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October 9, 2008                                 Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Gal 3:1-5 O stupid Galatians!Who has bewitched you,before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?I want to learn only this from you:did you receive the Spirit from works of the law,or from faith in what you heard?Are you so stupid?After beginning with the Spirit,are you now ending with the flesh?Did you experience so many things in vain?–if indeed it was in vain.Does, then, the...

October 6, 2008                                 Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Gal 1:6-12 Brothers and sisters:I am amazed that you are so quickly forsakingthe one who called you by the grace of Christfor a different gospel (not that there is another).But there are some who are disturbing youand wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ.But even if we or an angel from heavenshould preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you,let...

October 4, 2008                            Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, religious       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17 Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things,and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.I had heard of you by word of mouth,but now my eye has seen you.Therefore I disown what I have said,and repent in dust and ashes. Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Jobmore than his earlier ones.For he...

October 2, 2008                                     Memorial of the Guardian Angels       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 19:21-27 Job said: Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,for the hand of God has struck me!Why do you hound me as though you were divine,and insatiably prey upon me? Oh, would that my words were written down!Would that they were inscribed in a record:That with an iron chisel and with leadthey were cut in the rock forever!But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,and that he will at last stand forth...

Guardian AngelsCHRISTINE J. MURRAYThe guardian angel simply has one task that has many facets — to lead the human to the Passion and Cross. Embracing the cross is the only way human beings reach heaven. He does this mainly through pricking our conscience so we can follow the will of God. Fr. Frederick William Faber, who followed John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church in 1845, succinctly and eloquently describes the guardian angels’ relationship to us in “Hymn to My Guardian Angel”. “Dear angel! Ever at my side. How loving must thou be To leave thy home in heaven to...

October 1, 2008                           Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus,                         virgin and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 9:1-12, 14-16 Job answered his friends and said: I know well that it is so;but how can a man be justified before God?Should one wish to contend with him,he could not answer him once in a thousand times.God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;who has withstood him and remained unscathed? He removes the mountains before they know it;he overturns them in his anger.He shakes the earth out...

     (c. 342-420) Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ    I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: Search the Scriptures, and Seek and you shall find. Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews: You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God. For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.      Therefore,...

September 30, 2008                                      Memorial of Saint Jerome,                                     priest and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.Job spoke out and said: Perish the day on which I was born,the night when they said, “The child is a boy!” Why did I not perish at birth,come forth from the womb and expire?Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth,like babes that have never seen the light?Wherefore did the knees receive me?or why did...

September 29, 2008                         Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael,                                 archangels       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set upand the Ancient One took his throne.His clothing was bright as snow,and the hair on his head as white as wool;His throne was flames of fire,with wheels of burning fire.A surging stream of fireflowed out from where he sat;Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.As...

September 27, 2008                                 Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, priest       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Eccl 11:9—12:8 Rejoice, O young man, while you are young and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.Follow the ways of your heart,the vision of your eyes;Yet understand that as regards all thisGod will bring you to judgment.Ward off grief from your heartand put away trouble from your presence,though the dawn of youth is fleeting. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,before the evil days comeAnd the years approach...

September 26, 2008                             Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Eccl 3:1-11 There is an appointed time for everything,and a time for every thing under the heavens.A time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.A time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to tear down, and a time to build.A time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time...

Padre Pio, Priest and Victim By Father Markon September 22, 2008 11:05 PM By Monsignor Arthur Burton Calkins I. The Crisis of Identity in the PriesthoodAlmost immediately after the Second Vatican Council, a terrible identity crisis of enormous proportions began to overtake the Catholic priesthood and thousands of priests left the active ministry with or without the requisite permission. Still others became genuinely confused about the nature of their priesthood. Unfortunately, the disorientation still remains in many ways. Its causes, no doubt, are quite complex and ultimately we must confess that "An enemy has done this" (Mt. 13:28).But recognizing...

September 23, 2008                             Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, priest       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Prv 21:1-6, 10-13 Like a stream is the king’s heart in the hand of the LORD;wherever it pleases him, he directs it. All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,but it is the LORD who proves hearts. To do what is right and justis more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Haughty eyes and a proud heart–the tillage of the wicked is sin. The plans of the diligent are sure of...

