SPIRITUALITY

Joy in God's Law

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday, July 1st, 2016
Opt. Memorial of St. Junípero Serra

Liturgical texts here

bread1

 

MUCH has been said in this Jubilee Year of Mercy about the love and mercy of God toward all sinners. One could say that Pope Francis has really pushed the limits in “welcoming” sinners into the bosom of the Church. [1]cf. The Thin Line Between Mercy and Heresy-Part I-III As Jesus says in today’s Gospel:

Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

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Footnotes

The House That Lasts

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, June 23rd, 2016
Liturgical texts here


St. Therese de Liseux, by Michael D. O’Brien

 

I wrote this meditation after visiting the house of St. Thérèse in France seven years ago. It is a reminder and warning to the “new architects” of our times that a house built without God is a house doomed to collapse, as we hear in today’s Gospel….

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Depending on Providence

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for June 7th, 2016
Liturgical texts here

Elijah SleepingElijah Sleeping, by Michael D. O’Brien

 

THESE are the days of Elijah, that is, the hour of a prophetic witness being called forth by the Holy Spirit. It is going to take on many facets—from the fulfillment of apparitions, to the prophetic witness of individuals who “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation… shine like lights in the world.” [1]Phil 2:15 Here I am not speaking only of the hour of “prophets, seers, and visionaries”—though that is part of it—but of every day people like you and me.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Phil 2:15

Be Holy… in the Little Things

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 24th, 2016
Liturgical texts here

campfire2

 

THE most daunting words in Scripture might be those in today’s first reading:

Be holy because I am holy.

Most of us look into the mirror and turn away with sadness if not disgust: “I am anything but holy. Furthermore, I will NEVER be holy!”

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The Virtue of Persistence

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for January 11th – 16th, 2016
Liturgical texts here

desertpilgrim2

 

THIS call “out of Babylon” into the desert, into the wilderness, into asceticism is truly a call into battle. For to leave Babylon is to resist temptation and to break at last with sin. And this presents a direct threat to the enemy of our souls. Continue reading →

The Desert Path

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THE desert of the soul is that place where consolation has dried up, the flowers of delightful prayer have wilted, and the oasis of God’s presence seems but a mirage. At these times, you may feel as though God no longer approves of you, that you are falling away, lost in the vast wilderness of human weakness. When you try to pray, the sands of distraction fill your eyes, and you may feel utterly lost, completely abandoned… helpless. 

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Ascetic in the City

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HOW can we, as Christians, live in this world without being consumed by it? How can we remain pure of heart in a generation that is immersed in impurity? How can we become holy in an era of unholiness?

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He is Our Healing

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Healing Touch by Frank P. Ordaz

 

BEHIND this writing apostolate is a whole other level of ministry that happens through my personal correspondence with souls from around the world. And lately, there is a consistent thread of fear, even though that fear is for different reasons.

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Five Keys to True Joy

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IT was a gorgeous deep-blue sky as our plane began the descent to the airport. As I peered out my little window, the brilliance of the cumulus clouds made me squint. It was a beautiful sight.

But as we plunged beneath the clouds, the world suddenly turned gray. Rain streaked across my window as the cities below seemed encamped by a foggy darkness and seemingly inescapable gloom. And yet, the reality of the warm sun and clear skies hadn’t changed. They were still there.

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The Invisible Prayer

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This prayer came to me before Mass this week. Jesus said that we are to be “the light of the world”, not hidden beneath a bushel basket. But it is precisely in becoming little, in dying to self, and in uniting oneself interiorly to Christ in humility, prayer, and total abandonment to His Will, that this Light shines forth.

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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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Prayer in Despair

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, August 11th, 2015
Memorial of St. Clare

Liturgical texts here

 

PERHAPS the deepest trial many are experiencing today is the temptation to believe that prayer is futile, that God neither hears nor answers their prayers. To succumb to this temptation is the beginning of the shipwreck of one’s faith…

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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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A Prayer for Courage

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Come Holy Spirit by Lance Brown

 

PENTECOST SUNDAY

 

THE recipe for fearlessness is a simple one: join hands with the Blessed Mother and pray and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. It worked 2000 years ago; it has worked throughout the centuries, and it continues to work today because it is by God’s design that perfect love cast out all fear. What do I mean by this? God is love; Jesus is God; and He is perfect love. It is the work of the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother to form in us that Perfect Love once again.

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The Paralyzed Soul

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THERE are times when trials are so intense, temptations so fierce, emotions so embroiled, that recollection is very difficult. I want to pray, but my mind is spinning; I want to rest, but my body is reeling; I want to believe, but my soul is wrestling with a thousand doubts. Sometimes, these are moments of spiritual warfare—an attack by the enemy to discourage and drive the soul into sin and despair… but permitted nonetheless by God to allow the soul to see its weakness and constant need for Him, and thus draw nearer to the Source of its strength.

