Free Republic

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, VirginAsked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Luke 17:20–21Why did the Pharisees ask Jesus this question? Why did they want to know when the Kingdom of God would come? To answer this question, we must first look at the full context of the various communications between Jesus and the Pharisees....

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and MartyrJesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Luke 17:17–19This reply from our Lord came in response to the one leper who returned to Jesus to thank Him. Ten lepers had come to Jesus, stood at a distance, cried out, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And with that, Jesus healed them all. But the heart of this...

OMG. @listen2tish , the woman banned from Gold's Gym for confronting a convicted male domestic abuser who invaded the female locker room, GRILLS Democrat Scott Wiener on what he's going to do to protect women. HYMAN: "What would you say to women who are seeking assurance that their safety will be protected from men who, by California Law, can self-ID as women in women's only spaces?" WEINER: "We have trans people, both men and women, who are men and women... So if you're a trans woman-- are women." Democrats don't care about women.

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Martin of Tours, BishopJesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table?’ Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished?’ Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?” Luke 17:7–9In most cultures today, the idea of...

t is a snapshot of cultural collapse: A young German woman with pink hair in clergyman’s robes, facing four men, bestowing her approval on their bizarre sexual arrangement, the details of which we are blessedly unaware. The pro-LGBT pastor is now under fire for blessing the ‘marriage’ of four men who showed up at a pop-up wedding fair at Berlin’s St. Paul the Apostle Church recently. Lena Müller, the 33-year-old clergyperson in question, posted a photo of the ceremony to Instagram. According to the Times, Müller said that the relationship “consisted of two Latvians, a Thai citizen and a fourth...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the ChurchJesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Luke 17:1–2Having a millstone placed around your neck and thrown into the sea is very descriptive. Jesus is using very evocative language. A millstone was a large round stone with a...

Daily Readings from the USCCBFeast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in RomeJesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. John 2:19–21We celebrate, today, the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the mother church of the entire Roman Catholic Church. It was given to the Bishop of Rome in the fourth century and remained the pope’s primary residence until the...

By Dr. John BergsmaThis year we have a special treat in the month of November, in that the Feast of the Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of the City of Rome and Mother Church of Christianity, falls on a Sunday. Usually only week-day mass goers get exposed to this wonderful feast and its Lectionary readings. The Feast of St. John Lateran is unusual in the Church’s calendar, because it is a feast for a building rather than a saint or an event in salvation history. The Lateran Basilica—dedicated to Christ the Savior in honor of both John the Baptist and John...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” Luke 16:10What are the “small matters” in life? Most likely, if you asked many different people from all walks of life this question, then you would receive many different answers. But if we consider the context of this statement of Jesus, then it is clear that one of the primary small matters of which He speaks is our use of money. Many people live as...

Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’” Luke 16:1–2There is much to ponder in this parable and many lessons from which we can learn. To begin, the rich man should be understood as God and you as the steward. This is an important first lesson to learn because it reveals to us that, when it comes to material things...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’” Luke 15:4–6Some of the great saints point out that the number one hundred represents perfection. One hundred refers to the perfection of the Kingdom...

Daily Readings from the USCCBGreat crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:25–26After this startling opening line from our Lord, Jesus concludes today’s Gospel by saying, “In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” Thus, at first read it appears that we are called to not only renounce all we possess but also to hate those within our...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.” Luke 14:16–18Do you ever excuse yourself from the will of God? Do you pass up His invitation to feast at the table of His great dinner? More than anything else, the invitation God has given us to this “great dinner” is the invitation to participate in the Holy Mass...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.” Luke 14:12–14Is Jesus telling us that it is sinful to invite friends and family to a dinner party? Certainly not. He is teaching us about something much deeper. Throwing a dinner party for...

When Chen Chung-ho strolled up to two African lions at Taipei Zoo, nearly 21 years ago, visitors were left confused and stunned. Some are said to have believed it was all part of a show, while others thought he was a trained worker who had access to the beasts' enclosure. But soon after Chen stood in front of the lions, his bizarre behaviour made it increasingly clear that an impending danger loomed. Armed with a Bible, he had one motive - to preach the gospel and 'convert' the lions on November 3, 2004. Witnesses said he shouted 'Jesus will save...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” John 6:40Yesterday’s Solemnity of All Saints gave us an opportunity to celebrate and rejoice in the fact that there are countless people who have gone before us who are now enjoying the glories of Heaven. These faithful souls lived lives that were grounded in God’s grace and have been fully purified of all sin. They now gaze at our good God face-to-face. Today, we commemorate...

By Dr. John BergsmaThe Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, or more popularly, All Souls Day, is entirely unique in the Church's liturgical calendar. Although it is a very significant liturgical observance that attracts substantial Mass attendance (in regions where piety is healthy) on par with solemnities and other major feasts, it is neither a solemnity nor even a feast, and the spirit of the day has a unique mix of penitence, consolation, and intercession. The challenge for the homilist on All Souls is to offer consolation to those who grieve for lost loved ones without implying the canonization of...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSolemnity of All SaintsWhen Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5: 1–3Today we celebrate one of the most glorious solemnities within our Church! Every saint, canonized or not, is honored today. Our Gospel passage lays out the path by which these saints entered Heaven. While on earth, these great men and women lived lives that were poor in spirit, filled with a...

Is “Christian Zionism” an oxymoron? Worse still, is it a heresy? And whether it is an oxymoron or a heresy, is it a recent creation, dating back no earlier than the 19th century? Before we answer these questions, let’s first define our terms. If Zionism is the belief that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, then Christian Zionism is the belief that the Bible affirms that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people. It’s that simple. We can now answer the first question: Is “Christian Zionism” an oxymoron? Not at all, since it can easily be demonstrated...

Daily Readings from the USCCBOn a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. Luke 14:1Jesus accepted an invitation from this prominent Pharisee to dine at his house. The people at the dinner were “observing him carefully.” It’s somewhat easy to picture the scene. For most people, being invited to a dinner with many strangers who are observing them carefully may leave them feeling quite uncomfortable and self-conscious. But Jesus showed up with perfect confidence and an unwavering commitment to share the Gospel. One thing we...