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10 April 2023Easter Monday Saint Magdalen of Canossa Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(I).First readingActs 2:14,22-33 ©God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to thisOn the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your...

9 April 2023Easter Sunday Easter Sunday, St. Ann Roman Catholic Church, Washington, DC Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(I).First readingActs 10:34,37-43 ©'We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection'Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and...

Saturday 8 April 2023Easter Vigil Easter Vigil at St. Anthony of Padua, Jersey City Readings at MassLiturgical colour: White.There is no Mass on Holy Saturday itself. Here are the readings for the evening Easter Vigil.First readingGenesis 1:1-2:2 ©God saw all that he had made, and indeed it was very goodIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God’s spirit hovered over the water. God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from...

“Why?” (Matthew 27:11-50) Why? That is the question of the day here on this Good Friday. We hear the question raised twice in our Gospel account. First, when the crowd is demanding that Jesus be crucified, Pontius Pilate asks, “Why, what evil has he done?” And then second, when Jesus is crucified, he himself asks, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These “why” questions are understandable, since none of this makes any sense--until we know the real reason for the “Why?” This whole entire episode--the trials, the beatings, the crucifixion: Why? Why did this take place? Why...

7 April 2023Good Friday St. John Baptist de la Salle, Granada Hills, CA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: A(I).There is no Mass today. The readings given here are used in the afternoon celebration of the Lord's Passion.First readingIsaiah 52:13-53:12 ©The servant of the Lord, an expiatory SacrificeSee, my servant will prosper,he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.As the crowds were appalled on seeing him– so disfigured did he lookthat he seemed no longer human –so will the crowds be astonished at him,and kings stand speechless before him;for they shall see something never toldand witness something never...

“Christian Questions with Their Answers: ‘This Do’” This is the night our Lord Jesus Christ gave his disciples to eat and to drink of his body and blood. And he didn’t mean just for that night. No, Christ was instituting a sacrament to be used often. Already in the pages of the New Testament, we see that the church partook of this sacrament whenever they met on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. And that practice continued through the history of the church. Now tonight, on this night when our Lord instituted the Sacrament, we here intend...

6 April 2023Maundy Thursday St. Sixtus Church, Schliersee, Upper Bavaria Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(I).Here are the readings for the morning Chrism MassHere are the readings for the evening Mass of the Lord's SupperHere are the readings for the morning Chrism Mass:First readingIsaiah 61:1-3,6,8-9 ©The Lord has anointed meThe spirit of the Lord has been given to me,for the Lord has anointed me.He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,to bind up hearts that are broken;to proclaim liberty to captives,freedom to those in prison;to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord,a day of vengeance...

5 April 2023Wednesday of Holy Week Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, New York City Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingIsaiah 50:4-9 ©Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach meThe Lord has given mea disciple’s tongue.So that I may know how to reply to the weariedhe provides me with speech.Each morning he wakes me to hear,to listen like a disciple.The Lord has opened my ear.For my part, I made no resistance,neither did I turn away.I offered my back to those who struck me,my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;I did not cover my...

4 April 2023Tuesday of Holy Week San Isidoro del Campo Monastery Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingIsaiah 49:1-6 ©I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earthIslands, listen to me,pay attention, remotest peoples.The Lord called me before I was born,from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.He made my mouth a sharp sword,and hid me in the shadow of his hand.He made me into a sharpened arrow,and concealed me in his quiver.He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)in whom I shall be glorified’;while...

3 April 2023 Monday of Holy Week St. Richard of Chichester Catholic Church, Sterling, MA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingIsaiah 42:1-7 ©Here is my chosen one in whom my soul delightsHere is my servant whom I uphold,my chosen one in whom my soul delights.I have endowed him with my spiritthat he may bring true justice to the nations.He does not cry out or shout aloud,or make his voice heard in the streets.He does not break the crushed reed,nor quench the wavering flame.Faithfully he brings true justice;he will neither waver, nor be crusheduntil true justice is established on...

2 April 2023Palm Sunday Palm Sunday 2017 procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: A(I).This gospel is read at the procession with palms before Mass:GospelMatthew 21:1-11 ©Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village facing you, and immediately you will find an ass tied,and a colt with her: untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you,...

“Flourishing Palms” (Psalm 92) At the start of today’s service, with palm branches in our hands, we sang, “All glory, laud, and honor to You, Redeemer, King.” Today we’re like the crowd that greeted Jesus on his way into Jerusalem: “They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’” These palm branches befit the praises with which we hail our coming King. Today these palms are fresh and green, just as our worship today is strong and vigorous....

1 April 2023Saturday of the 5th week of Lent Tomb of St. Nuno Álvares Pereira, Santa Engrácia, Lisbon Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingEzekiel 37:21-28 ©I will bring them home and make them one nationThe Lord says this: ‘I am going to take the sons of Israel from the nations where they have gone. I shall gather them together from everywhere and bring them home to their own soil. I shall make them into one nation in my own land and on the mountains of Israel, and one king is to be king of them all; they will...

31 March 2023Friday of the 5th week of Lent Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of the All-Holy Virgin, Lviv, Ukraine Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingJeremiah 20:10-13 ©He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil menJeremiah said:I hear so many disparaging me,‘“Terror from every side!”Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’All those who used to be my friendswatched for my downfall,‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.Then we will master himand take our revenge!’But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;my opponents will stumble, mastered,confounded by their failure;everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be...

30 March 2023 Thursday of the 5th week of Lent St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, Kyiv Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingGenesis 17:3-9 ©Abraham, the father of a multitude of nationsAbram bowed to the ground and God said this to him, ‘Here now is my covenant with you: you shall become the father of a multitude of nations. You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I make you father of a multitude of nations. I will make you most fruitful. I will make you into nations, and your issue shall be kings....

29 March 2023Wednesday of the 5th week of Lent Newport Cathedral, also known as St Gwynllyw's or St Woolos' Cathedral, Wales Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingDaniel 3:14-20,24-25,28 ©God has sent his angel to rescue his servantsKing Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have erected? When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, or any other instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to...

28 March 2023Tuesday of the 5th week of Lent San Juan Capistrano Mission, CA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingNumbers 21:4-9 ©If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked up at the bronze serpent and livedThe Israelites left Mount Hor by the road to the Sea of Suph, to skirt the land of Edom. On the way the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’ At...

27 March 2023Monday of the 5th week of Lent St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church, Dedham, MA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingDaniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62 ©Susannah and the eldersIn Babylon there lived a man named Joakim. He had married Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great beauty; and she was God-fearing, because her parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses. Joakim was a very rich man, and had a garden attached to his house; the Jews would often visit him since he was held in greater respect than any other...

“Raising the Stakes, Raising Our Sights, Raising the Dead” (John 11:1-53) Today we come to another of those memorable chapters in the Gospel of John. So far during this Lenten season, we’ve had: John 3, Jesus and Nicodemus; John 4, Jesus and the Samaritan woman; and John 9, Jesus and the man born blind. Now today we have John 11, Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. But that’s not all that Jesus raises, as we will hear. Thus our theme this morning: “Raising the Stakes, Raising Our Sights, Raising the Dead.” The chapter opens with Jesus hearing a report about...

26 March 20235th Sunday of Lent Shrine of St. Margaret Clitherow, York, UK Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingEzekiel 37:12-14 ©I shall put my spirit in you, and you will liveThe Lord says this: I am now going to open your graves; I mean to raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel. And you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. And I shall put my spirit in you, and you will live, and I shall...