Friday, March 02, 2012 (Lenten Weekday)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Inordinate love for the flesh is cruelty, because under the appearance of pleasing the body, we kill the soul.
-- St. Bernard of Clairvaux
READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Ezekiel 18:21-2821 But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yahweh; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

Friday, February 24, 2012 (Friday after Ash Wednesday)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The devil doesn't fear austerity but holy obedience.
-- St. Francis de Sales

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9
(True Fasting)
1 Cry aloud, don’t spare, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and declare to my people their disobedience, and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways: as a nation that did righteousness, and didn’t forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.
3 Why have we fasted, say they, and you don’t see? why have we afflicted our soul, and you take no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast you find your own pleasure, and exact all your labors.
4 Behold, you fast for strife and contention, and to strike with the fist of wickedness: you don’t fast this day so as to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Yahweh?
6 Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
7 Isn’t it to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? when you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your healing shall spring forth speedily; and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of Yahweh shall be your rear guard.
9 Then shall you call, and Yahweh will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;
Psalms: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 18-19
3 For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me.
4 Against you, and you only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in your sight; That you may be proved right when you speak, And justified when you judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
18 Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, In burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.
Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15
(The Question about Fasting)
14 Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”
15 Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Friday, February 10, 2012 {St. Scholastica, Virgin (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The bread which you use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.
-- St. Basil

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
29 It happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field.
30 Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces.
31 He said to Jeroboam, Take ten pieces; for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you

Friday, February 03, 2012 {St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr (Optional Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God wants for nothing. God alone is enough.
-- St. Teresa of Jesus

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Sirach 47:2-11
(David)
2 As the choice fat portion of the fellowship offering is reserved for the Lord, so David was chosen from among the Israelites.
3 He played with lions and bears as if they were lambs or little goats.
4 When he was still a boy, he killed a giant to rescue his people. He put a stone in his sling, took aim, and put an end to Goliath's bragging.

Friday, January 13, 2012 (Weekday)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Regarding Baptism, baptize as follows: after first explaining all these points, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of hte Holy Spirit, in running water.
-- The Didache 7:1

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah;
5 and they said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

Friday, September 23, 2011 {St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
He does much in the sight of God who does his best, be it ever so little.
-- St. Peter of Alcantara


READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Galatians 2:19-20
19 So far as the Law is concerned, however, I am dead—killed by the Law itself—in order that I might live for God. I have been put to death with Christ on his cross,
20 so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

Friday, September 16, 2011 {St. Cornelius, Pope, Martyr and St. Cyprian, Bishop, Martyr (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY

The Servant of Charity must go to bed each night so tired from work that he will think he has been beaten!

-- St. Louis Guanella

READINGS FOR TODAY

First Reading: 1 Timothy 6:2-12

(False Teaching and True Riches)

2 Slaves belonging to Christian masters must not despise them, for they are believers too. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their work are believers whom they love. You must teach and preach these things.

3 Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching of our religion

4 is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words, and this brings on jealousy, disputes, insults, evil suspicions,

5 and constant arguments from people whose minds do not function and who no longer have the truth. They think that religion is a way to become rich.

6 Well, religion does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have.

7 What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing!

8 So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us.

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.

10 For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.

11 But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

12 Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.

Psalms: Psalm 49:6-10, 17-20

6 by evil people who trust in their riches and boast of their great wealth.

7 We can never redeem ourselves; we cannot pay God the price for our lives,

8 because the payment for a human life is too great. What we could pay would never be enough

9 to keep us from the grave, to let us live forever.

10 Anyone can see that even the wise die, as well as the foolish and stupid. They all leave their riches to their descendants.

17 he cannot take it with him when he dies; his wealth will not go with him to the grave.

18 Even if someone is satisfied with this life and is praised because he is successful,

19 he will join all his ancestors in death, where the darkness lasts forever.

20 Our greatness cannot keep us from death; we will still die like the animals.

Gospel: Luke 8:1-3

(Women Who Helped Jesus / Women Who Accompanied Jesus)

1 Some time later Jesus traveled through towns and villages, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God. The twelve disciples went with him,  

2 and so did some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had been driven out;

3 Joanna, whose husband Chuza was an officer in Herod's court; and Susanna, and many other women who used their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples.