Category Archives: Religion

Readings for the 6th Week of Easter

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May 10 Mon Easter Weekday. [Saint John of Ávila, Priest and Doctor of the Church; USA: Saint Damien de Veuster, Priest] Acts 16:11-15/Jn 15:26—16:4a 

11 Tue Easter Weekday Acts 16:22-34/Jn 16:5-11 

12 Wed Easter Weekday [Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs; Saint Pancras, Martyr] Acts 17:15, 22—18:1/Jn 16:12-15 

 13 Thu THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD Solemnity Acts 1:1-11/Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13/Mk 16:15-20 

14 Fri Saint Matthias, Apostle  Feast Acts 1:15-17, 20-26/Jn 15:9-17

15 Sat Easter Weekday [USA: Saint Isidore] Acts 18:23-28/Jn 16:23b-28

16 SUN SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26/1 Jn 4:11-16/Jn 17:11b-19 

The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on Thursday this week in the Eastern United States where I live but on Sunday in the western dioceses. Better to celebrate this feast at the same time, I think.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul takes the stage at Athens, the intellectual capitol of the Roman world, but his words chosen carefully are met mostly with rejection or curiosity. “We would like to hear you some other time.” (Wednesday)

Friday is the feast of St. Matthias, chosen to be an apostle to take the place of Judas who betrayed the Lord.

On Friday the ordinary readings tell us that Paul after his rejection at Athens,  gets a better reception in Corinth, not far from Athens, but worlds away from the proud self sufficient city. “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.” Jesus says to Paul in a vision. 

In the reading from Acts on Saturday, Luke reminds us that Paul had great people with him like Priscilla and Aquila, the wife and husband, who instruct Apollos, a good speaker but weak in his theology.  “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.”

Some time ago I told a cousin of mine recently who wasn’t sure about a sermon she heard in church. “You may be right and he’s wrong.”

6th Sunday of Easter: Friendship

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For this week’s homily, please play the video file below:

5th Sunday of Easter: God Everyday

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For this week’s homily please watch the video below.

The Greatest Gift

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Lord Jesus,
once in the wilderness
your people ate heavenly manna
and they were filled.
And once in a desert place
you fed the hungry 
with blessed bread.

A simple thing, we say,
costing our mighty God
little effort.

But what if bread is
a body offered for all,
and a cup of wine
your own life-blood
given to those who hardly care?

A costly thing, we say,
Is there anything more
God could have done?
Anything more
Love could do
than lay down his life 
for his friends?

From Lent-Easter Meditations and Prayers 
by Fr. Victor Hoagland, C.P.

4th Sunday of Easter: the Good Shepherd

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For this week’s homily, please watch the video below.

The Conversion of Paul

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Saints show us our capabilities, how far we can rise, from the depths to the heights. That’s why the church recalls the conversion of St.Paul a number of times in the church year. Today we hear it as part of our readings from the Acts of the Apostles.  As he readily acknowledges, Paul rose from the dust and became a powerful force in his church and in the world through God’s grace.

St. John Chrysostom says of him:  “Paul, more than anyone else, has shown us what we really are, and in what our nobility consists, and of what virtue a human being is capable. Each day he aimed ever higher; each day he rose up with greater ardour and faced with new eagerness the dangers that threatened him. He summed up his attitude in the words: I forget what is behind me and push on to what lies ahead. When he saw death imminent, he bade others share his joy: Rejoice and be glad with me! And when danger, injustice and abuse threatened, he said: I am content with weakness, mistreatment and persecution. These he called the weapons of righteousness, thus telling us that he derived immense profit from them…

The most important thing of all to him, however, was that he knew himself to be loved by Christ.”

May God raise up the Paul in us.

Speak Now to God

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St. Anselm of Canterbury (1093-1109)

Here’s St. Anselm, whose feast we celebrate today, calling himself a “little man” seeking God:

“Little man, rise up! Flee your preoccupations for a little while. Hide yourself for a time from your turbulent thoughts. Cast aside, now, your heavy responsibilities and put off your burdensome business. Make a little space free for God; and rest for a little time in him.

Enter the inner chamber of your mind; shut out all thoughts. Keep only thought of God, and thoughts that can aid you in seeking him. Close your door and seek him. Speak now, my whole heart! Speak now to God, saying, I seek your face; your face, Lord, will I seek.

And come you now, O Lord my God, teach my heart where and how it may seek you, where and how it may find you.

Lord, if you are not here, where shall I seek you when you are absent? But if you are everywhere, why do I not see you present? Truly you dwell in unapproachable light. But where is unapproachable light, or how shall I come to it? Or who shall lead me to that light and into it, that I may see you in it? Again, by what signs, under what form, shall I seek you? I have never seen you, O Lord, my God; I do not know your face.

What, O most high Lord, shall this man do, an exile far from you? What shall your servant do, anxious in his love of you, and cast out far from your presence? He is breathless with desire to see you, and your face is too far from him. He longs to come to you, and your dwelling-place is inaccessible. He is eager to find you, but does not know where. He desires to seek you, and does not know your face.

Lord, you are my God, and you are my Lord, and never have I seen you. You have made me and renewed me, you have given me all the good things that I have, and I have not yet met you. I was created to see you, and I have not yet done the thing for which I was made.”

3rd Sunday of Easter: Listening to Jesus

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For this week’s homily please watch the video below.

Weekday Readings: Second Week of Easter

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APRIL 11  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (OR SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY)

Acts 4:32-35/1 Jn 5:1-6/Jn 20:19-31 

12 Mon Easter Weekday Acts 4:23-31/Jn 3:1-8 

13 Tue Easter Weekday [Saint Martin I, Pope and Martyr]

Acts 4:32-37/Jn 3:7b-15 

14 Wed Easter Weekday Acts 5:17-26/Jn 3:16-21 

15 Thu Easter Weekday Acts 5:27-33/Jn 3:31-36 

16 Fri Glorious Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Acts 5: 1-7/Jn 20: 24-29

       Easter Weekday Acts 5:34-42/Jn 6:1-15 

17 Sat Easter Weekday Acts 6:1-7/Jn 6:16-21 

Readings here.

The church grows gradually after the resurrection as the followers of Jesus meet him, but they’re slow to believe. The Apostle Thomas is an example of their skepticism. The week’s gospel readings from John introduce us to another group slow to believe– people like Nicodemus, who comes to Jesus by night. A supposedly well-informed religious person, Nicodemus only understands Jesus Christ slowly. 

Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the witness of the apostles  in the temple after the Holy Spirit comes upon them at Pentecost. “Uneducated, ordinary men,”  the temple leaders call them, but they continue to proclaim boldly God’s mighty works in Jesus Christ. Told to end their witness, they cannot. “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” They’re persecuted, yet the number of believers grows.

Monday’s reading from Acts  describes the apostles’ return “to their own people”, believers like them who recognize they’re being persecuted as Jesus was. They pray, and the Holy Spirit tells them to continue “to speak the word of God.” Those who follow Jesus experience what he did.

On Friday we begin reading about the miracle of the loaves from John’s gospel,  chapter 6, an important reading for the Easter season. The reading, continues into the following week; the mystery of the Eucharist has a major place in the Easter season. It’s a sign the Risen Jesus remains with us. 

On Friday, the Passionists celebrate the Feast of the Glorious Wounds of Jesus Christ. The easter season is a time to see glory in wounds.

Readings for the week here.

Morning and Evening Prayers, Week 2, www.praydaybyday.org

Children’s Prayers:   http://www.ourchildrenpray.com

 

Accounts of Jesus’ Resurrection

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