Monday in the Octave of Easter
Today's Mass Readings
Alleluia! Christ is risen, alleluia! For most people in the United States, Easter has come and gone. It is over in one day; even the Easter candy is now on sale. But for the Church, Easter Sunday is only the beginning of the Easter season. Today, Monday, is the second day in the octave of Easter. All of the days from Easter Sunday through to the following Sunday rank as solemnities, the highest holy days in the liturgical year of the Church.
Today's Mass Readings
Alleluia! Christ is risen, alleluia! For most people in the United States, Easter has come and gone. It is over in one day; even the Easter candy is now on sale. But for the Church, Easter Sunday is only the beginning of the Easter season. Today, Monday, is the second day in the octave of Easter. All of the days from Easter Sunday through to the following Sunday rank as solemnities, the highest holy days in the liturgical year of the Church.
Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord
Today's Mass Readings
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Today Reading do not fail to proclaim as undoubtable truth the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus. Yes! The Resurrection is the central truth of our faith. As St. Paul proclaims, “And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty too, your faith.” (1 Cor 15:14) Without the Resurrection, one might view Jesus as only a philosophical figure and the Gospel message as a collection of moral exhortations. With the Resurrection, we view Jesus and his Gospel message in a very different light. The Resurrection confirms God’s intervention in human history and transcends man-made philosophical structures by providing us with a new life in God’s grace.
Today's Mass Readings
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Today Reading do not fail to proclaim as undoubtable truth the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus. Yes! The Resurrection is the central truth of our faith. As St. Paul proclaims, “And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty too, your faith.” (1 Cor 15:14) Without the Resurrection, one might view Jesus as only a philosophical figure and the Gospel message as a collection of moral exhortations. With the Resurrection, we view Jesus and his Gospel message in a very different light. The Resurrection confirms God’s intervention in human history and transcends man-made philosophical structures by providing us with a new life in God’s grace.
Holy Saturday
Since there is no Mass on Holy Saturday, there are no recommended Mass Readings. I recommend Psalm 16 for reflection.
Psalm 16
Preserve me, Lord,
I put my hope in you.
I have said to the Lord
“You are my Lord,
in you alone is all my good.”
As for the holy and noble men of the land,
in them is all my delight.
But for those who run to alien gods,
their sorrows are many.
I will not share in their libations of blood.
I will not speak their names.
You, Lord, are my inheritance and my cup.
You control my destiny,
the lot marked out for me is of the best,
my inheritance is all I could ask for.
I will bless the Lord who gave me understanding;
even in the night my heart will teach me wisdom.
I will hold the Lord for ever in my sight:
with him at my side I can never be shaken.
Thus it is that my heart rejoices,
heart and soul together;
while my body rests in calm hope.
You will not leave my soul in the underworld.
You will not let your chosen one see decay.
You will show me the paths of life,
the fullness of joy before your face,
and delights at your right hand until the end of time.
Reflection
The Lord's Descent into the Underworld
Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
Since there is no Mass on Holy Saturday, there are no recommended Mass Readings. I recommend Psalm 16 for reflection.
Psalm 16
Preserve me, Lord,
I put my hope in you.
I have said to the Lord
“You are my Lord,
in you alone is all my good.”
As for the holy and noble men of the land,
in them is all my delight.
But for those who run to alien gods,
their sorrows are many.
I will not share in their libations of blood.
I will not speak their names.
You, Lord, are my inheritance and my cup.
You control my destiny,
the lot marked out for me is of the best,
my inheritance is all I could ask for.
I will bless the Lord who gave me understanding;
even in the night my heart will teach me wisdom.
I will hold the Lord for ever in my sight:
with him at my side I can never be shaken.
Thus it is that my heart rejoices,
heart and soul together;
while my body rests in calm hope.
You will not leave my soul in the underworld.
You will not let your chosen one see decay.
You will show me the paths of life,
the fullness of joy before your face,
and delights at your right hand until the end of time.
