CHRIST IS RISEN, ALLELUIA!
Let us lift our hands to our King!
Mark Mallett with Natalie MacMaster on fiddle:
The Gospel of Suffering
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.
The Third Memorial
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:
Betraying the Son of Man
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)
You Were Born for This Time
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.
His Unfathomable Mercy
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 14th, 2014
Monday of Holy Week
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…
They Will Not See
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.
Jesus is God
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
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.
The Sign of the Cross
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:
Persisting in Sin
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.
Father, Forgive Them…
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
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
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
The Four Ages of Grace
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 2nd, 2014
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
IN yesterday’s first reading, when an angel took Ezekiel to the trickle of water that was flowing to the east, he measured four distances from the temple from where the small river began. With each measurement, the water became deeper and deeper until it could not be crossed. This is symbolic, one could say, of the “four ages of grace”… and we are on the threshold of the third.
Falling Short…
SINCE the launch of the daily Now Word Mass reflections, the readership to this blog has skyrocketed, adding 50-60 subscribers each week. I am now reaching tens of thousands each month with the Gospel, and several of them priests, who use this website as a homiletic resource.
The River of Life
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 1st, 2014
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
Photo by Elia Locardi
I had been debating lately with an atheist (she finally gave up). At the beginning of our conversations, I explained to her that my belief in Jesus Christ had little do with the scientifically verifiable miracles of physical healings, apparitions, and incorruptible saints, and more so to do with the fact that I know Jesus (insofar as He has revealed Himself to me). But she insisted this was not good enough, that I was irrational, duped by a myth, oppressed by a patriarchal Church… you know, the usual diatribe. She wanted me to reproduce God in a petri dish, and well, I just don’t think He was up to it.
As I read her words, it was as if she was trying to tell a man who’d just come out of the rain that he isn’t wet. And the water I speak of here is the River of Life.
Near the Feet of the Shepherd
IN my last general reflection, I wrote of the Great Antitdote that St. Paul gave to his readers to counter the “great apostasy” and deceptions of the “lawless one.” “Stand firm and hold fast,” said Paul, to the oral and written traditions that you have been taught. [1]cf. 2 Thess 2:13-15
But brothers and sisters, Jesus wants you to do more than cling to Sacred Tradition—He wants you to cling to Him personally. It’s not enough to know your Catholic Faith. You have to know Jesus, not just know about Him. It is the difference between reading about rock climbing, and actually scaling a mountain. There is no comparison to actually experiencing the difficulties and yet the exhilaration, the air, the elation of reaching plateaus that bring you to new vistas of glory.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. 2 Thess 2:13-15 |
|---|
A New Creation
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 31st, 2014
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
WHAT happens when a person gives their life to Jesus, when a soul is baptized and therefore consecrated to God? It’s an important question because, after all, what is the appeal of becoming a Christian? The answer lies in today’s first reading…
Why We Don't Hear His Voice
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 28th, 2014
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
JESUS said my sheep hear my voice. He did not say “some” sheep, but my sheep hear my voice. So why then, you may ask, do I not hear His voice? Today’s readings offer some reasons why.
I am the Lord your God: hear my voice… I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me?” (Today’s Psalm)
Listen to His Voice
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 27th, 2014
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
HOW did Satan tempt Adam and Eve? With his voice. And today, he works no differently, except with the added advantage of technology, which can propel a horde of voices at us all at once. It is the voice of Satan that led, and continues to lead man into darkness. It is the voice of God that will lead souls out.
Bringing Jesus Into the World
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 26th, 2014
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
BRINGING the presence of Jesus into the world is not a complicated process requiring a Masters in Divinity. It is a matter of imitating Jesus:
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. (John 15:10)
A Prophetic Sign
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 25th, 2014
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Liturgical texts here
VAST parts of the world no longer believe in God because they no longer see God among us. “But Jesus ascended into Heaven 2000 years ago—of course they don’t see Him…” But Jesus Himself said that He would be found in the world in His brothers and sisters.
Where I am, there shall my servant be also. (cf. Jn 12:26)
Stoning the Prophets
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 24th, 2014
Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
WE are called to give a prophetic witness to others. But then, you should not be surprised if you are treated as the prophets were.