St Andrew Kim Taegon and the glorious, immortal martyrs of Korea The practice of Christianity in Korea has a relatively short history, but after a difficult beginning it has seen significant growth and success. The deeply-rooted traditional religions of Buddhism, Shamanism and Confucianism held strong for many centuries and have been challenged by Christianity in a meaningful way only since 1784 when the first Catholic prayer-house was established in Korea. Prior to the Korean War of 1950–1953, two-thirds of Korean Christians lived in the North, but most subsequently fled to the South. Around 10% of the population of South Korea...

September 20, 2008                                   Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon,                             priest and martyr,                             and Saint Paul Chong Hasang, martyr,                             and their companions, martyrs         Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49 Brothers and sisters:Someone may say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come back?” You fool!What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.And what you sow is not the body that...

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September 19, 2008                                     Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week                             in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 15:12-20 Brothers and sisters:If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?If there is no resurrection of the dead,then neither has Christ been raised.And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching;empty, too, your faith.Then we are also false witnesses to God,because we testified against God that he...

Denver, Sep 18, 2008 / 05:22 am (CNA).- A complete version of the Roman Martyrology, the Vatican’s list of all the canonized saints and blesseds, will soon be launched as a searchable database on eCatholicHub.net. The eCatholicHub database does not leave out any saint or blessed, which its creators say make it the “most comprehensive source” for saint information on the internet.The database includes each saint’s or blessed’s full name, feast day, year of death, and the order in which the person is commemorated on his or her feast day. The database also incorporates special titles, pictures and biographical information...

September 17, 2008                                 Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 12:31-13:13 Brothers and sisters:Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tonguesbut do not have love,I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.And if I have the gift of prophecyand comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;if I have all faith so as to move mountains,but do not...

September 16, 2008                          Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr,                             and Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a Brothers and sisters:As a body is one though it has many parts,and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,so also Christ.For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body,whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. Now you are Christ’s Body,...

LOURDES, France, SEPT. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The only thing that separates a saint from a sinner is that a saint looks less at himself and more at Christ and his love, says the Pope. The Pope offered a commentary on the Eucharist on Sunday night at the conclusion of the Eucharistic procession in the prairie at the Marian shrine in Lourdes. The Holy Father visited Lourdes this weekend to participate in the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions there. He returned to Rome today."Let us accept; may you accept to offer yourselves to him who has given...

Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary  There are two days we commemorate the dry martrydom of Our Lady --- September 15 and today. The Mass in September is devoted more specifically to her 7 Sorrows; the Mass today focuses on her compassion and what she suffered during the first Passiontide. To that end, the Sequence read after the Epistle, Gradual, and Tract consists of the haunting Stabat Mater, the text of which was written by St. Thomas Aquinas.  The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady are: The Prophecy of SimeonThe Flight into EgyptThe Loss of Jesus in...

September 15, 2008                                     Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 11:17-26, 33 Brothers and sisters:In giving this instruction, I do not praise the factthat your meetings are doing more harm than good.First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Churchthere are divisions among you,and to a degree I believe it;there have to be factions among youin order that also those who are approved among youmay become known.When you meet in one place, then,it is not to eat the Lord’s supper,for...

September 13, 2008                                     Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom,                                         bishop and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 10:14-22 My beloved ones, avoid idolatry.I am speaking as to sensible people;judge for yourselves what I am saying.The cup of blessing that we bless,is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ?The bread that we break,is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?Because the loaf of bread is one,we, though many, are one Body,for we...

September 12, 2008                                     Friday of the Twenty-third Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27 Brothers and sisters:If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,for an obligation has been imposed on me,and woe to me if I do not preach it!If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.What then is my recompense?That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free...

  St. Peter Claver PETER CLAVER (A Man Who Knew How To Love)  Excerpts from "A Man Who Knew How To Love" Published by The Society of Saint Peter Claver  Peter Claver, the Apostle of the Slaves, was born in 1580 in the little Carlan Village of Verdie, in northern Spain. At the early age of thirteen, Peter Claver decided that he wanted to be a priest. He studied faithfully to attain knowledge while continuing to grow strong in piety and religious observanceIn 1604, Peter Claver took conscience vows, which united him with the Society of Jesus. With the idea of...

September 9, 2008                                 Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, priest       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 6:1-11 Brothers and sisters:How can any one of you with a case against anotherdare to bring it to the unjust for judgmentinstead of to the holy ones?Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?If the world is to be judged by you,are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?Do you not know that we will judge angels?Then why not everyday matters?If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters,do you seat...

