Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5 Responsorial: Psalm 96:1-3, 7-10 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Gospel: John 2:1-11 Experiencing Spiritual Renewal through Our Faith in Christ Jesus . . . revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. (John 2:11) Jesus’ first miracle was impressive: he turned water into wine. Because it […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Responsorial: Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10 2nd Reading: Acts 10:34-38 Gospel: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 The Baptism of the Lord, The Beginning of Our Salvation, Healing, and Deliverance All were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. (Luke 3:15) The […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 2nd Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 Reflecting God’s Love and Care in Our Love and Care for Our Parents They saw the child. (Matthew 2:11) An epiphany is a sudden realization about the nature […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Responsorial: Psalm 128:1-5 2nd Reading: Colossians 3:12-21 Gospel: Luke 2:41-52 Reflecting God’s Love and Care in Our Love and Care for Our Parents Take care of your father when he is old. (Sirach 3:12) Many of us are already living […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Micah 5:1-4 Responsorial: Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 2nd Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10 Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 Advent, A Time to Rejoice in the Lord’s Great Love for Us He takes away the first to establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9) Here we are, just two days […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18 Responsorial: (Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6 2nd Reading: Philippians 4:4-7 Gospel: Luke 3: 10-18 Advent, A Time to Rejoice in the Lord’s Great Love for Us Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) St. Paul believed that […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Baruch 5:1-9 2nd Reading: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Responsorial: Psalm 126:1-6 Gospel: Luke 3:1-6 Advent, A Time to Fix Our Eyes on Jesus and His Presence in Others God is leading Israel in joy. (Baruch 5:9) When was the last time you saw Jesus […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16 2nd Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:2 Responsorial: Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14 Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Advent, A Time to Make Room for Jesus and Prepare for His Coming The days are coming, says the Lord . . . (Jeremiah 33:14) We often […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Daniel 7:13-14 2nd Reading: Revelation 1:5-8 Responsorial: Psalm 93:1-2, 5 Gospel: John 18:33-37 The Difference between Jesus’ Kingdom and Kingdoms of This World My kingdom does not belong to this world. (John 18:36) According to Scripture, Cain, who killed his brother Abel, also […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Daniel 12:1-3 Responsorial: Psalm 16:5, 8-11 2nd Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 Gospel: Mark 13:24-32 Always Be Ready for Jesus Second Coming Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last Of that day or hour, no one knows. (Mark 13:32) When Jesus said […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Deuteronomy 6:2-6 Responsorial: Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51 2nd Reading: Hebrews 7:23-28 Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 Understanding the Difference between “Fear the Lord” and “Perfect Love Drives out Fear” Fear the Lord, your God. (Deuteronomy 6:2) What does it mean to fear the Lord? Should […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9 Responsorial: Psalm 126:1-6 2nd Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6 Gospel: Mark 10:46-52 Saying Yes to Jesus’ Call to Follow Him and No to the Call to Follow the Things of the World He began to cry out. (Mark 10:47) Bartimaeus makes it perfectly […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 53:10-11 Responsorial: Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22 2nd Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16 Gospel: Mark 10:35-45 Answering the Call to Serve Jesus and Build the Kingdom of God The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Wisdom 7:7-11 2nd Reading: Hebrews 4:12-13 Responsorial: Psalm 90:12-17 Gospel: Mark 10: 17-30 . . . with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. (Mark 10:30) Today in Rome, Pope Francis will canonize Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, in addition […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Genesis 2:18-24 Responsorial: Psalm 128:1-6 2nd Reading: Hebrews 2:9-11 Gospel: Mark 10:2-16 It is not good for the man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18) Doesn’t it sound as if God created Adam and then noticed that something was missing? Maybe he realized that […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Numbers 11:25-29 Responsorial: Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-14 2nd Reading: James 5:1-6 Gospel: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 Eldad and Medad. (Numbers 11:27) We all know that Moses was filled with the Spirit of the Lord, but today’s first reading tells us that God took […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 Responsorial Psalm: 54:3-6, 8 2nd Reading: James 3:16–4:3 Gospel: Mark 9:30-37 The Son of Man is to be handed over to men. (Mark 9:31) What a remarkable statement! As he begins his journey to Jerusalem, Jesus tells his disciples—and us—that […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 50:5-9 Responsorial: Psalm 116:1-6, 8-9 2nd Reading: James 2:14-18 Gospel: Mark 8:27-35 Get behind me, Satan. (Mark 8:33) Try to imagine the look on Peter’s face when Jesus rebuked him. He must have gone from a beaming smile to a forlorn frown in […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7 Responsorial: Psalm 146:7-10 2nd Reading: James 2:1-5 Gospel: Mark 7:31-37 The burning sands will become pools. (Isaiah 35:7) Isaiah’s promises seem extravagant, don’t they? If we look at them literally, they are quite marvelous. God will permanently alter the Holy Land […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 Responsorial: Psalm 15:2-5 2nd Reading: James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Be doers of the word. (James 1:22) In today’s second reading, James compares the Scriptures to a mirror. When we read the word of God, or […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 2nd Reading: Ephesians 5:21-32 Responsorial: Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21 Gospel: John 6:60-69 Master, to whom shall we go? (John 6:68) Preparing the Israelites to recommit themselves to their covenant with God, Joshua recounted the many ways God had delivered them from […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Proverbs 9:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 34:2-7 2nd Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20 Gospel: John 6: 51-58 Be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) Today is exam day. And to make it a little easier, we have reprinted today’s second reading: 15Watch carefully how you live, not […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Responsorial: Psalm 34:2-9 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:30–5:2 Gospel: John 6:41-51 Get up and eat! (1 Kings 19:5) Elijah was downcast. Queen Jezebel had just ordered his death. Just a few days earlier, Elijah had found himself in a moment of […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Responsorial: Psalm 78:3-4, 23-25, 54 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 Gospel: John 6:24-35 Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self. (Ephesians 4:23-24) There are usually two sections to an epistle by St. Paul. […]
