Tuesday, July 10, {St. Veronica Giuliani, Virgin (Feast)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and, as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a Saint, in spite of his present weakness.
-- St. Thomas of Villanova

READINGS FOR TODAY
Tuesday, July 10, {St. Veronica Giuliani, Virgin (Feast)}First Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:6-11, 16, 176 The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.
7 Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.
8 We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair;
9 there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 {Saints Cyril, Monk and Methodius, Bishop (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
To pray for those who are in mortal sin is the best kind of almsgiving. For the love of God, always remember such souls when you pray.
-- St. Teresa of Avila

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: James 1:12-18
(Testing and Tempting)
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012 {The Most Holy Name of Jesus (Memorial)}

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

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 {St. John, Apostle, Evangelist (Feast)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
They sang to Thy holy name, O Lord, and praised Thy Victorious hand.
-- Wisdom 10:20

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 1 John 1:1-4
(The Word of Life)
1 We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it.
2 When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us.
3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 We write this in order that our joy may be complete.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 {St. Lucy, Virgin, Martyr (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.
-- St Augustine

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13
(Jerusalem's Sin and Redemption)
1 Jerusalem is doomed, that corrupt, rebellious city that oppresses its own people.
2 It has not listened to the Lord or accepted his discipline. It has not put its trust in the Lord or asked for his help.
9 “Then I will change the people of the nations, and they will pray to me alone and not to other gods. They will all obey me.

Tuesday, December 06, 2011 {St. Nicholas, Bishop (Optional Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
"Not the goods of the world, but God.
Not riches, but God.
Not honors, but God.
Not distinction, but God.
Not dignities, but God.
Not advancement, but God.
God always and in everything."
-- St Vincent Pallotti

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11
(Words of Hope)

1 “Comfort my people,” says our God. “Comfort them!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 {All Saints of the Seraphic Order (Feast)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
You people of Vitebsk want to put me to death. You make ambushes for me everywhere, in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways, and in the marketplace. I am here among you as a shepherd and you ought to know that I should be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for the holy union, for the supremacy of St. Peter and of his successor the Supreme Pontiff.
-- St Josaphat

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Sirach 44:1, 10-15
(The Glory of God in History)
1 So let us now give praise to godly  men, our ancestors of generations past,
10 But we will praise these godly men, whose righteous deeds have never been forgotten.
11 Their reputations will be passed on to their descendants, and this will be their inheritance.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 St. Cecilia, Virgin, Martyr (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family.
-- St Angela Merici

READINGS FOR TODAY

First Reading: Daniel 2:31-45

31 “Your Majesty, in your vision you saw standing before you a giant statue, bright and shining, and terrifying to look at.

32 Its head was made of the finest gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its waist and hips of bronze,

33 its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011 {Blessed John Duns Scotus (Optional Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Let my soul live as if separated from my body.
-- St. John of the Cross

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Wisdom 2:23 -- 3:9
(The Destiny of the Righteous)
23 When God created us, he did not intend for us to die; he made us like himself.
24 It was the Devil's jealousy that brought death into the world, and those who belong to the Devil are the ones who will die.
3:1-9

Tuesday, November 01, 2011 {All Saints (Solemnity)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.
-- Pope St. Gregory the Great

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
(The Enormous Crowd)
2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels to whom God had given the power to damage the earth and the sea.
3 The angel said, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”
4 And I was told that the number of those who were marked with God's seal on their foreheads was 144,000. They were from the twelve tribes of Israel,

Tuesday, October 04, 2011 {St. Francis of Assisi, Deacon, Religious, Founder of the Three Orders (Solemnity)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.
-- St Clare of Assisi


READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Sirach 50:1, 3-4, 6-7
(Simon the Priest)
1 High Priest Simon the son of Onias repaired and fortified the temple,
3 Simon also dug a cistern as big as the large bronze bowl called “the Sea.” 
4 He fortified Jerusalem and drew up plans in case it was ever attacked or surrounded.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 {St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
A truly humble person never believes that he can be wronged in anything. Truly, we ought to be shamed to resent whatever is said or done against us; for it is the greatest shame in the world to see that our Creator bears so many insults from His creatures, and that we resent even a little word that is contradictory.
-- St. Teresa


READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Zechariah 8:20-23
20 The Lord Almighty says, “The time is coming when people from many  cities will come to Jerusalem. 
21 Those from one city will say to those from another, ‘We are going to worship the Lord Almighty and pray for his blessing. Come with us!’ 
22 Many  peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord Almighty and to pray for his blessing. 
23 In those days ten foreigners will come to one Jew and say, ‘We want to share in your destiny, because we have heard that God is with you.’”

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 {}St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
As long as a single passion reigns in our hearts, though all the others should have been overcome, the soul will never enjoy peace. 
-- St. Joseph Calasanctius


READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-13
(Leaders in the Church)
1 This is a true saying: If a man is eager to be a church leader, he desires an excellent work.  
2 A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife,  be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach; 

Tuesday, August 02, 2011 {Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula (Solemnity)}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Sirach 24:1-4, 16, 22-24
1      Wisdom will praise herself, and will glory in the midst of her people.
2     In the assembly of the Most High she will open her mouth, and in the presence of his host she will glory:
3     "I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist.
4     I dwelt in high places, and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
16     Like a terebinth I spread out my branches, and my branches are glorious and graceful.
22     Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame, and those who work with my help will not sin."
23     All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law which Moses commanded us as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob.
   
