MASS READINGS

Small Matters

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for August 25th – August 30th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here

 

 

JESUS must have been surprised when, standing in the temple, going about his “Father’s business”, his mother told Him it was time to come home. Remarkably, for the next 18 years, all we know from the Gospels is that Jesus must have entered into a profound emptying of self, knowing that He came to save the world… but not yet. Instead, there, at home, he entered into the mundane “duty of the moment.” There, in the confines of the little community of Nazareth, carpentry tools became the little sacramentals by which the Son of God learned the “art of obedience.”

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Take Courage, It is I

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for August 4th – August 9th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here

 

 

DEAR friends, as you may have read already, a lightning storm took out my computer this week. As such, I’ve been scrambling to get back on track with writing with a backup and getting another computer on order. To make matters worse, the building where our main office is located had it’s heating ducts and plumbing come crashing down! Hm… I think it was Jesus Himself who said that the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by violence. Indeed!

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Manifesting Jesus

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for July 28th – August 2nd, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here

 

 

PAUSE, take a moment, and reset your soul. By this, I mean, remind yourself that this is all real. That God exists; that there are angels around you, saints praying for you, and a Mother who has been sent to lead you into battle. Take a moment… think of those inexplicable miracles in your life and others that have been sure signs of God’s activity, from the gift of this morning’s sunrise to even the more dramatic of physical cures… the “miracle of the sun” witnessed by tens of thousands at Fatima… the stigmata of saints like Pio… the Eucharistic miracles… the incorruptible bodies of saints… the “near-death” testimonies… the transformation of great sinners into saints… the quiet miracles that God constantly does in your life by renewing His mercies toward you each morning.

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Persevere…

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for July 21st – July 26th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here

 

 

IN truth, brothers and sisters, since writing the “Flame of Love” series on our Mother and Lord’s plan (see The Convergence and the Blessing, More on the Flame of Love, and The Rising Morning Star), I have had a very difficult time writing anything since then. If you’re going to promote the Woman, the dragon is never far behind. It’s all a good sign. Ultimately, it is the sign of the Cross.

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Reaping the Whirlwind

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for July 14th – July 19th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here


Reaping the Whirlwind, Artist Unknown

 

 

IN last week’s readings, we heard the prophet Hosea proclaim:

When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind. (Hos 8:7)

Several years ago, as I stood in a farm field watching a storm approach, the Lord showed me in spirit that a great hurricane was coming upon the world. As my writings unfolded, I began to understand that what was coming head-on toward our generation was the definitive breaking of the seals of Revelation (see The Seven Seals of Revolution). But these seals are not God’s punitive justice per se—they are, rather, man reaping the whirlwind of his own conduct. Yes, the wars, plagues, and even disruptions in weather and the earth’s crust are often man-made (see The Land is Mourning). And I wish to say it again… no, not say it—I am shouting now—the Storm is upon us! It is now here! 

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Meeting in the Clearing

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for July 7th – July 12th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here

 

 

I have had a lot time to pray, think, and listen this week while haying on my tractor. Most especially about the people that I have met through this mysterious writing apostolate. I am referring to those faithful servants and messengers of the Lord who, like me, have been charged with watching, praying, and then speaking about the times we are living in. Remarkably, we have all come from different directions, wandering through the dark, dense, and oft times dangerous forests of prophecy, only to arrive at the same point: in the Clearing of a united message.

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Real Time

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for June 30th – July 5th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here

earth globe facing asia with sun halo

 

WHY now? I mean, why has the Lord inspired me, after eight years, to begin this new column called “the Now Word”, reflections on the daily Mass readings? I believe it is because the readings are speaking to us directly, rhythmically, as biblical events unfold now in real time. I don’t mean to be presumptuous when I say that. But after eight years of writing to you about coming events, as summarized in The Seven Seals of Revolution, we are now seeing them unfold in real time. (I once told my spiritual director that I was terrified to write something that may be wrong. And he replied, “Well, you’re already a fool for Christ. If you’re wrong, you’ll just be a fool for Christ—with egg on your face.”)

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The Two Hearts

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for June 23rd – June 28th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here


“The Two Hearts” by Tommy Christopher Canning

 

IN my recent meditation, The Rising Morning Star, we see through Scripture and Tradition how the Blessed Mother has a significant role in not only the first, but second coming of Jesus. So intermingled are Christ and His mother that we often refer to their mystical union as the “Two Hearts” (whose feasts we celebrated this past Friday and Saturday). As a symbol and type of the Church, her role in these “end times” is likewise a type and sign of the Church’s role in bringing about the triumph of Christ over the satanic kingdom spreading over the world.