Reflection
The Lord's Descent into the Underworld
Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
Today's Readings
(On this the day on which we remember Jesus who died for us, please hold a crucifix in your hands as you reflect and pray this Prayer:)
Dear Father of unconditional love,
I pick up this Cross today in total freedom,
and in full knowledge of the power of the sacrifice of your only beloved Son Jesus who died upon It.
Today, I hold that very Cross in my hands,
and I embrace it to my heart.
I accept it as a sacrament of Your inexplicable Love,
Your free Grace and Your reconciling Peace.
Today's Readings
(On this the day on which we remember Jesus who died for us, please hold a crucifix in your hands as you reflect and pray this Prayer:)
Dear Father of unconditional love,
I pick up this Cross today in total freedom,
and in full knowledge of the power of the sacrifice of your only beloved Son Jesus who died upon It.
Today, I hold that very Cross in my hands,
and I embrace it to my heart.
I accept it as a sacrament of Your inexplicable Love,
Your free Grace and Your reconciling Peace.
Holy Thursday
Today's Mass Readings
Eucharist and Christian Life: Consuming the Body and Blood of Christ that We Might Become the Body and Blood of Christ
Today begins our Triduum. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil), are deep with meaning that colors not only this particular day, but the whole of the Christian life. The paschal mystery expressed in this Triduum is at the heart of all we do.
Today's Mass Readings
Eucharist and Christian Life: Consuming the Body and Blood of Christ that We Might Become the Body and Blood of Christ
Today begins our Triduum. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil), are deep with meaning that colors not only this particular day, but the whole of the Christian life. The paschal mystery expressed in this Triduum is at the heart of all we do.
Wednesday of Holy Week
Today's Mass Readings
Today, the words from Isaiah intone a message of a prophet who has given his all to hearten the weary. Isaiah is one who has day after day done as the Lord has asked. The prophet learns, as we often do, that speaking the truth is not always appreciated. Isaiah calls on the Lord as he is being challenged. Despite being beaten up, he stands firm without betraying the Lord. Isaiah knows the Lord will be his help in dealing with those who oppose him.
Today's Mass Readings
Today, the words from Isaiah intone a message of a prophet who has given his all to hearten the weary. Isaiah is one who has day after day done as the Lord has asked. The prophet learns, as we often do, that speaking the truth is not always appreciated. Isaiah calls on the Lord as he is being challenged. Despite being beaten up, he stands firm without betraying the Lord. Isaiah knows the Lord will be his help in dealing with those who oppose him.
Tuesday of Holy Week
Today's Mass Readings
Today is the Tuesday of Holy Week. In our first reading we find a very compact and yet rich description of what we will be celebrating liturgically this upcoming Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Understanding Jesus as the servant Israel in this passage, we see how Jesus will become a light to the nations, raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel.
Today's Mass Readings
Today is the Tuesday of Holy Week. In our first reading we find a very compact and yet rich description of what we will be celebrating liturgically this upcoming Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Understanding Jesus as the servant Israel in this passage, we see how Jesus will become a light to the nations, raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel.
Monday of Holy Week
Today's Mass Readings
This is our last week before Easter and the holiest week of our Catholic liturgical year. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week prepare us to enter the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. Today’s gospel passage from John demonstrates this preparation. It begins with the words “six days before Passover” (Jn. 12:1), which in itself indicates the importance of time. The reading is placed on Monday of Holy Week, and, in John’s gospel, Jesus will be crucified at the same time the Passover lambs are being killed.
Today's Mass Readings
This is our last week before Easter and the holiest week of our Catholic liturgical year. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week prepare us to enter the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. Today’s gospel passage from John demonstrates this preparation. It begins with the words “six days before Passover” (Jn. 12:1), which in itself indicates the importance of time. The reading is placed on Monday of Holy Week, and, in John’s gospel, Jesus will be crucified at the same time the Passover lambs are being killed.
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
Today's Mass Readings
Many years ago, I took a class in which a priest instructed us to write on a piece of paper “All the things for which we would be willing to sacrifice our life.” When we completed the exercise, the priest informed us that he wanted us to look at the list we had prepared not as a reflection on death, but as a list of the reasons why we are living – a list of those things that gave our lives meaning and purpose: the things we really love. Today’s readings recount the events surrounding the Passion of our Lord. The willing sacrifice of his life so that we could be reconciled with God.