Feast of the Nativity of Mary    Nine months ago, Mary was immaculately conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, by her father St. Joachim. The Feast of that Immaculate Conception, 8 December, is a much greater Feast than today's (it's a Holy Day of Obligation, in fact); but we recall Mary's birthday, too -- the birth of the woman destined by God from the beginning of time to be born of the House of David and the Tribe of Judah, the women whose enmity toward Satan was spoken of as far back as Genesis, the woman whom St. John...

September 8, 2008                         Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Mi 5:1-4a The LORD says:You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,too small to be among the clans of Judah,From you shall come forth for meone who is to be ruler in Israel;Whose origin is from of old,from ancient times.(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the timewhen she who is to give birth has borne,And the rest of his brethren shall returnto the children of Israel.)He shall stand firm and shepherd his flockby the strength of the LORD,in the majestic name of the LORD, his...

ST GREGORY NAZIANZEN, B. C., DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH—328-389 A D. Feast: January 2 From his own works, and other monuments of that age. See Gregory of Caesarea, who writ his life in 940; Hermant, Tillemont, t. ix., Ceillier, t. vii.; also the life of this saint, compiled from his works by Baronius, published by Alberici, in an appendix to the life and letters of that cardinal, in 1759, t. ii.] St Gregory who, from his profound skill in sacred learning, is surnamed the Theologian, was a native of Arianzum, an obscure village in the territory of Nazianzum, a...

September 3, 2008                                    Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great,                                     pope and doctor of the Church     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 3:1-9 Brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as spiritual people,but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.I fed you milk, not solid food,because you were unable to take it.Indeed, you are still not able, even now,for you are still of the flesh.While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,are you not of the flesh, and walking according...

ST BASIL THE GREAT, CONFESSOR, ARCHBISHOP OF CAESAREA—329-379 A.D. Feast: January 2 St Basil the Great, the illustrious doctor and intrepid champion of the church, was born towards the close of the year 329 at Caesarea, the metropolis of Cappadocia. His parents were Cappadocians by birth, both equally illustrious for their nobility and descended from a long line of renowned heroes. But his father was by extraction from Pontus, wined his ancestors had long flourished. St. Macrina, his grandmother by the father's side, and her pious husband, whose name has not reached us suffered the confiscation of their estates...

Pope St.Gregory 1(the Great) Culture/Society MiscellaneousSource: EWTNPublished: ? 1913 Author: Catholic EncyclopediaPosted on 09/03/2001 12:53:36 PDT by Lady In Blue POPE ST. GREGORY I (the Great) Catholic Encyclopedia Doctor of the Church; b. at Rome about 540; d. 12 March 604. Gregory is certainly one of the most notable figures in Ecclesiastical History. He has exercised in many respects a momentous influence on the doctrine, the organization, and the discipline of the Catholic Church. To him we must look for an explanation of the religious situation of the Middle Ages; indeed, if no account were taken of his work,...

August 29, 2008                                     Memorial of the Martyrdom of                                     Saint John the Baptist       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 1:17-25 Brothers and sisters:Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of...

August 28, 2008                                 Memorial of Saint Augustine,                                 bishop and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Cor 1:1-9 Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,and Sosthenes our brother,to the Church of God that is in Corinth,to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.Grace to you and peace from God our...

August 27, 2008                                     Memorial of Saint Monica       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 12 Thes 3:6-10, 16-18 We instruct you, brothers and sisters,in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,to shun any brotherwho walks in a disorderly wayand not according to the tradition they received from us.For you know how one must imitate us.For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,nor did we eat food received free from anyone.On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked,so as not to burden any of you.Not...

August 25, 2008                                     Monday of the Twenty-first Week                                     in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 12 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessaloniansin God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:grace to you and peace from God our Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters,as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more,and the love of every one of you for one another grows...

August 23, 2008                                  Saturday of the Twentieth Week                                     in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Ez 43:1-7ab The angel led me to the gate which faces the east,and there I saw the glory of the God of Israelcoming from the east.I heard a sound like the roaring of many waters,and the earth shone with his glory.The vision was like that which I had seenwhen he came to destroy the city,and like that which I had seen by the river Chebar.I fell prone as the glory of the LORD...

August 22, 2008                                 Memorial of the Queenship of                                 the Blessed Virgin Mary       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Ez 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD came upon me,and led me out in the Spirit of the LORDand set me in the center of the plain,which was now filled with bones.He made me walk among the bones in every directionso that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain.How dry they were!He asked me:Son of man, can these bones come...

