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Daily Readings from the USCCBWhen they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Luke 1:59–63At the time of John the Baptist’s birth, it was customary for family, neighbors, and others within the...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior… He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” Luke 1:46; 52–53The last two sentences quoted from our Blessed Mother’s song of praise give us much to ponder. She, who is the Mother of God and full of grace, rejoiced that God “cast the mighty down from their thrones” and “the rich he sent away empty.” It’s...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSuch was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” Matthew 1:20Joseph knew that the penalty for adultery was death by stoning. His heart must have been deeply conflicted. On one hand, the virtues of his betrothed wife, Mary, were abundantly clear. Mary radiated holiness. Impurity was foreign to her Immaculate Heart. Yet she was pregnant,...

Daily Readings from the USCCBIn the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” Luke 1:26–29The phrase “full of grace” is a translation of the Greek word kecharitomene. It can be translated more literally as “having been graced” or...

Daily Readings from the USCCBBut the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” Luke 1:13–15Unlike Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Zechariah doubted the angel of the Lord’s revelation. Our Blessed Mother encountered the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation and responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be...

Daily Readings from the USCCBWhen Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. Matthew 1:24The human person is a fascinating subject of study. Throughout the ages, countless philosophers, theologians, and social scientists have sought to understand the complexities of human nature. Within the Catholic philosophical tradition, Saint Thomas Aquinas stands out as an influential and trustworthy teacher on this topic. Aquinas teaches that while a person sleeps, the external senses are inactive. However, sense images within the imagination can still be active to varying degrees, depending on the...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThe book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham… Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.” Matthew 1:1; 17This lengthy list of Abraham’s and David’s descendents, leading to Jesus, is much more than a listing of names. It’s an illustration of God’s fidelity to His promises. To Abraham, God promised “All the families of the earth will find blessing in you” (Genesis 12:3). To David, God...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” Matthew 21:28–31Jesus addressed this question to the chief priests and elders of the people. As the passage continues, Jesus humbles them by saying, “Amen, I...

Daily Readings from the USCCBWhen Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Matthew 21:25–27The chief priests and the elders of the people were supposed to shepherd the people into eternal salvation. They were supposed to be instruments of God’s divine will, prophetic voices, and priests who offered holy sacrifices for the atonement of sin. In practice, they were none of those things. As this Gospel passage progresses, we see...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThird Sunday of Advent“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:4–6Suppose a priest came to your church to put on a parish mission, and during that mission he miraculously healed the blind, crippled, terminally ill, and deaf. What if he even raised the dead to life? How would you respond? Most likely with amazement!...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and MartyrAs they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Matthew 17:9a & 10The final book of the Old Testament, written by the prophet Malachi around the fifth century BC, contains a prophecy that Elijah would return to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (see Malachi 3:23–24). The scribes used this prophecy to argue that Jesus could not be the Messiah since Elijah had not yet returned, at least not in the way they expected....

Daily Readings from the USCCBFeast of Our Lady of GuadalupeThen the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Luke 1:30–31Of all the saints throughout the ages, none has proved to be as powerful an evangelist as the Mother of God. While on Earth, she lived a mostly hidden life, demonstrating the perfection of virtue to those closest to her. As a young mother, she cared daily for the needs of her divine Son, constantly...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.” Matthew 11:11–12The two sentences in the passage above can be challenging to comprehend, but the insights of Church Fathers and saints offer us a deeper understanding. In the first sentence, Jesus declares John the Baptist to be the greatest of those born...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11:28–30Each of us needs to hear these gentle and inviting words more than we realize. On the surface, many people project an image of happiness, as if they have it all together. Social media profiles often present the happy, successful, fun, and impressive aspects of a...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.” Matthew 18:12–13Jesus teaches us a powerful lesson using a familiar image: the shepherd who discovers one of his sheep is missing, goes on a diligent search, finds the lost sheep, and rejoices. The hard work of searching through the hills and valleys is rewarded...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSolemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin MaryThe angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Luke 1:26–29The Blessed Virgin Mary was “full of grace!” To be “full” means just that—full, lacking in nothing. This fullness...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSecond Sunday of Advent“I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11–12This passage comes just before Jesus is baptized and begins His public ministry. John the Baptist had been ministering in the desert of Judea, preaching,...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.” Matthew 9:35This one line speaks volumes about Jesus’ public ministry. He didn’t just preach a few sermons or heal a few who were sick. He “went around to all the towns and villages…teaching…proclaiming the Gospel…” and cured “every disease and illness.” It’s important to contemplate that Jesus’ public ministry lasted approximately three years. Three years of constant preaching, healing, and relating to people. During this time, Jesus encountered many thousands of...

Daily Readings from the USCCBAs Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” Matthew 9:27Picture these two men for a moment. Just before this passage, Jesus had cured a leper, healed a Roman centurion’s servant, restored Peter’s mother-in-law to health, made a paralytic walk, and stopped a woman’s years-long hemorrhages. He had cast out demons, freeing people from their oppression, and even raised a twelve-year-old girl from the dead. This context is crucial as we imagine these two blind men crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” Word was...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7:24 & 26Jesus’ words remind us that each of us will inevitably face hardships: “The rain fell, the floods...