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December 4 2019 Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Reading 1 Is 25:6-10a On this mountain the LORD of hostswill provide for all peoplesA feast of rich food and choice wines,juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.On this mountain he will destroythe veil that veils all peoples,The web that is woven over all nations;he will destroy death forever.The Lord GOD will wipe awaythe tears from all faces;The reproach of his people he will removefrom the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said:"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!This...

“He spoke many things to them in parables” (Matthew 13:3). The parable was one of the staple teaching tools the Lord Jesus used to convey spiritual truth in an understandable way. The word parable contains the idea of placing something alongside something else to make a comparison. In this way, Jesus would place a moral truth alongside a physical example that people could more easily grasp. By this common form of Jewish teaching, He used a common object or practice to elucidate an intangible truth or principle. From His earliest teaching sessions, Christ used graphic analogies to instruct on divine...

December 3 2019 Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest Reading 1 Is 11:1-10 On that day,A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,and from his roots a bud shall blossom.The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,A Spirit of counsel and of strength,a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.Not by appearance shall he judge,nor by hearsay shall he decide,But he shall judge the poor with justice,and decide aright for the land's afflicted.He shall strike the ruthless with the rod...

“‘He will not quarrel, nor cry out; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out’” (Matthew 12:19–20). The Lord Jesus did not cajole or browbeat people with the gospel like some inflammatory demagogue who stirs up his listeners by pandering to their emotions and prejudices. Christ always spoke plainly, with dignity and control—His only persuasive technique was the truth. He never resorted to the lies and scheming of His enemies. As the Son of God and Messiah, He never attempted to gain...

December 2 2019 « December 1 | December 3 » Monday of the First Week of AdventLectionary: 175 Reading 1 Is 4:2-6 On that day,The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendorfor the survivors of Israel.He who remains in Zionand he who is left in JerusalemWill be called holy:every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.When the LORD washes awaythe filth of the daughters of Zion,And purges Jerusalem's blood from her midstwith a blast of searing judgment,Then will the LORD create,over the whole site of Mount Zionand over...

I have been seeking a closer relationship with my God, and there is something that I have been looking for answers on: Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you- What is Jesus' yoke, and what does it look like, I have gotten better with sharing my stuff with him, but find myself continually frustrated at how easy it is to get back into old habits that are unhealty

‘Pachamama’ snatcher to lead prayer protest against pro-LGBT benefit concert in Vienna cathedral VIENNA, Austria, November 29, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) ― A group of Catholics headed by the young Austrian who threw "Pachamama" idols in the Tiber river will pray the rosary outside Vienna’s Catholic cathedral tomorrow in reparation for a pro-LBGT concert that will be held within.  Alexander Tschugguel, one of the founders of the St. Boniface Institute, has announced that the group will hold a rosary tomorrow night outside St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna.  "On Saturday, November 30th, that is, tomorrow, we...

Catholic young men ask bishops to teach traditional faith and save them from nihilism, despair MONTREAL, November 29, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — A group of young French-Canadian Catholic men are asking their bishops to teach the traditional faith and give the spiritual leadership they say is essential to combat the nihilistic culture that tempts many to despair. That includes allowing access to the traditional Latin Mass.  Twenty-nine men between the ages of 18 to 44, including university students, a doctor and two lawyers, signed an open letter titled “We Ask for Faith: Open Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic...

December 1 2019 « November 30 | December 2 » First Sunday of AdventLectionary: 1 Reading 1 Is 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.In days to come,the mountain of the LORD's houseshall be established as the highest mountainand raised above the hills.All nations shall stream toward it;many peoples shall come and say:"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,to the house of the God of Jacob,that he may instruct us in his ways,and we may walk in his paths."For from Zion shall go forth instruction,and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between...