August 21, 2008                                 Memorial of Saint Pius X, pope       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Ez 36:23-28 Thus says the LORD:I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, in whose midst you have profaned it.Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.For I will take you away from among the nations,gather you from all the foreign lands,and bring you back to your own land.I will sprinkle clean water upon youto cleanse...

On the Saints "They Represent for Us a Real Path of Access to Jesus" CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today during the weekly general audience, held at Castel Gandolfo. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters! Every day the Church offers for our consideration one or more saints and blesseds whom we can invoke and imitate. This week, for example, we remember some who are much loved by popular devotion. Yesterday, St. John Eudes who, in face of the rigor of the Jansenists -- we are talking about...

Holiness “is not a luxury,” something reserved for the few, but is the “natural vocation” of those who have been baptised. Indeed, not all saints are known and famous because ‘there are those whose name is known by God alone,” said the Pope. In today’s general audience the vocation to holiness was the main topic Benedict XVI talked about before the 8,000 people assembled in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo. The occasion was characterised by a festive mood, delighted by songs and music performed by the bands of the groups present and by the thousands of...

August 20, 2008                                     Memorial of Saint Bernard,                                     abbot and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Ez 34:1-11 The word of the Lord came to me:Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israelwho have been pasturing themselves!Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,and slaughtered the fatlings,but the sheep you have not pastured.You...

OUR HISTORYSAINT JOHN EUDESJohn Eudes was born in 1601, in the village of Ri, in Normandy, France. After completing his studies at the Jesuit College in Caen, he entered the Congregation of the Oratory of France, founded in 1611 by Cardinal de Bérulle. Accepted by the founder himself on March 25, 1623, John Eudes was ordained to the priesthood on December 20, 1625. During that time, he assimilated the Christocentric spiritual thought of de Bérulle and shared his enthusiasm for "restoring the priestly order to its full splendor". Imbued with this spirit, as an apostolic missionary, he evangelized many towns...

August 19, 2008                             Tuesday of the Twentieth Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Ez 28:1-10 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are haughty of heart,you say, “A god am I!I occupy a godly thronein the heart of the sea!”—And yet you are a man, and not a god,however you may think yourself like a god.Oh yes, you are wiser than Daniel,there is no...

Saintly Role Models for Parents: St. Therese’s Parents to be Beatified August 13th, 2008 by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote of her parents, “God gave me a father and mother more worthy of Heaven than of earth.” Over a century later, the Catholic Church will officially confirm what St. Thérèse already knew. On July 11, 2008, it was announced that Louis and Zelie (Guerin) Martin would be beatified on Mission Sunday, October 19, 2008. They will become the first married couple to be beatified in the history of the Church. As such, they are saintly role models for married...

August 18, 2008                                     Monday of the Twentieth Week                                     in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Ez 24:15-23 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, by a sudden blowI am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears.Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead,bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet,do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.That...

Which of the 12 apostles were martyred? All except one. According to tradition, all of the twelve apostles died as martyrs during the first century A.D. Only St. John, the writer of the Gospel with his name and the Book of Revelation died a natural death. It is believed he died near the year 100 A.D. The possible causes of death of each of the Twelve Apostles: Andrew: Martyrdom by crucifixion (bound, not nailed, to a cross).1 Bartholomew (Often identified with Nathaniel in the New Testament): Martyrdom by being either 1. Beheaded, or 2. Flayed alive and crucified, head downward.1...

August 16, 2008                                 Saturday of the Nineteenth Week                                     in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 The word of the LORD came to me:Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverbthat you recite in the land of Israel: “Fathers have eaten green grapes,thus their children’s teeth are on edge”? As I live, says the Lord GOD:I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among youwho will repeat this proverb in Israel.For all lives are...

THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY: A BELIEF SINCE APOSTOLIC TIMES Father Clifford Stevens The Assumption is the oldest feast day of Our Lady, but we don't know how it first came to be celebrated. Its origin is lost in those days when Jerusalem was restored as a sacred city, at the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (c. 285-337). By then it had been a pagan city for two centuries, ever since Emperor Hadrian (76-138) had leveled it around the year 135 and rebuilt it as <Aelia Capitolina> in honor of Jupiter.For 200 years, every memory of Jesus was obliterated...