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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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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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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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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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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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Pray More, Speak Less

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praymorespeakless2

 

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.

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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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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

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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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 Great Adventure

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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.

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Me?

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday after Ash Wednesday, February 21st, 2015

Liturgical texts here

come-follow-me_Fotor.jpg

 

IF you really stop to think about it, to really absorb what just happened in today’s Gospel, it should revolutionize your life.

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Healing the Wound of Eden

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday after Ash Wednesday, February 20th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

thewound_Fotor_000.jpg

 

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?

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Going Against the Current

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday after Ash Wednesday, February 19th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

against the tide_Fotor

 

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

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Footnotes

The Gentle Coming of Jesus

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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…

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Strayed

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for December 9th, 2014
Memorial of St. Juan Diego

Liturgical texts here

 

IT was almost midnight when I arrived at our farm after a trip to the city a few weeks ago.

“The calf is out,” my wife said. “The boys and I went out and looked, but couldn’t find her. I could hear her bawling towards the north, but the sound was getting further away.”

So I got in my truck and started to drive through the pastures, which had nearly a foot of snow in places. Any more snow, and this would be pushing it, I thought to myself. I put the truck in 4×4 and started driving around tree groves, bushes, and along fencelines. But there was no calf. Even more puzzling, there were no tracks. After a half hour, I resigned myself to waiting till morning.

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Becoming God's Fragrance

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WHEN you walk into a room with fresh flowers, they are essentially just sitting there. Yet, their fragrance reaches you and fills your senses with delight. So too, a holy man or woman may not need to say or do much in another’s presence, for the aroma of their holiness is enough to touch one’s spirit.

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Knowing Jesus

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HAVE you ever met someone who is passionate about their subject? A skydiver, horse-back rider, a sports fan, or an anthropologist, scientist, or antique restorer who lives and breathes their hobby or career? While they can inspire us, and even spark an interest in us toward their subject, Christianity is different. For it is not about the passion of yet another lifestyle, philosophy, or even religious ideal.

The essence of Christianity is not an idea but a Person. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, spontaneous speech to the clergy of Rome; Zenit, May 20th, 2005

 

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The Spirit of Trust

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SO much has been said this past week on the spirit of fear that has been flooding many souls. I have been blessed that so many of you have entrusted your own vulnerability to me as you have been trying to sift through the confusion that has become a staple of the times. But to assume that what is called confusion is immediately, therefore, “from the evil one” would be incorrect. Because in the life of Jesus, we know that so often his followers, the teachers of the law, the Apostles, and even Mary were left confused as to the meaning and actions of the Lord.

And out of all of these followers, two responses stand out that are like two pillars rising on the sea of turmoil. If we begin to imitate these examples, we can affix ourselves to both of these pillars, and be drawn into the internal calm that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

It is my prayer that your faith in Jesus will be renewed in this meditation…

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We are God's Possession

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 16th, 2014
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch

Liturgical texts here

 


from Brian Jekel’s Consider the Sparrows

 

 

‘WHAT is the Pope doing? What are the bishops doing?” Many are asking these questions on the heels of confusing language and abstract statements emerging from the Synod on Family Life. But the question on my heart today is what is the Holy Spirit doing? Because Jesus sent the Spirit to guide the Church to “all truth.” [1]John 16:13 Either Christ’s promise is trustworthy or it’s not. So what is the Holy Spirit doing? I will write more about this in another writing.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 John 16:13

The Inside Must Match the Outside

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 14th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr

Liturgical texs here

 

 

IT is often said that Jesus was tolerant towards “sinners” but intolerant of the Pharisees. But this isn’t quite true. Jesus often rebuked the Apostles as well, and in fact in yesterday’s Gospel, it was the entire crowd to whom He was very blunt, warning that they would be shown less mercy than the Ninevites:

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For Freedom

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 13th, 2014

Liturgical texts here

 

 

ONE of the reasons I felt the Lord wanted me to write the “Now Word” on the Mass readings at this time, was precisely because there is a now word in the readings that is speaking directly to what is happening in the Church and the world. The readings of the Mass are arranged in three year cycles, and so are different each year. Personally, I think it is a “sign of the times” how this year’s readings are lining up with our times…. Just saying.

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The Two Parts

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 7th, 2014
Our Lady of the Rosary

Liturgical texts here


Jesus with Martha and Mary from Anton Laurids Johannes Dorph (1831-1914)

 

 

THERE is no such thing as a Christian without the Church. But there is no Church without authentic Christians…

Today, St. Paul continues to give his testimony of how he was given the Gospel, not by man, but by a “revelation of Jesus Christ.” [1]Yesterday’s first reading Yet, Paul is not a lone ranger; he brings himself and his message into and under the authority that Jesus conferred upon the Church, beginning with the “rock”, Cephas, the first pope:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Yesterday’s first reading