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When Elijah Returns

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for June 16th – June 21st, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here


Elijah

 

 

HE was one of the most influential prophets of the Old Testament. In fact, his end here on earth is nearly mythological in status since, well… he didn’t have an end.

As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. (Wednesday’s first reading)

Tradition teaches that Elijah was taken to “paradise” where he has been preserved from corruption, but that his role on earth has not ended.

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All His

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for June 9th – June 14th, 2014
Ordinary Time

Liturgical texts here


Elijah Sleeping, by Michael D. O’Brien

 

 

THE beginning of true life in Jesus is the moment when you recognize that you are utterly corrupt—poor in virtue, holiness, goodness. That would seem to be the moment, one would think, for all despair; the moment when God declares that you are rightly damned; the moment when all joy caves in and life is nothing more than a drawn out, hopeless eulogy…. But then, that is precisely the moment when Jesus says, “Come, I wish to dine in your house”; when He says, “This day you will be with me in paradise”; when He says, “Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.” This is the paradox of salvation that Satan continually tries to hide from the human mind. For while he cries out that you are worthy to be damned, Jesus says that, because you are damnable, you are worthy to be saved.

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Don't Be Afraid to Be Light

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for June 2nd – June 7th, 2014
of the Seventh Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

DO you only debate with others over morality, or do you also share with them your love for Jesus and what He is doing in your life? Many Catholics today are very comfortable with the former, but not with the latter. We can make our intellectual views known, and sometimes forcefully, but then we are quiet, if not silent, when it comes to opening our hearts. This can be for two basic reasons: either we are ashamed to share what Jesus is doing in our souls, or we actually have nothing to say because our inner life with Him is neglected and dead, a branch disconnected from the Vine… a light bulb unscrewed from the Socket.

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The Urgency for the Gospel

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 26th – 31st, 2014
of the Sixth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THERE is a perception in the Church that evangelization is for a chosen few. We hold conferences or parish missions and those “chosen few” come and speak to us, evangelize, and teach. But as for the rest of us, our duty is to simply go to Mass and keep from sin.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

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Some Personal Words and Changes from Mark…

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JESUS said, “The wind blows where it wills… so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” That seemed to be the case in His own ministry when He would plan to do one thing, but the crowds would determine a different path. Likewise, St. Paul would often set sail for a destination but be thwarted by bad weather, persecution or the Spirit.

I have found this ministry to be no different over the years. Often when I say, “This is what I shall do…”, the Lord has other plans. Such is the case again. I sense the Lord wanting me to focus right now on some very important writings—some “words” that have been brewing for over two years. Without an elongated and unnecessary explanation, I don’t think many people understand that this is not my blog. I have so many things I would like to say, but there is a clear agenda that is not my own, an organic unfolding of “word.” Spiritual direction in this regard has been invaluable in helping me to step aside (as much as possible!) to let the Lord have His way. I hope that is happening for His sake and yours.

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The Two Temptations

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 23rd, 2014
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THERE are two powerful temptations that the Church is going to face in the days ahead to draw souls from the narrow road that leads to life. One is what we examined yesterday—the voices who wish to shame us for holding fast to the Gospel.

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Joy in Truth

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 22nd, 2014
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Opt. Mem. St. Rita of Cascia

Liturgical texts here

 

 

LAST year in The Sixth Day, I wrote that, ‘Pope Benedict XVI in many ways is the last “gift” of a generation of giant theologians who have guided the Church through the Storm of apostasy that is now going to break out in all its force upon the world. The next pope will guide us too… but he is ascending a throne that the world wishes to overturn.’ [1]cf. The Sixth Day

That Storm is now upon us. That terrible rebellion against the seat of Peter—the teachings preserved and derived from the Vine of Apostolic Tradition—is here. In a candid and necessary speech last week, Princeton Professor Robert P. George said:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. The Sixth Day

Truth Blossoms

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 21st, 2014
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Opt. Mem. St. Christopher Magallanes & Companions

Liturgical texts here


Christ True Vine, Unknown

 

 

WHEN Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, that did not mean that doctrines would come easily without need for discernment, prayer, and dialogue. That’s evident in today’s first reading as Paul and Barnabas seek out the Apostles to clarify certain aspects of the Jewish law. I am reminded in recent times of the teachings of Humanae Vitae, and how there was much disagreement, consultation, and prayer before Paul VI delivered his beautiful teaching. And now, a Synod on the Family will convene this October in which issues at the very heart, not only of the Church but of civilization, are being discussed with no little consequences:

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Casting Out the Ruler of This World

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 20th, 2014
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

‘VICTORY over the “prince of this world” was won once for all at the Hour when Jesus freely gave himself up to death to give us his life.’ [1]Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2853 The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper, and continues to come into our midst through the Holy Eucharist. [2]CCC, n. 2816 As today’s Psalm says, “Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.” If that is so, why does Jesus say in today’s Gospel:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2853
↑2 CCC, n. 2816

Christianity and the Ancient Religions

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 19th, 2014
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

IT is common to hear those opposed to Catholicism invoke arguments such as: Christianity is just borrowed from pagan religions; that Christ is a mythological invention; or that the Catholic Feast days, such as Christmas and Easter, are just paganism with a face-lift. But there is an entirely different perspective on paganism that St. Paul reveals in today’s Mass readings.

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Stand Back

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 16th, 2014
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHEN you look at skin up close, very close, suddenly it doesn’t look so nice! A beautiful face, under a microscope, can look quite unattractive. But take a step back, and all one sees is the big picture that together—eyes, nose, mouth, hair—is lovely, despite the little flaws.

All week, we have been reflecting on God’s plan of salvation. And we need to. Otherwise, we get drawn into the small picture, looking at our own times through a microscope that can make things look rather frightening.

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God's Timeline

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 15th, 2014
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here


Israel, from a different perspective…

 

 

THERE are two reasons souls fall asleep to the voice of God speaking through His prophets and the “signs of the times” in their generation. One is that people simply don’t want to hear that everything is not peachy.

It’s our very sleepiness to the presence of God that renders us insensitive to evil: we don’t hear God because we don’t want to be disturbed, and so we remain indifferent to evil… the disciples’ sleepiness [in Gethsemane] is not a problem of that one moment, rather of the whole of history, ‘the sleepiness’ is ours, of those of us who do not want to see the full force of evil and do not want to enter into his Passion. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Catholic News Agency, Vatican City, Apr 20, 2011, General Audience

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The Twelfth Stone

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 14th, 2014
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle

Liturgical texts here


St. Matthias, by Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640)

 

I often ask non-Catholics who wish to debate the Church’s authority: “Why did the Apostles have to fill the vacancy left by Judas Iscariot after his death? What’s the big deal? St. Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles that, as the first community gathered in Jerusalem, ‘there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place.’ [1]cf. Acts 1:15 So there were plenty of believers on hand. Why, then, did the office of Judas have to be filled?”

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Acts 1:15

Mother of All Nations

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 13th, 2014
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Opt. Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima

Liturgical texts here


Our Lady of All Nations

 

 

THE unity of Christians, indeed all peoples, is the heartbeat and infallible vision of Jesus. St. John captured Our Lord’s cry in a beautiful prayer for the Apostles, and the nations that would hear their preaching:

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When God Goes Global

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 12th, 2014
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here


Peace is Coming, by Jon McNaughton

 

 

HOW many Catholics ever pause to think that there is a global plan of salvation underway? That God is working each and every moment toward the fulfillment of that plan? When people look up at the clouds floating by, few think of the near infinite expanse of galaxies and planetary systems that lay beyond. They see clouds, a bird, a storm, and continue on without reflecting on the mystery lying beyond the heavens. Soo too, few souls look beyond the present day triumphs and storms and realize that they are leading toward the fulfillment of Christ’s promises, expressed in today’s Gospel:

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Never Give Up On a Soul

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 9th, 2014
Friday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here


Flower springing up after a forest fire

 

 

ALL must appear lost. All must appear as if evil has won. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die…. and only then does it bear fruit. So it was with Jesus… Calvary… the Tomb… it was as though darkness had crushed the light.

But then Light burst forth from the abyss, and in a moment, darkness was vanquished.

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The Fires of Persecution

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 8th, 2014
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHILE a forest fire can devastate the trees, it is precisely the heat of fire that opens up pine cones, thus, reseeding the woodland all over again.