Today's Mass Readings
Many years ago, I took a class in which a priest instructed us to write on a piece of paper “All the things for which we would be willing to sacrifice our life.” When we completed the exercise, the priest informed us that he wanted us to look at the list we had prepared not as a reflection on death, but as a list of the reasons why we are living – a list of those things that gave our lives meaning and purpose: the things we really love. Today’s readings recount the events surrounding the Passion of our Lord. The willing sacrifice of his life so that we could be reconciled with God.
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
In today’s first reading, the prophet Ezekiel writes of how the LORD God will gather the people of Israel together again from their exile. God promises to heal their divisions, to cleanse them from their sinfulness, and to help them obey His commands. He promises to set up make a new and eternal covenant with them. He promises to make a sanctuary, a place to worship Him properly, that will last forever.
Today's Mass Readings
In today’s first reading, the prophet Ezekiel writes of how the LORD God will gather the people of Israel together again from their exile. God promises to heal their divisions, to cleanse them from their sinfulness, and to help them obey His commands. He promises to set up make a new and eternal covenant with them. He promises to make a sanctuary, a place to worship Him properly, that will last forever.
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
If you have the chance, take some time to go back and look through the previous Fridays’ readings from this Lenten season. You will discover that this is at least the fourth time this Lent that people have tried to arrest or kill Jesus. Thus far, it seems, Jesus stands as the traditional hero in an action film, just managing to escape from tight spots to the relief of adoring fans. Jesus is working against evil and going around doing good, and all the while managing to stay one step ahead of his enemies. Attentive readers may well wonder, though, how long this fortune can last. If the people really are out to get Jesus, won’t they succeed at some point?
Today's Mass Readings
If you have the chance, take some time to go back and look through the previous Fridays’ readings from this Lenten season. You will discover that this is at least the fourth time this Lent that people have tried to arrest or kill Jesus. Thus far, it seems, Jesus stands as the traditional hero in an action film, just managing to escape from tight spots to the relief of adoring fans. Jesus is working against evil and going around doing good, and all the while managing to stay one step ahead of his enemies. Attentive readers may well wonder, though, how long this fortune can last. If the people really are out to get Jesus, won’t they succeed at some point?
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
With Easter quickly approaching, our eyes are drawn toward the paschal mystery – the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This story is also the story of a covenant. Throughout salvation history, God has made covenants with his people. In today’s first reading, for example, we have a passage from Genesis where God tells Abraham that just as God will keep the covenant with Abraham’s descendants, they must also keep their covenant with God. The psalm response reinforces this theme: “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
Today's Mass Readings
With Easter quickly approaching, our eyes are drawn toward the paschal mystery – the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This story is also the story of a covenant. Throughout salvation history, God has made covenants with his people. In today’s first reading, for example, we have a passage from Genesis where God tells Abraham that just as God will keep the covenant with Abraham’s descendants, they must also keep their covenant with God. The psalm response reinforces this theme: “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31b-32a.
Today's Mass Readings
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31b-32a.
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
As we get closer to Holy week, the reference to Jesus’ suffering and death will get ever more direct and real. Not only that, the connection between the events relating to his death and resurrection will be interpreted in light of the Old Testament, so that Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. Thus in today’s first reading from the Book of Numbers, the Israelites are saved from the seraph serpents by gazing upon the bronze serpent that is lifted up for them. The early church saw this as foreshadowing Jesus, the One lifted up on the cross for us, by whose “lifting up” we are saved.
Today's Mass Readings
As we get closer to Holy week, the reference to Jesus’ suffering and death will get ever more direct and real. Not only that, the connection between the events relating to his death and resurrection will be interpreted in light of the Old Testament, so that Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. Thus in today’s first reading from the Book of Numbers, the Israelites are saved from the seraph serpents by gazing upon the bronze serpent that is lifted up for them. The early church saw this as foreshadowing Jesus, the One lifted up on the cross for us, by whose “lifting up” we are saved.
