Podcast – Three Great Things

Jesus offers a sobering reflection on the reality of final judgment, inviting us to reflect on our lives now and adjust accordingly. Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 17th Week of the Year (#402)

Jesus offers a couple of parables that reveal the power of starting small in our spiritual practice and continuing with discipline and consistency. Mass Readings – Monday of the 17th Week of the Year (#401)

Let’s examine some of the themes in the readings for Mass on this 18th Sunday of the Year. 1st Reading – Isaiah 55:1-3 Psalm – 145:8-9,15-18 2nd Reading – Romans 8:35,37-39 Gospel – Matthew 14:13-21 Mass Readings: 18th Sunday of the Year (#112)

Jesus shows how the Kingdom of Heaven is a treasure beyond measure or price, and we embrace this treasure when we place the Lord at the center of our lives. Mass Readings – 17th Sunday of the Year (#109)

Jesus responds to a request from the mother of the sons of Zebedee, turning a moment of weakness into a spiritual insight that leads to service. Mass Readings – Feast of St. James, Apostle (#605) St. James, pray for us!

Jeremiah offers us a powerful image about the strength and protection we have from God. Mass Readings – Friday of the 16th Week of the Year (#399) St. Sharbel Makhluf, pray for us!

Psalm 36 invites us to draw our strength from the Lord, the fountain of our lives. Mass Readings – Thursday of the 16th Week of the Year (#398) St. Bridget, pray for us!

Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the Risen Lord inspires us to turn to Christ and trust in him. Mass Readings – Feast of St. Mary Magdalene (#603) St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!

Christ welcomes us into his family when we do the will of our heavenly Father. Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 16th Week of the Year (#396) St. Lawrence of Brindisi, pray for us!

Jesus offers three insights when the scribes and Pharisees ask for a sign. Mass Readings – Monday of the 16th Week of the Year (#395) St. Apollinaris, pray for us!

Here are some of the main themes in our readings for the 17th Sunday of the Year. 1st Reading – 1st Kings 3:5,7-12 Psalm 119:57,72,76-77,127-130 2nd Reading – Romans 8:28-30 Gospel – Matthew 13:44-52 Mass Readings – 17th Sunday of the Year (#109)

Jesus offers three parables that reveal insights about the Kingdom of Heaven. Mass Readings – 16th Sunday of the Year (#106)

Jesus, beloved by the Father and filled with the Spirit, fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy with the proclamation of the Gospel message to the Gentiles. This is Good News! St. Camillus de Lellis, pray for us!

We turn to the Lord for the strength we need as we confront the life and death issues that are part of our human experience. Mass Readings – Friday of the 15th Week of the Year (#393)

Jesus invites us into a relationship with him where we can set aside our burdens and rest in his love. Mass Readings – Thursday of the 15th Week of the Year (#392) Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!

The Lord invites us to receive the Good News with the openness and receptivity of a little child. Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 15th Week of the Year (#391) St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

Jesus rebukes the villages of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for not repenting after their direct interactions with the Lord. Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 15th Week of the Year (#390) St. Kateri Tekawitha, pray for us!

Jesus concludes the tenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel with the teaching that he is the most important person in our lives. Mass Readings – Monday of the 15th Week of the Year (#389) St. Henry, pray for us!

Here are some of the main themes that surface in the Mass readings for the 16th Sunday of the Year. 1st Reading – Wisdom: 12:13,16-19 Psalm – 86:5-6,9-10,15,16 2nd Reading – Romans 8:26-27 Gospel – Matthew 13:24-43 Mass Readings – 16th Sunday of the Year (#106)

Jesus offers a parable (and an explanation!) that inspires us to prepare our hearts to be spiritually fruitful. Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year (#103)

Having warned his Apostles about the persecution they will face, Jesus exhorts them to cast out fear and embrace their faith. Mass Readings – Saturday of the 14th Week of the Year (#388) St. Benedict, pray for us!

Jesus prepares his Apostles for the opposition that they will encounter as they carry out the Lord’s work. Mass Readings – Friday of the 14th Week of the Year (#387)

Sending out the Twelve Apostles to minister to the people, Jesus instructs them to rely on God alone as they carry out their work. Mass Readings – Thursday of the 14th Week of the Year (#386) St. Augustine Zhao Rong & Companions, pray for us!

The Lord gives his authority to the Twelve, inspiring us to receive Christ’s call in our hearts today and swiftly respond with joyful faith. Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 14th Week of the Year (#385)

The compassion of Christ inspires us to draw near to the Lord and be his ambassadors to others. Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 14th Week of the Year (#384)

Jesus heals two different people in the context of great faith. Mass Readings – Monday of the 14th Week of the Year (#383) St. Maria Goretti, pray for us!

