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You saw the Disney movie as a kid. You may have read the book. But did you know some of it was based on real history? While the story of King Arthur, Merlin, and all the rest may not be true, there really is a centuries-old sword stuck in a stone. In the small Italian town of Chiusdino, there’s a small chapel near Saint Galgano Abbey known as Montesiepi chapel. And inside you’ll find a big slab of stone in the floor with the handle of a sword sticking out of it.

October 22, 2014Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Eph 3:2-12 Brothers and sisters:You have heard of the stewardship of God’s gracethat was given to me for your benefit,namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation,as I have written briefly earlier.When you read thisyou can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,which was not made known to human beings in other generationsas it has now been revealedto his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit,that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body,and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus...

Sing with All the Saints in Glory Lyrics: William Irons Music: Ludwig von Beethoven; arr. by Edward Hodges Tune: HYMN TO JOY, Meter: 87.87 D 1. Sing with all the saints in glory, sing the resurrection song! Death and sorrow, earth's dark story, to the former days belong. All around the clouds are breaking, soon the storms of time shall cease; in God's likeness we, awaking, know the everlasting peace. 2. O what glory, far exceeding all that eye has yet perceived! Holiest hearts, for ages pleading, never that full joy conceived. God has promised, Christ prepares it, there on...

October 20, 2014Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Eph 2:1-10 Brothers and sisters:You were dead in your transgressions and sinsin which you once lived following the age of this world,following the ruler of the power of the air,the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh,following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses,and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.But God, who is rich in mercy,because of the great love he had for us,even when we were...

October 19, 2014Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Is 45:1, 4-6 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,whose right hand I grasp,subduing nations before him,and making kings run in his service,opening doors before himand leaving the gates unbarred:For the sake of Jacob, my servant,of Israel, my chosen one,I have called you by your name,giving you a title, though you knew me not.I am the LORD and there is no other,there is no God besides me.It is I who arm you, though you know me not,so that toward the rising and the setting of the sunpeople may...

October 18, 2014Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist    Reading 1 2 Tm 4:10-17b Beloved:Demas, enamored of the present world,deserted me and went to Thessalonica,Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.Luke is the only one with me.Get Mark and bring him with you,for he is helpful to me in the ministry.I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.You too be on guard against him,for he has strongly...

October 17, 2014Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr    Reading 1 Eph 1:11-14 Brothers and sisters:In Christ we were also chosen,destined in accord with the purpose of the Onewho accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,we who first hoped in Christ.In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,which is the first installment of our inheritancetoward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory....

October 16, 2014Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Eph 1:1-10 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,to the holy ones who are in Ephesusand faithful in Christ Jesus:grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who has blessed us in Christwith every spiritual blessing in the heavens,as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,to be holy and without blemish before him.In love he destined us for adoption to himself through...

October 15, 2014Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church    Reading 1 Gal 5:18-25 Brothers and sisters:If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.Now the works of the flesh are obvious:immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.I warn you, as I warned you before,that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, generosity,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.Against such there is no law.Now...

October 14, 2014Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Gal 5:1-6 Brothers and sisters:For freedom Christ set us free;so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who am telling youthat if you have yourselves circumcised,Christ will be of no benefit to you.Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcisedthat he is bound to observe the entire law.You are separated from Christ,you who are trying to be justified by law;you have fallen from grace.For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of...

Temptation as a Form of Martyrdom – A Meditation on a Writing of St. Ambrose By: Msgr. Charles PopeTemptation is a universal human experience. And because it’s so directly associated with sin, many too easily equate being tempted with sinning. But temptation is not the same as sin. If it were, how could the Scriptures say to us that Jesus was tempted in every way we are and yet was without sin? (Heb 4:15) Hence, the simple experience of temptation is not sin. It is true, however, that our past indulgence in sin can make us more susceptible to temptation.However, properly understood,...

October 9, 2014Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Gal 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 one who supplies the Spirit to youand works mighty deeds among youdo so from works of the lawor from faith in...

October 7, 2014Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary    Reading 1 Gal 1:13-24 Brothers and sisters:You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measureand tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaismbeyond many of my contemporaries among my race,since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apartand called me through his grace,was pleased to reveal his Son to me,so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,nor did I...

October 6, 2014Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Gal 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 that one be accursed!As we have said before, and now I say again,if anyone preaches to you a gospelother than...

The Power of the Little Flower Jenny UebbingYou’d be hard pressed to find a practicing Catholic who hasn’t heard of St. Therese of Lisieux.  Pope St. Pius X called her “the greatest saint of modern times.” The Little Flower enjoys chart-topping popularity in the holy-card-and-statuary department, and come October 1st, many a pair of eyes will be trained on gardens (and floral departments) hoping to land a signal rose from her “shower from Heaven.”I have loved St. Therese from childhood, but it wasn’t until I became an adult and read about her childhood that I really came to truly know...

Transitus Today is the vigil of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  Franciscans from all around the world have a Transitus celebration this evening.  The Transitus is a Franciscan devotion to ritually remember the passing of Saint Francis from this life into God. It is similar to what you might do on the anniversary of the death of a  family member or very dear friend.    You sit around and remember their lives, recall the day they died and what occurred.  You share your memories and talk about how much they meant to you.  Tonight at 7 PM we...

A beatification Mass for Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, who died in 1927 at age 26, will be led Saturday by Cardinal Angelo Amato at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. It is the third in a four-step process toward sainthood.

October 4, 2014Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi    Reading 1 Jb 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 had fourteen thousand sheep, six...

October 1, 2014Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church    Reading 1 Jb 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 of its place,and the pillars beneath it tremble.He commands the...

September 30, 2014Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church  Reading 1 Jb 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 I suck at the breasts? For then I should have lain down and been tranquil;had...