Persecution is a fire that, while consuming religious freedom and purifying the Church of dead wood, opens up seeds of new life. Those seeds are both the martyrs who give witness to the Word by their very blood, and those who witness by their words. That is, the Word of God is the seed that falls into the ground of hearts, and the blood of the martyrs waters it…

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The Harvest of Persecution

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 7th, 2014
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHEN was Jesus finally tried and crucified? When light was taken for darkness, and darkness for light. That is, the people chose the notorious prisoner, Barabbas, over Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Then Pilate released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. (Matt 27:26)

As I listen to reports coming out of the United Nations, we are once again seeing light being taken for darkness, and darkness for light. [1]cf. LifeSiteNews.com, May 6th, 2014 Jesus was portrayed by His enemies as a disturber of the peace, a potential “terrorist” of the Roman state. So too, the Catholic Church is fast becoming the new terror organization of our times.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. LifeSiteNews.com, May 6th, 2014

The Masters of Conscience

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 6th, 2014
Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

IN every age, in every dictatorship, whether it is a totalitarian government or an abusive husband, there are those who seek to control not only what others say, but even what they think. Today, we are seeing this spirit of control rapidly gripping all the nations as we move toward a new world order. But Pope Francis warns:

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The Eclipse of Reason

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 5th, 2014
Monday of the Third Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

 

SAM Sotiropoulos was only asking the Toronto Police force a simple question: if Canada’s Criminal Code forbids public nudity, [1]Section 174 states that a person who is “so clad as to offend against public decency or order” is “guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.” will they be enforcing that law at the Toronto Gay Pride parade? His concern was that children, who are often brought to the parade by parents and teachers, may be exposed to illegal public nudity.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Section 174 states that a person who is “so clad as to offend against public decency or order” is “guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.”

Unless the Lord Build the Community…

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 2nd, 2014
Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop & Doctor of the Church

Liturgical texts here

LIKE the believers in the early Church, I know many today likewise feel a strong call toward Christian community. In fact, I have dialogued for years with brothers and sisters about this desire that is intrinsic to Christian life and the life of the Church. As Benedict XVI said:

I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus also towards unity with all Christians. We become “one body”, completely joined in a single existence. —Deus Caritas Est, n. 14

This is a beautiful thought, and not a pipe dream either. It is the prophetic prayer of Jesus that we “may all be one.” [1]cf. Jn 17:21 On the other hand, the difficulties facing us today in forming Christian communities are not small. While Focolare or Madonna House or other apostolates provide us with some valuable wisdom and experience in living “in communion,” there are a few things we should keep in mind.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Jn 17:21

Community Must be Ecclesial

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 1st, 2014
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
St. Joseph the Worker

Liturgical texts here

UnitybookIcon
Christian Unity

 

 

WHEN the Apostles are brought again before the Sanhedrin, they do not answer as individuals, but as a community.

We must obey God rather than men. (First reading)

This one sentence is loaded with implications. First, they say “we,” implying a fundamental unity between them. Second, it reveals that the Apostles were not following human tradition, but the Sacred Tradition that Jesus imparted to them. And last, it supports what we read earlier this week, that the first converts in turn were following the Apostles’ teaching, which was Christ’s.

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Community… an Encounter with Jesus

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 30th, 2014
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer, Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904)

 

 

THE same Apostles who fled Gethsemane at the first rattle of chains now, not only defy the religious authorities, but go straight back into hostile territory to witness to the resurrection of Jesus.

The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people. (First reading)

Chains that once were their shame now begin to weave a glorious crown. Where did this courage suddenly come from?

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The Sacrament of Community

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 29th, 2014
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena

Liturgical texts here


Our Lady of Combermere gathering her children—Madonna House Community, Ont., Canada

 

 

NOWHERE in the Gospels do we read Jesus instructing the Apostles that, once He departs, they are to form communities. Perhaps the closest Jesus comes to it is when He says, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” [1]cf. Jn 13:35

And yet, after Pentecost, the very first thing the believers did was form organized communities. Almost instinctively…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Jn 13:35

Christianity that Changes the World

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 28th, 2014
Monday of the Second Week of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

THERE is a fire in the early Christians that must be re-kindled in the Church today. It was never meant to go out. This is the task of Our Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit in this time of mercy: to bring about the life of Jesus within us, the light of the world. Here is the kind of fire that must burn in our parishes again:

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The Gospel of Suffering

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 18th, 2014
Good Friday

Liturgical texts here

 

 

YOU may have noticed in several writings, lately, the theme of “springs of living water” flowing from within the soul of a believer. Most dramatic is the ‘promise’ of a coming “Blessing” that I wrote about this week in The Convergence and the Blessing.

But as we meditate upon the Cross today, I want to speak of one more wellspring of living water, one that even now can flow from within to irrigate the souls of others. I am speaking of suffering.