Here are some of the themes that we discover in the Mass readings for the 15th Sunday of the Year. 1st Reading – Isaiah 55:10-11 Psalm – 65:10-14 2nd Reading – Romans 8:18-23 Gospel – Matthew 13:1–23 Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year (#101)

We rest from the labors and burdens of this life through the revelation of the Good News we have in Jesus Christ. Mass Readings – 14th Sunday of the Year (#100)

We yearn for a peace from God that this world cannot provide, a peace that fosters kindness, truth, and justice. Mass Readings – Saturday of the 13th Week of the Year (#382) On the 250th Birthday of the United States, may we turn to the Lord with full and open hearts!

In the presence of the Risen Lord, Thomas overcomes his doubts and makes a proclamation of faith. Mass Readings – Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (#593) St. Thomas the Apostle, pray for us!

Casting out demons with a word of command, Jesus reveals his divinity and inspires us to seek good and not evil in the course of our daily lives. Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 13th Week of the Year (#379) St. Junipero Serra, pray for us!

Jesus challenges the faith of the disciples as they cry out in fear of drowning during a storm. Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 13th Week of the Year (#378) First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, pray for us!

Peter professes his faith that Jesus is the Christ, inspiring us to follow the Lord with all our hearts. Mass Readings – Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul (#591) St. Peter & St. Paul, pray for us!

Here are some of the main themes that surface in the Mass readings for the 14th Sunday of the Year. 1st Reading – Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalm – 145:1-2,8-11,13-14 2nd Reading – Romans 8:9,11-13 Gospel – Matthew 11:25-30 Mass Readings – 14th Sunday of the Year (#100)

Paul reveals how through baptism we die to sin and rise to newness of life, inviting us to make the Lord our central priority and put to death whatever is not worthy of heaven. Mass Readings – 13th Sunday of the Year (#97)

Jesus responds with amazement after he witnesses the powerful faith of a Roman centurion. Mass Readings – Saturday of the 12th Week of the Year (#376)

The Lord’s desire to heal a leper reveals his compassionate care for our souls. Mass Readings – Friday of the 12th Week of the Year (#375)

Jesus challenges his disciples to conform their hearts and lives, entering into a living relationship with the Lord. Mass Readings – Thursday of the 12th Week of the Year (#374)

The birth of John the Baptist reveals the new and extraordinary way that God will work in the world, leading up to the coming of the Lord Jesus. Mass Readings – The Nativity of St. John the Baptist (#587) St. John the Baptist, pray for us!

Jesus offers spiritual wisdom regarding reverence, relationships, and personal practice. Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 12th Week of the Year (#372)

The Lord exhorts his disciples to stop judging and start working to humbly assess the state of their own souls before they jump to conclusions about others. Mass Readings – Monday of the 12th Week of the Year (#371)

Let’s explore some of the main themes in the Mass readings for the 13th Sunday of the Year. 1st Reading – 2nd Kings 4:8-11,14-16a Psalm – 89:2-3,16-19 2nd Reading – Romans 6:3-4,8-11 Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42 Mass Readings – 13th Sunday of the Year (#97)

The Lord’s victory over sin and death gives us hope to embrace our faith in Christ to face our fears. Mass Readings – 12th Sunday of the Year (#94)

How often to we give in to useless worry? The Lord directs us to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness! Mass Readings – Saturday of the 11th Week of the Year (#370)

The Lord offers a crucial spiritual principle that helps us to understand our deepest values and priorities. Mass Readings – Friday of the 11th Week of the Year (#369) St. Romuald, pray for us!

The Lord’s Prayer summarizes the key points of the Gospel and directs our spiritual lives according to the teaching of Christ. Mass Readings – Thursday of the 11th Week of the Year (#368)

The Lord offers guidance regarding our response to evil, urging us to avoid retaliation. Mass Readings – Monday of the 11th Week of the Year (#365)

Here are some of the main themes in the Mass readings for the 12th Sunday of the Year. 1st Reading – Jeremiah 20:10-13 Psalm 69:8-10,14,17,33-35 2nd Reading – Romans 5:12-15 Gospel – Matthew 10:26-33 Mass Readings – 12th Sunday of the Year (#94)

Jesus instructs his disciples to avoid making false oaths and rash vows, rather letting our “yes” mean yes and “no” mean no. Mass Readings – Saturday of the 10th Week of the Year (#364) Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary & St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!

The Sacred Heart of Jesus offers us rest from the weariness of the labors and burdens of life. Mass Readings – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (#170)