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22 May 2026 Friday of the 7th week of Eastertide St. Rita of Cascia Parish - ChicagoReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 25:13-21'I ordered Paul to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar'King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told...

Daily Readings from the USCCBAfter Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time…” John 21:15–16Today’s resurrection appearance is the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples, as recorded in John’s Gospel. It took place while seven of the Apostles were fishing. Following a miraculous catch of fish, they recognized Jesus on the...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian bishop calls for ‘full integration’ of ‘LGBT Catholics’ during vigil against ‘homotransphobia’Bishop Vincenzo Viva expressed hope that 'LGBT' Catholics will not only be welcomed into the Church but fully recognized as they are without calling for their repentance.During the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano’s first-ever prayer vigil for overcoming “homotransphobia” at the parish of Santa Maria della Stella last weekend, Bishop Vincenzo Viva called not only for “welcoming” Catholics who identify as “LGBT” but their “full integration” without calling them to repentance.In remarks for the May 16 prayer service organized by the heterodox “La Tenda di Gionata” (“The...

21 May 2026 Thursday of the 7th week of Eastertide St Godric, Durham City, UKReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 22:30,23:6-11'You have borne witness in Jerusalem: now you must do the same in Rome'Since the tribune wanted to know what precise charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them. Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24You are the Father’s gift to Jesus the Son. What an amazing reality to understand! This profound truth is at the heart of today’s Gospel in which Jesus speaks of the unique and intimate relationship between the Father, the Son, and all those who believe in Him. Today’s Gospel continues Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, offered to...

20 May 2026 Wednesday of the 7th week of EastertideE The Church of St. San Bernardino of Siena, Cracow, Poland Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 20:28-38I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, and its powerPaul addressed these words to the elders of the church of Ephesus: ‘Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.” John 17:11In the ancient world, a name was not only a means of identification but also an expression of the authority and power that the person possessed. For instance, when a king or ruler issued a decree, it was done “in the name” of the king, meaning with his full authority and power behind it. In the Bible, the “name” of God is much...

19 May 2026Tuesday of the 7th week of Eastertide Saint Dunstan’s Church Bourne End Buckinghamshire, UKReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 20:17-27I have without faltering put before you the whole of God's purposeFrom Miletus Paul sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus. When they arrived he addressed these words to them: ‘You know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them.” John 17:9–10Though the Church has traditionally summarized sin under the seven capital sins, sin is also understood to arise from three primary sources: the flesh, the world, and the devil. The “flesh” refers to the disordered desires and passions that stem from our fallen human nature. The “world” signifies the societal values, materialism, and...

Mmm dd, 2026 Monday of the 7th week of Eastertide Chapel of Saint Venantius at the San Giovanni in Fonte (Lateran Baptistry) in Rome, ItalyReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 19:1-8The moment Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on themWhile Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.’ ‘Then how were...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThe disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” John 16:29–30Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus often speaks in allegories and metaphors that the disciples struggle to comprehend. Among these, He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the True Vine, and Living Water. However, during the Last Supper, Jesus speaks clearly and...

17 May 2026 The Ascension of the Lord SolemnityChurch of Santa Restituta, Lakko Ameno, ItalyReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).These readings are for the Vigil Mass on the evening before the feast.These readings are for the day of the feast itself.These readings are for the Vigil Mass on the evening before the feast.First readingActs 1:1-11Jesus was lifted up while they looked onIn my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSeventh Sunday of Easter(See the separate post if your diocese celebrates the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord today)Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.” John 17:1–2The entirety of Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel is traditionally referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. This prayer concludes the Last Supper Discourse, which we have been reading...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSolemnity of the Ascension of the Lord(See the separate post if your diocese celebrates the 7th Sunday of Easter today)“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20What a monumental task the Apostles were given! These are Jesus’ parting words as He stands...

By Dr. John BergsmaIn the provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha, Ascension Day is observed on it's proper day, and this Sunday is observed as the Seventh Sunday of Easter. It's a shame that so much of the country will not have a chance to meditate on these Scriptures, but perhaps even those of us living in areas where the Seventh Sunday is not celebrated can benefit by bringing these Readings to our prayer. Holy Mother Church offers as an intriguing theme in these Readings: the paradoxical relationship between glory and suffering. We find these two...

By Dr. John BergsmaIn most of the USA, Ascension Day is observed this Sunday, whereas in the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha, and Philadelphia, it is observed on its proper day, Thursday May 29, forty days after Easter. 1. Ascension Day is an unusual Feast, in which the “action” of the Feast Day actually takes place in the First Reading rather than the Gospel. We typically think of all the narratives of Jesus’ life as recorded in the Gospels, overlooking that Acts records at least two important narratives about the activity of the Resurrected Lord (Acts...

16 May 2026 Saturday before Ascension SundaySt. Brendan the Navigator, Charlotte, NC Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 18:23-28Apollos demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the ChristPaul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers. An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was...

A Catholic diocese in New Mexico is challenging an effort by the Trump administration to seize part of its southern border property through eminent domain for the construction of a border security wall. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces filed a complaint against the federal government over plans to acquire roughly 14 acres of diocesan land for border security purposes. Filed last week, the lawsuit argues that the proposed land seizure would interfere with access to Mount Cristo Rey, a popular pilgrimage site featuring a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ overlooking the border region. Located near the borders of...

Catholic Trump voters are not a univocal group, and on many issues, they reflect the same concerns as other Americans. First, there are pro-life Catholics for whom abortion is the most important issue...Trump’s appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for the overturning of Roe v. Wade... But in politics, it does not matter what you did for me yesterday, but rather, what are you doing for me today? He has abandoned the pro-life movement, removing the anti-abortion plank from the Republican Party’s 2024 national platform... The platform now supports IVF, which pro-life advocates oppose because it results in the...

Daily Readings from the USCCBJesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” John 16:23–24During Jesus’ Last Supper Discourse, the theme of praying to the Father in Jesus’ name comes up repeatedly. Each time, Jesus reassures His disciples that whatever they ask for in His name, the Father will grant. That’s quite a promise! How do we make this promise a reality? Today’s Gospel...