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The Third Memorial

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 17th, 2014
Holy Thursday

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THREE times, at the Lord’s Supper, Jesus asked us to imitate Him. Once when He took Bread and broke it; once when He took up the Cup; and last, when He washed the feet of the Apostles:

If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. (Today’s Gospel)

The Holy Mass is not complete without the third memorial. That is, when you and I receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, the Holy Meal is only satisfied when we wash the feet of another. When you and I, in turn, become the very Sacrifice that we have eaten: when we give our lives in service for another:

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Betraying the Son of Man

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 16th, 2014
Wednesday of Holy Week

Liturgical texts here

 

 

BOTH Peter and Judas received the Body and Blood of Christ at the Last Supper. Jesus knew beforehand both men would deny Him. Both men went on to do so in one manner or another.

But only one man did Satan enter:

After he took the morsel, Satan entered [Judas]. (John 13:27)

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You Were Born for This Time

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 15th, 2014
Tuesday of Holy Week

Liturgical texts here

 

 

AS you peer out at the Storm that is roiling on the horizon of humanity, you might be tempted to say, “Why me? Why now?” But I want to assure you, dear reader, that you were born for these times. As it says in the first reading today,

The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 

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His Unfathomable Mercy

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 14th, 2014
Monday of Holy Week

Liturgical texts here

 

 

NO one can fathom how wide and how deep is the love of God for humanity. Today’s first reading gives us an insight into this tenderness:

A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth…

We are on the threshold of the Day of the Lord, that day which will bring about an era of peace and justice, establishing it to “the coastlands.” The Church Fathers remind us that the Day of the Lord is not the end of the world or even a single 24 hour period. Rather…

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They Will Not See

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 11th, 2014
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THIS generation is like a man standing on a beach, watching a ship disappear over the horizon. He does not think of what is beyond the horizon, where the ship is going, or where other ships are coming from. In his mind, what is reality is only that which lies between the shore and the skyline. And that is it.

This is analogous to how many perceive the Catholic Church today. They cannot see beyond the horizon of their limited knowledge; they do not understand the transforming influence of the Church over the centuries: how she introduced education, health care, and charities on several continents. How the sublimity of the Gospel has transformed art, music, and literature. How the power of her truths have manifested in the splendor of architecture and design, civil rights and laws.

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Jesus is God

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 10th, 2014
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

MUSLIMS believe He is a prophet. Jehovah’s Witnesses, that He was Michael the archangel. Others, that He is just a historical figure, and yet others, a mere myth.

But Jesus is God.

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I Will Not Bow

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 9th, 2014
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

NOT negotiable. That was essentially the reply of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when King Nebuchadnezzar threatened them with death if they did not worship the state god. Our God “can save us”, they said,

But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up. (First reading)

Today, believers are once again being forced to bow before the state god, these days under the names of “tolerance” and “diversity.” Those who don’t are being harassed, fined, or forced from their careers.

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The Sign of the Cross

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 8th, 2014
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHEN the people were being bitten by snakes as a punishment for their persistent doubting and complaining, they at last repented, appealing to Moses:

We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.

But God didn’t take away the serpents. Rather, He gave them a remedy by which to be cured should they succumb to a poisonous bite:

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Persisting in Sin

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 7th, 2014
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here


The Valley of the Shadow of Death, George Inness, (1825-1894)

 

 

ON Saturday evening, I had the privilege of leading a group of young people and a handful of adults in Eucharistic Adoration. As we gazed upon Jesus’ Eucharistic face, listening to the words He spoke through St. Faustina, singing His name while others went to Confession… the love and mercy of God descended powerfully upon the room.

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Father, Forgive Them…

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 4th, 2014
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THE truth is, friends, the world is rapidly closing in from all sides on Christians for holding fast to the truth. In Middle Eastern countries, our brothers and sisters are being tortured, [1]cf. endoftheamericandream.com beheaded, [2]cf. IndianDefence.com and burned out of their homes and churches. [3]cf. Persecution.org And in the West, freedom of speech is disappearing in real time before our very eyes. Cardinal Timothy Dolan is not far off in his prediction of three years ago. [4]Read also what I wrote in 2005, which is now coming to pass: Persecution!… and the Moral Tsunami

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. endoftheamericandream.com
↑2 cf. IndianDefence.com
↑3 cf. Persecution.org
↑4 Read also what I wrote in 2005, which is now coming to pass: Persecution!… and the Moral Tsunami

The Golden Calf

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 3rd, 2014
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WE are are at the end of an era, and the beginning of the next: The Age of the Spirit. But before the next begins, the grain of wheat—this culture—must fall into the ground and die. For the moral foundations in science, politics, and economics have mostly rotted. Our science is now frequently used to experiment on humans, our politics to manipulate them, and economics to enslave them.Continue reading →