December 1 2019 « November 30 | December 2 » First Sunday of AdventLectionary: 1 Reading 1 Is 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.In days to come,the mountain of the LORD's houseshall be established as the highest mountainand raised above the hills.All nations shall stream toward it;many peoples shall come and say:"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,to the house of the God of Jacob,that he may instruct us in his ways,and we may walk in his paths."For from Zion shall go forth instruction,and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between...

“‘And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles’” (Matthew 12:18). Contrary to Jewish thinking and expectations, the Messiah would be the Redeemer for all nationalities, not just the Jews. In fact, the Jews were to be the ones to proclaim God’s grace to the rest of the world. God told Abraham, “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). It is therefore rather ironic that the Jews would resist the concept that God’s good news was for all peoples. The reality that Jesus’ message would be for all mankind was readily apparent early in His...

On the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Novus Ordo: Dr. Kwasniewski’s Lecture “Beyond ‘Smells and Bells’: Why We Need the Objective Content of the Usus Antiquior” In his Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum (April 3, 1969), Pope Paul VI specified that the Novus Ordo Missae would go into effect on the First Sunday of Advent that year — November 30, exactly fifty years ago. In my recent Minneapolis lecture, written with an eye to this important anniversary, I argue that the Novus Ordo Missae constitutes a rupture with fundamental elements of all liturgies of apostolic derivation, and that, as a consequence,...

[Catholic Caucus] NY Daily News Op-Ed -Pining for the Latin Mass: Reflecting on major changes to the Catholic liturgy, 50 years later Pining for the Latin Mass: Reflecting on major changes to the Catholic liturgy, 50 years later By KENNETH J. WOLFE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NOV 30, 2019 | 5:00 AM Fifty years ago this weekend, the Catholic Church debuted a new version of Mass following reforms made by the 1960s’ Second Vatican Council. From the use of vernacular language instead of Latin, to the priest facing the people instead of the tabernacle, the changes became mandatory at all...

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;And Jesse begat David the king;…and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat...

For today's readings, go here: November 30 Messed up the title, sorry

November 30 2019 « November 29 | December 1 » Feast of Saint Andrew, ApostleLectionary: 684 Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18 Brothers and sisters:If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For one believes with the heart and so is justified,and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.The Scripture says,No one who believes in him will be put to shame.There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.For everyone who calls on the name...

On Thanksgiving Day our family gathered together as always. This year's dinner was at one of the brother's house. There were probably around 80 who attended. The brother who hosted the dinner is dying of pancreatic cancer. Short of a miracle he probably won't be with us through the end of the year. I had gone in to his room to see him. While I was there he summoned everyone who could to come into the room. What happened next was a very moving scene. I was standing by the bed holding his hand when he began speaking. He said,...

“‘I will put My Spirit upon Him’” (Matthew 12:18). The prophet promised that God would put His Holy Spirit upon Messiah in a special way, and the Spirit did descend on Jesus at His baptism (Matt. 3:16). But that was not when the Spirit first indwelt Him, because the Holy Spirit conceived Him (Matt. 1:20). Yet, if Jesus was the preexistent Son, eternally a member of the Godhead, why would the Spirit need to come upon Him during His incarnation? First, the Spirit needed to empower Jesus’ human nature. Our Lord was fully human, even to the extent of being...

“‘Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased’” (Matthew 12:18). Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate Servant, the one and only Son chosen by the Father to die for fallen sinners. The divine commendation here is a modified quotation of Isaiah 42:1–4, one of the most beautiful descriptions of our Lord anywhere in the Bible. The Father’s choice of Jesus to be His Servant was decisive and irrevocable—Christ was the one and only person perfectly qualified for the work of redemption. As the perfect choice of God, Jesus is also completely pleasing in His...

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time November 29 2019 « November 28 | November 30 » Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 507 Reading 1 Dn 7:2-14 In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,from which emerged four immense beasts,each different from the others.The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.While I watched, the wings were plucked;it was raised from the ground to stand on two feetlike a man, and given a human mind. The second was like a bear; it was raised up...