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November 15, 2014Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 3 Jn 5-8 Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters,especially for strangers;they have testified to your love before the Church.Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.For they have set out for the sake of the Nameand are accepting nothing from the pagans.Therefore, we ought to support such persons,so that we may be co-workers in the truth. Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.or:R. Alleluia.Blessed the man who...

November 13, 2014Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin    Reading 1 Phlm 7-20 Beloved:I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love,because the hearts of the holy oneshave been refreshed by you, brother.Therefore, although I have the full right in Christto order you to do what is proper,I rather urge you out of love,being as I am, Paul, an old man,and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus.I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,whose father I have become in my imprisonment,who was once useless to you but is now useful to both you and me.I...

November 12, 2014Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr    Reading 1 Ti 3:1-7 Beloved:Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities,to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise.They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate,exercising all graciousness toward everyone.For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded,slaves to various desires and pleasures,living in malice and envy,hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the kindness and generous loveof God our savior appeared,not because of any righteous deeds we had donebut because of his mercy,he saved us through the bath of rebirthand renewal...

November 11, 2014Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop    Reading 1 Ti 2:1-8, 11-14 Beloved:You must say what is consistent with sound doctrine,namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified,self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance.Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior,not slanderers, not addicted to drink, teaching what is good, so that they may train younger womento love their husbands and children,to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers,under the control of their husbands,so that the word of God may not be discredited. Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves,showing yourself as a model of good...

November 10, 2014Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church    Reading 1 Ti 1:1-9 Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christfor the sake of the faith of God’s chosen onesand the recognition of religious truth,in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,who indeed at the proper time revealed his wordin the proclamation with which I was entrustedby the command of God our savior,to Titus, my true child in our common faith:grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. For...

November 4, 2014Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop    Reading 1 Phil 2:5-11 Brothers and sisters:Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God,did not regard equality with Godsomething to be grasped.Rather, he emptied himself,taking the form of a slave,coming in human likeness;and, found human in appearance,he humbled himself,becoming obedient to death,even death on a cross.Because of this, God greatly exalted himand bestowed on him the namethat is above every name,that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bend,of those in heaven and on earth and...

October 31, 2014Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Phil 1:1-11 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,with the bishops and deacons:grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,because of your partnership for the Gospelfrom the first day until now.I am confident of this,that the one who began a good work in youwill continue to complete...

Halloween and All Saints Day Fr. William Saunders Q: What are the origins of All Saints Day and All Souls Day? Are these linked with paganism and Halloween?Both the feast of All Saints and the feast of All Souls evolved in the life of the Church independently of paganism and Halloween. Let us first address the feast of All Saints. The exact origins of this celebration are uncertain, although, after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313, a common commemoration of the saints, especially the martyrs, appeared in various areas throughout the Church. For instance in the East, the city...

Teresa of Ávila: Slayer of Dragons Let this good-humored saint teach you how to overcome every obstacle. By: Leopold Glueckert, O.Carm.St. Teresa of Ávila was one of the most earthbound mystics our Church has ever seen. She knew how to ascend to the heavens with the Holy Spirit yet never lose her footing on the earth. This woman, who had deep spiritual insights, described prayer as nothing but an intimate sharing between friends. Rather than describe a formula for prayer, she taught an attitude for life. She discovered that all we need to do is seek the Lord actively;...

The Powerful Faith and Intercession of St. Jude Daniel Stewart When I first moved to Texas, I was baffled by the religious candles for sale in the supermarkets. Somewhere between the paper towels and the batteries, every store had a small section of tall candles with pictures of Jesus or a saint pasted to the outside of the glass. Not yet Catholic, I found this practice strange enough. But I was also perplexed by the selection of images: Jesus holding a heart, St. Michael slaying a dragon, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and …Saint Jude.Mentioned only in passing in the gospels,...

October 28, 2014 Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles   Reading 1 Eph 2:19-22 Brothers and sisters:You are no longer strangers and sojourners,but you are fellow citizens with the holy onesand members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.Through him the whole structure is held togetherand grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;in him you also are being built togetherinto a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:2-3, 4-5 R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.The heavens declare...

October 24, 2014Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Eph 4:1-6 Brothers and sisters:I, a prisoner for the Lord,urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,with all humility and gentleness, with patience,bearing with one another through love,striving to preserve the unity of the spiritthrough the bond of peace; one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call;one Lord, one faith, one baptism;one God and Father of all,who is over all and through all and in all. Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6...

October 23, 2014Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Eph 3:14-21 Brothers and sisters:I kneel before the Father,from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his gloryto be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;that you, rooted and grounded in love,may have strength to comprehend with all the holy oneswhat is the breadth and length and height and depth,and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,so that you...

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....