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September 28, 2015   Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Zec 8:1-8 This word of the LORD of hosts came: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am intensely jealous for Zion,stirred to jealous wrath for her.Thus says the LORD:I will return to Zion,and I will dwell within Jerusalem;Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women,each with staff in hand because of old age,shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.The city shall be filled with...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Pope Francis urged hundreds of thousands of the faithful gathered Sunday for the biggest event of his U.S. visit to be open to "miracles of love," closing out his joyful six-day trip with a message of hope for families, consolation for victims of child sexual abuse and a warning to America's bishops.

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Esther 15 When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. 16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. 17 In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear...

September 27, 2015   Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Nm 11:25-29 The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;yet the spirit came to rest on them also,and they prophesied in the camp.So, when a...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Esther 8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate. 3 Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the...

September 26, 2015 Saturday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked:there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.I asked, “Where are you going?”He answered, “To measure Jerusalem,to see how great is its width and how great its length.” Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,“Run, tell this to that young man:People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.But I will...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Esther 7 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have...

September 25, 2015   Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Hg 2:1-9 In the second year of King Darius,on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:Tell this to the governor of Judah,Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak,and to the remnant of the people: Who is left among youthat saw this house in its former glory?And how do you see it now?Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD,and take courage, Joshua, high...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me— those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? Joel 2:13 (NIV) ----

DAY 1: It all starts today! September 23, 2015 Today is the first day of the 17th coordinated international 40 Days for Life campaign … as 40 days of prayer and fasting … peaceful vigil … and community outreach begins in 307 locations.Find the nearest one and get involved!If it’s the first time you’re joining us, welcome! Here’s what you can expect: God using the 40-day time period to bring about transformation in you and your communityDaily campaign updates showing you how God is at work … including babies saved from abortion, workers experiencing a change of heart and many...

Hi. I woke up yesterday and was talking on the phone with a friend who was watching the Pope's visit. She said, "Oh, by the way, Yogi Berra died." Let us say that I reacted strongly. Mass media has done something for us. It has connected us with people we'll never meet on this earth, and sometimes makes them feel like part of the family. You didn't have to love the Yankees to love Yogi Berra. Despite his fame, he was a simple (not in the sense of dumb, please don't misunderstand!), humble family man who was able to laugh...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Esther 6 That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked. “Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered. 4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation Stand Firm Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Jan Markell | Olive Tree MinistriesWe hear so much about "converging signs" today.  The Bible speaks about end-time signs that will increase like birth pangs near the end. I think we have passed the birth pang process, frankly. As a popular TV preacher said, "We're no longer in Kansas, nor the Land of Oz." Like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz", we're looking around and seeing that everything is different. Everything we once took for granted and considered normal has been fundamentally transformed and usually not for the better. But God is allowing it all, even if He isn't orchestrating chaos,...

September 24, 2015   Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Hg 1:1-8 On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggaito the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak: Thus says the LORD of hosts: This people says:“The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,while this...

As a visitor to the United States, Pope Francis faces a minor challenge: His English isn’t so great. Over the course of the trip, he’ll give 18 speeches, and only four of them will be in English; he’ll mostly use his native language, Spanish, to give homilies and addresses. But at Wednesday’s mass in Washington, D.C., at which Francis will canonize Father Junipero Serra, he’ll add another linguistic twist. The main prayers of the service, along with the celebration of the Eucharist—the part of the service when people take communion—will be in Latin. Latin! This is an exclamation-mark-worthy fact for...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Esther 9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s...

September 23, 2015 Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest Reading 1 Ezr 9:5-9 At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness,and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees,stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God. I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you,O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our headsand our guilt reaches up to heaven.From the time of our fathers even to this daygreat has been our guilt,and for our wicked deeds we have been...

Pope Francis greets a family at Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, Santiago de Cuba, Sept. 22, 2015. Credit: L'Osservatore Romano. Santiago de Cuba, Sep 22, 2015 / 09:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met with families on Tuesday at Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Santiago de Cuba, thanking those gathered for their warm witness and inclusive nature, reflecting that it is at home, in the family, that Christ shows the love of God. Going off script from his prepared remarks Sept. 22, the Pope recalled that at the General Audiences held each Wednesday in St. Peter's Square,...