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
The juxtaposition of today’s first reading and gospel are intriguing. At first read, we might think that the two women in these stories represent complete opposites. Susanna from the Book of Daniel is described as God-fearing and married to a very well-respected man. When confronted with the choices between remaining innocent yet being convicted and sinning yet going free, she chooses to be falsely accused. Her integrity before God is her first priority, despite knowing how others will judge her. The woman described in the Gospel of John passage, on the other hand, was caught in the very act of adultery. Clearly she is guilty.
Today's Mass Readings
The juxtaposition of today’s first reading and gospel are intriguing. At first read, we might think that the two women in these stories represent complete opposites. Susanna from the Book of Daniel is described as God-fearing and married to a very well-respected man. When confronted with the choices between remaining innocent yet being convicted and sinning yet going free, she chooses to be falsely accused. Her integrity before God is her first priority, despite knowing how others will judge her. The woman described in the Gospel of John passage, on the other hand, was caught in the very act of adultery. Clearly she is guilty.
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
In today’s readings we find one of the Old Testament’s most powerful descriptions of the forthcoming New Covenant, an acknowledgment that Gentiles are called to that New Covenant and a dialogue in which the Father confirms the divinity of Jesus. Included in all of this is, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (Jn 12:24) My reflection focuses on the theme of that passage as it runs through the events described in the readings.
Today's Mass Readings
In today’s readings we find one of the Old Testament’s most powerful descriptions of the forthcoming New Covenant, an acknowledgment that Gentiles are called to that New Covenant and a dialogue in which the Father confirms the divinity of Jesus. Included in all of this is, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (Jn 12:24) My reflection focuses on the theme of that passage as it runs through the events described in the readings.
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent
Today's Mass Readings
There is an interesting interplay in today’s readings between our expectations or knowledge and God’s work.
In the first reading from the prophet Jeremiah, we hear the emphasis on God as the one who knows all, “I knew their plot because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings” (Jer 11:18). All knowledge comes from God yet, like Jeremiah, we don’t always realize what God is telling us.
Today's Mass Readings
There is an interesting interplay in today’s readings between our expectations or knowledge and God’s work.
In the first reading from the prophet Jeremiah, we hear the emphasis on God as the one who knows all, “I knew their plot because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings” (Jer 11:18). All knowledge comes from God yet, like Jeremiah, we don’t always realize what God is telling us.
Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent
Today's Mass Readings
Sometimes I ask my theology students the question, “Why did Jesus have to die? After all, wasn’t he just a really nice guy who went around healing people? Wasn’t he just about loving people? Isn’t he just a great moral teacher or very good example of how we live our lives? Why did Jesus have to die?”
Today's Mass Readings
Sometimes I ask my theology students the question, “Why did Jesus have to die? After all, wasn’t he just a really nice guy who went around healing people? Wasn’t he just about loving people? Isn’t he just a great moral teacher or very good example of how we live our lives? Why did Jesus have to die?”
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Today's Mass Readings
It seems to be a part of the fallen human condition that we constantly seek other things or people to take the place of God. This is manifested in the first reading from Exodus in such an explicit way: the people make an idol and worship it as the God of Israel. It is no wonder that God is described as angry… after rescuing his people from Egypt, these same people return the favor by worshiping an idol! Moses’ petition on their behalf saves them.
Today's Mass Readings
It seems to be a part of the fallen human condition that we constantly seek other things or people to take the place of God. This is manifested in the first reading from Exodus in such an explicit way: the people make an idol and worship it as the God of Israel. It is no wonder that God is described as angry… after rescuing his people from Egypt, these same people return the favor by worshiping an idol! Moses’ petition on their behalf saves them.
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Today's Mass Readings
The Beatles may not seem a source of spiritual wisdom, yet today’s feast recalls “Let it Be.” Mary’s prayer from today’s gospel “Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Indeed, all of today’s readings very clearly call us to live obediently the will of God.
Today's Mass Readings
The Beatles may not seem a source of spiritual wisdom, yet today’s feast recalls “Let it Be.” Mary’s prayer from today’s gospel “Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Indeed, all of today’s readings very clearly call us to live obediently the will of God.