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Daily Readings from the USCCB“I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.” John 17:4–5Saint Ignatius of Loyola bases his spiritual masterpiece, The Spiritual Exercises, on one basic premise: Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. This is the essence of what Ignatius calls the “Principle and Foundation” of our lives. In other words, our goal in life is twofold: First, we must seek...

🇺🇸Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem 🇮🇱(6/3/25)[Prayer]Water, Rivers, and Streams in the BibleExodus 17:1-7Water From the Rock 17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did...

3 June 2025 Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs on Tuesday of the 7th week of EastertideSaint Charles Lwanga Church, ZimbabweReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: C(I).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst 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...

“‘But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you’” (Matthew 6:17–18). Jesus’ statement “when you fast” indicates that fasting is normal and acceptable in the Christian life. He assumes His followers will fast on certain occasions, especially in times of testing, trial, or struggle. Fasting is appropriate during times of sorrow. On occasions of deep grief, fasting is a natural human response. Most people don’t feel...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media.This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)Religion Forum threads labeled *Prayer* are closed to debate of any kind.1 John 5:20 "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true...

Get places, times and tickets at the link. Can we see the face of the invisible God? Do we know what our Savior looked like? The film The Face of Jesus explores two acheiropoietic images—sacred cloths not made by human hands—the Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello, as well as the most extraordinary depiction of Jesus painted by human hands: the Vilnius image of the Merciful Jesus. Filmmakers take the audience on a cinematic journey to the tomb in Jerusalem from 2,000 years ago, to Rome, Manoppello, and San Giovanni Rotondo, to discover what our Savior looked like....

[Catholic Caucus] High winds stop LGBT ‘Pride’ hike on St. Patrick’s mountain in IrelandThe cancellation follows public outrage over the desecration of a Child of Prague statue and planned mockery of Catholic penance on Croagh Patrick, a holy site of the eponymous saint. A controversial LGBT “Pride” event scheduled for Ireland’s holiest mountain was cancelled Sunday due to winds forecasted to rise precisely at the hour of the climb.Mayo Pride’s “Big Gay Hike,” part of its weekend-long festival, had been set to begin on Monday, June 2, at noon on Croagh Patrick – the mountain where Saint Patrick fasted for...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo XIV: "Marriage is not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman: a love that is total, faithful and fruitful"As soon as we were born, we needed others in order to live; left to ourselves, we would not have survived. Someone else saved us by caring for us in body and spirit. All of us are alive today thanks to a relationship, a free and freeing relationship of human kindness and mutual care.That human kindness is sometimes betrayed. As for example, whenever freedom is invoked not to give life, but to...

[Catholic Caucus] June must be rededicated to the Sacred Heart of JesusWe are living in a new Christian missionary age. Two very different visions of human love and the dignity of human sexuality are contending for the heart, soul, and future of the West.The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Catholic Church. On the Friday after the Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we even celebrate a Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.The Church, as mother and teacher, invites the faithful to spend the whole month reflecting on...

[Catholic Caucus] Fr. James Martin urges Catholics to celebrate LGBT ‘Pride Month’The Jesuit priest said the pro-LGBT celebration affirms ‘human dignity’ and aligns with the Sacred Heart devotion, despite Church teaching to the contrary.As in previous years, Father James Martin has urged Catholics to celebrate “Pride month,” saying that “for the LGBTQ community” it is “a recognition of the human dignity of a group of people who have, for centuries been, treated with contempt, rejection and violence.”Amid the rise of LGBT ideology in secular society, the prominence of marking June as “Pride month” has similarly grown.For the Jesuit Martin, it...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” John 16:33What did Jesus tell His disciples that produced the “peace” of which He spoke? He is especially referring to His entire Last Supper Discourse from which we have been reading. The words spoken throughout this discourse are meant to give the disciples, and us, “courage” and the ability to conquer the trouble imposed upon us by the world. Throughout Jesus’ discourse, He especially points to the unity...

🇺🇸Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem 🇮🇱(6/2/25)[Prayer]Water, Rivers, and Streams in the BibleExodus 15:22-27The Waters of Marah and Elim 22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[f]) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of...

“‘Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full’” (Matthew 6:16). The Greek word for “fast” literally means not to eat, to abstain from food. But by the time of Christ, fasting had been perverted and twisted beyond what was scriptural and sincere. Fasting had become a ritual to gain merit with God and attention before men—it was largely a hypocritical religious show. Many Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12),...

2 June 2025 Monday of the 7th week of EastertideIn the north transept of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the first altar on the left is that of St. ErasmusReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I).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...

Satanists who hosted a satanic ritual in March at the Kansas State Capitol that escalated into violence are not facing criminal charges and are planning another public satanic ceremony for August, according to a May 29 article. The Kansas Reflector reported that local prosecutors decided May 28 not to pursue charges against the leader of the Satanic Grotto, Michael Stewart, and two other members. CatholicVote previously reported that Stewart had been detained by police after he punched a man trying to prevent him from making a dedication to Satan inside the Capitol during the March 28 Satanic ritual. Stewart had...

[Catholic Caucus] Let the Forgetting BeginOver the length of the Francis pontificate, those with even a slight whiff of concern were labeled “anti-Francis,” or having “attacked” Francis, or had even become heretics.The Francists are playing defense now, fighting a rear-guard action against those who have questioned certain actions, thoughts, and even “teachings” of Pope Francis. There is an odor of desperation among them. After all, we have had a sometimes rocky 12 years. The Francists know this, though they would put all the blame on Taylor Marshall. Over the length of his papacy, those with even a slight whiff of...

Please join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media.1 Timothy 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.Religion Forum threads labeled “Prayer” are closed to debate of any kind.

[Catholic Caucus] Santa Marta is too expensive: Pope Leo returns to the Apostolic PalaceThe first steps taken by Pope Leo XIV at the helm of the Church are largely satisfying the expectations of the cardinals who elected him. The eminent prelates were looking for a good shepherd, but even more so they trusted that the new pontiff would be able to restore balance to a form of government that, under Pope Francis, had taken on authoritarian tendencies and destabilized the clergy and the faithful with numerous acts considered overly bold.Leone has first of all reestablished—with kindness but firmness—the dignity proper...

[Catholic Caucus] An Apostolic Church or a "Synodality" Church?Caminante WandererArgentina, May 29. 2025Saint Charles Borromeo and one of the Diocesan Synods he presided in MilanOne of the most pressing and certainly most complex issues that Pope Leo will have to resolve is that of the famous synodality. He is a canonist and a man of government and he knows, therefore, that continuing along the path of a synodal church that Francis had irresponsibly opened would lead to a catastrophe. For those of us who are laymen in theology and canon law, I recommend this article ["The Pope and the Prefectress"]...

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Raleigh pastor is facing decades behind bars after pleading guilty to receiving more than $400,000 of fraudulent government-funded COVID-19 loans. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 45-year-old Mitchell Summerfield was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 loan funds. According to court documents, Summerfield was the pastor of the Word of God Fellowship Church in Raleigh and owned various other businesses, including Winning Ways, KHS Investments, and Vision and Destiny. In 2018, Summerfield stepped into the role of lead pastor at...