitals, schools, orphanages, and other charities were welcomed by the State. Moreover, religion was seen as a positive force in society that helped direct not only the conduct of the State, but formed and molded individuals, families, and communities resulting in a more peaceful and just society.

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Come… Be Still!

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, July 16th, 2015
Opt. Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Liturgical texts here

 

SOMETIMES, in all of the controversies, the questions, and confusion of our times; in all of the moral crises, challenges, and trials we face… there is the risk that the most important thing, or rather, Person gets lost: Jesus. He, and His divine mission, that are at the very center of humanity’s future, can easily be sidelined in the important but secondary issues of our time. In fact, the greatest need facing the Church in this hour is a renewed vigour and urgency in her primary mission: the salvation and sanctification of human souls. For if we save the environment and the planet, the economy and the social order, but neglect to save souls, then we have utterly failed.

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St. Raphael's Little Healing

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday, June 5th, 2015
Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

Liturgical texts here

St. Raphael, “Medicine of God”

 

IT was late dusk, and a blood moon was rising. I was entranced by its deep color as I wandered through the horses. I had just layed out their hay and they were quietly munching. The full moon, the fresh snow, the peaceful murmur of satisfied animals … it was a tranquil moment.

Until what felt like a bolt of lightning shot through my knee.

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Will You Leave Them for Dead?

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time, June 1st, 2015
Memorial of St. Justin

Liturgical texts here

 

FEAR, brothers and sisters, is silencing the Church in many places and thus imprisoning truth. The cost of our trepidation can be counted in souls: men and women left to suffer and die in their sin. Do we even think in this way anymore, think of the spiritual health of one another? No, in many parishes we do not because we are more concerned with the status quo than quoting the state of our souls.

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Building the House of Peace

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, May 5th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

ARE you at peace? Scripture tells us that our God is a God of peace. And yet St. Paul also taught that:

It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. (Today’s first reading)

If so, it would seem that the life of the Christian is destined to be anything but peaceful. But not only is peace possible, brothers and sisters, it is essential. If you cannot find peace in the present and coming Storm, then you will be carried away by it. Panic and fear will dominate rather than trust and charity. So then, how can we find true peace when a war is raging all about? Here are three simple steps to building a House of Peace.

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Come, Follow Me Into the Tomb

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of Holy Week, April 4th, 2015
Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

SO, you are loved. It is the most beautiful message a fallen world could ever hear. And there is no religion in the world with so remarkable a testimony… that God Himself, out of a passionate love for us, has descended to earth, taken on our flesh, and died to save us.

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You Are Loved

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of Holy Week, April 3rd, 2015
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Liturgical texts here


 

YOU are loved.

 

Whoever you are, you are loved.

On this day, God declares in one solemn act that you are loved.

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The Stripping

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of Holy Week, April 2nd, 2015
Evening Mass of the Last Supper

Liturgical texts here

 

JESUS was stripped three times during His Passion. The first time was at the Last Supper; the second when they clothed Him in a military cloak; [1]cf. Matt 27:28 and the third time, when they hung Him naked upon the Cross. [2]cf. John 19:23 The difference between the last two and the first is that Jesus “took off his outer garments” Himself.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Matt 27:28
↑2 cf. John 19:23

Seeing the Good

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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.

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Footnotes

The Only Fault that Matters

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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:

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Why an Era of Peace?

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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.

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Wisdom Will be Vindicated

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 27th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

saint-sophia-the-almighty-wisdom-1932_FotorSt. 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

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Footnotes

When Wisdom Comes

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 26th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

Woman-praying_Fotor

 

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:

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A Greater Gift

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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. 

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God's Timing

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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.

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The Reframers

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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! 

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Footnotes

Fulfilled, But Not Yet Consummated

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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…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Mark 1:15

Reshaping Fatherhood

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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.

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Not On My Own

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 18th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

father-and-son2

 

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:

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When the Spirit Comes

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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.

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It is Living!

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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)

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Opening Wide the Doors of Mercy

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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:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Sheathing the Sword
↑2 cf. Zenit, March 13th, 2015

Sheathing the Sword

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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.

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The Progression of Totalitarianism

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, March 12th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

Damiano_Mascagni_Joseph_Sold_Into_Slavery_by_His_Brothers_FotorJoseph 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:

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The Death of Logic

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, March 11th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

spock-original-series-star-trek_Fotor_000.jpgCourtesy 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).

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The Key to Opening God's Heart

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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.

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Stubborn and Blind

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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!

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The Surprise Welcome

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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…

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God Will Never Give Up

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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.

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Bearers of Love

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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…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Matt 4;1-11

Servants of the Truth

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 4th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

Ecce HomoEcce 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.

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Weeding Out Sin

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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…

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Mercy for a People in Darkness

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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:

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The Way of Contradiction

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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.

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The Incurable Evil

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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,

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. The Cosmic Surgery

The Most Important Prophecy

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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.

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On Earth as in Heaven

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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…

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