Psalms: Psalm 34:5, 7, 9-10, 18-19
5      Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
7     The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
9     O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want!
10     The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
18     The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.
19     Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Second Reading: Galatians 4:3-7
3      So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe.
4     But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
5     to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6     And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
7     So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.

Gospel: Luke 1:26-33
26      In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27     to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28     And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!"
29     But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.
30     And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31     And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32     He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33     and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."


REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw His Mercy from us?

-- St Vincent de Paul

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 {Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Sirach 44:1, 10-15
1     Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers in their generations.
10     But these were men of mercy, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
11     their prosperity will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance to their children's children.
12     Their descendants stand by the covenants; their children also, for their sake.
13     Their posterity will continue for ever, and their glory will not be blotted out.
14     Their bodies were buried in peace, and their name lives to all generations.
15     Peoples will declare their wisdom, and the congregation proclaims their praise.

Psalms: Psalm 132:11, 13-14, 17-18
11     The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.
13     For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation:
14     "This is my resting place for ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
17     There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18     His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown will shed its luster."

Gospel: Matthew 13:16-17
16     But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17     Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
She was full of faith, yet all her life had been tormented by thoughts against it. While apparently enjoying the peace and easiness of mind of souls who have reached a high state of virtue, she suffered such interior trials that she often told me her mind was so filled with all sorts of temptations and abominations that she had to strive not to look within herself...But for all that suffering her face never lost its serenity, nor did she once relax in the fidelity God asked of her. And so I regard her as one of he holiest souls I have ever met on this earth.

-- St. Francis de Sales (speaking of St. Jane Frances de Chantal)

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 {St. Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr (Memorial)}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Genesis 19:15-29
15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."
16 But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him forth and set him outside the city.
17 And when they had brought them forth, they said, "Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley; flee to the hills, lest you be consumed."
18 And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords;
19 behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me, and I die.
20 Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there -- is it not a little one? -- and my life will be saved!"
21 He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
22 Make haste, escape there; for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zo'ar.
23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zo'ar.
24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomor'rah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25 and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But Lot's wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD;
28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomor'rah and toward all the land of the valley, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

Psalms: Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12
2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.
3 For thy steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to thee.
9 Sweep me not away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 men in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the LORD.

Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, "Save, Lord; we are perishing."
26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

REFLECTION FOR TODAY 
My little children, your hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of Heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the souls and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.

-- St. John Vianney

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 {The Visitation of the Virgin Mary (Feast)}

READINGS FOR THE DAY
First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16
Zephaniah 3:14-18
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing
18 as on a day of festival. "I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.

OR
Romans 12:9-16
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
10 love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
11 Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.
12 Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited.

Psalms: Isaiah 12:2-6
2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4 And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name; make known his deeds among the nations, proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.

REFLECTION OF THE DAY
The Christian must keep in mind that the value of his good works depends on the love that motivates him to perform them for God. Those works are most perfect when wrought in the most sincere love of God, and with the least regard to present or future self-interest, joy, and sweetness, consolation and praise.

-- St. John of the Cross

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 {Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (Feast)}

READINGS FOR THE DAY
First Reading: Revelation 21:1-5
1     Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2     And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;
3     and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;
4     he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."
5     And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Psalms: Psalm 95:1-7
1     O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2     Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3     For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4     In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
5     The sea is his, for he made it; for his hands formed the dry land.
6     O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7     For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would hearken to his voice!

Gospel: John 10:22-30
22     It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem;
23     it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.
24     So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25     Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me;
26     but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.
27     My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;
28     and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.
29     My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
30     I and the Father are one."

REFLECTIONS OF THE DAY
God will not hear our prayers unless we acknowledge ourselves to be sinners. We do this when we ponder on our own sins alone, and not on those of our neighbor.

-- St. Moses the Ethiopian

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 {St. Paschal Baylon, OFM, Religious (Memorial)}

READINGS FOR THE DAY
First Reading: Acts 11:19-26
19     Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoeni'cia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews.
20     But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyre'ne, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21     And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord.
22     News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23     When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose;
24     for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord.
25     So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul;
26     and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

Psalms: Psalm 87:1-7
1     On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2     the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3     Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. [Selah]
4     Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia -- "This one was born there," they say.
5     And of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; for the Most High himself will establish her.
6     The LORD records as he registers the peoples, "This one was born there." [Selah]
7     Singers and dancers alike say, "All my springs are in you."

Gospel: John 10:22-30   
22     It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem;
23     it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.
24     So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25     Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me;
26     but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.
27     My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;
28     and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.
29     My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
30     I and the Father are one."

REFLECTION OF THE DAY
Dismiss all anger and look into yourself a little. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and, as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a Saint, in spite of his present weakness.

-- St. Thomas of Villanova

Tuesday, May 03, 2011 {Saints Philip and James, Apostles (Feast)}

READINGS FOR THE DAY
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1     Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand,
2     by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain.
3     For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,
4     that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,
5     and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6     Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
7     Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8     Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Psalms: Psalm 19:2-5
2     Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3     There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4     yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5     which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Gospel: John 14:6-14
6     Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
7     If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him."
8     Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied."
9     Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'?
10     Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
11     Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.
12     "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
13     Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;
14     if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
   
REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.

-- Genesis iii, 19