A Prophetic Life
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 21st, 2014
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
THE Church needs to become prophetic again. By this, I do not mean “telling the future,” but by our lives becoming a “word” to others that points to something, or rather, Someone greater. This is the truest sense of prophecy:
Planted by the Stream
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 20th, 2014
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
TWENTY years ago, my wife and I, both cradle-Catholics, were invited to a Baptist Sunday service by a friend of ours who was once a Catholic. We were amazed at all the young couples, the beautiful music, and the anointed sermon by the pastor. The outpouring of genuine kindness and welcoming touched something deep in our souls. [1]cf. My Personal Testimony
When we got into the car to leave, all I could think of was my own parish… weak music, weaker homilies, and even weaker participation by the congregation. Young couples our age? Practically extinct in the pews. Most painful was the sense of loneliness. I often left Mass feeling colder than when I walked in.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. My Personal Testimony |
|---|
The Great Antidote
Stand your ground…
HAVE we entered into those times of lawlessness that will culminate in the “lawless one,” as St. Paul described in 2 Thessalonians 2? [1]Some Church Fathers saw the Antichrist appearing before the “era of peace” while others toward the end of the world. If one follows St. John’s vision in Revelation, the answer seems to be that they are both right. See The Last Two Eclipses It is an important question, because our Lord himself commanded us to “watch and pray.” Even Pope St. Pius X raised the possibility that, given the spread of what he called “a terrible and deep-rooted malady” that is dragging society to destruction, that is, “apostasy”…
…there may be already in the world the “Son of Perdition” of whom the Apostle speaks. —POPE ST. PIUS X, E Supremi, Encyclical On the Restoration of All Things in Christ, n. 3, 5; October 4th, 1903
Footnotes
| ↑1 | Some Church Fathers saw the Antichrist appearing before the “era of peace” while others toward the end of the world. If one follows St. John’s vision in Revelation, the answer seems to be that they are both right. See The Last Two Eclipses |
|---|
From Sin
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 19th, 2014
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Solemnity of St. Joseph
Liturgical texts here
Ecce Homo, by Michael D. O’Brien
ST. PAUL once said that “if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith.” [1]cf. 1 Cor 15:14 It could also be said, if there is no such thing as sin or hell, then empty too is our preaching; empty too, your faith; Christ has died in vain, and our religion is worthless.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. 1 Cor 15:14 |
|---|
Call No One Father
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 18th, 2014
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Liturgical texts here
“SO why do you Catholics call priests “Fr.” when Jesus expressly forbids it?” That’s the question I am frequently asked when discussing Catholic beliefs with evangelical Christians.
Lord, Forgive Us
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 17th, 2014
Monday of the Second Week of Lent
St. Patrick’s Day
Liturgical texts here
AS I read today’s first reading and Psalm, I was immediately moved to pray it with you as a prayer of repentance for this generation. (I want to make a comment on today’s Gospel by looking at the Pope’s controversial words, “Who am I to judge?”, but in a separate writing for my general readership. It is posted here. If you are not subscribed to my Spiritual Food for Thought writings, you can be by clicking here.)
And so, together, let us beg God’s mercy upon our world for the sins of our times, for refusing to hear the prophets He has sent us—chief among them the Holy Fathers and Mary, Our Mother… by praying with our hearts today’s Mass readings:
Who Am I to Judge?
Photo Reuters
THEY are words that, just a little under a year later, continue to echo throughout the Church and the world: “Who am I to judge?” They were Pope Francis’ response to a question posed to him regarding the “gay lobby” in the Church. Those words have become a battle cry: first, for those who wish to justify homosexual practice; second, for those wish to justify their moral relativism; and third, for those who wish to justify their assumption that Pope Francis is one notch short of the Antichrist.
This little quip of Pope Francis’ is actually a paraphrase of St. Paul’s words in the Letter of St. James, who wrote: “Who then are you to judge your neighbor?” [1]cf. Jam 4:12 The Pope’s words are now being splattered on t-shirts, fast becoming a motto gone viral…
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Jam 4:12 |
|---|
Removing the Restrainer
THE past month has been one of palpable sorrow as the Lord continues to warn that there is So Little Time Left. The times are sorrowful because mankind is about to reap what God has begged us not to sow. It is sorrowful because many souls do not realize that they are on the precipice of eternal separation from Him. It is sorrowful because the hour of the Church’s own passion has come when a Judas will rise up against her. [1]cf. The Seven Year Trial-Part VI It is sorrowful because Jesus is not only being neglected and forgotten throughout the world, but abused and mocked once again. Hence, the Time of times has come when all lawlessness will, and is, breaking forth across the globe.
Before I go on, ponder for a moment the truth-filled words of a saint:
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings. —St. Francis de Sales, 17th century bishop
Indeed, this blog is not here to scare or frighten, but to confirm and prepare you so that, like the five wise virgins, the light of your faith will not be snuffed out, but glow ever brighter when the light of God in the world is fully dimmed, and darkness fully unrestrained. [2]cf. Matt 25:1-13
Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matt 25:13)
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Seven Year Trial-Part VI |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | cf. Matt 25:1-13 |
Be Merciful
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 14th, 2014
Friday of the First Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
ARE you merciful? It is not one of those questions that we should toss in with others such as, “Are you extroverted, a choleric, or introverted, etc.” No, this question lies at the very heart of what it means to be an authentic Christian:
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36)
Being Faithful
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 13th, 2014
Thursday of the First Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
IT was a cool evening as I stood outside my father-in-law’s farmhouse. My wife and I had just temporarily moved in with our five young children into a basement room. Our belongings were in the garage overrun with mice, I was broke, jobless, and tired. It seemed that all my efforts to serve the Lord in ministry were failing. That’s why I’ll never forget the words I heard Him speak in my heart at that moment:
On Temporal Punishment
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 12th, 2014
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
PURGATORY is perhaps the most logical of doctrines. For which one of us loves the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul? To withold one’s heart, even a fraction, or to give one’s love to even the smallest of idols, means there is a part that doesn’t belong to God, a part that needs to be purified. Herein lies the doctrine of Purgatory.
When God Listens
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 11th, 2014
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
DOES God hear every prayer? Of course He does. He sees and hears everything. But God doesn’t listen to all our prayers. Parents understand why…
Authentic Holiness
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 10th, 2014
Monday of the First Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
I OFTEN hear people say, “Oh, he’s so holy,” or “She is such a holy person.” But what are we referring to? Their kindness? A quality of meekness, humility, silence? A sense of God’s presence? What is holiness?
One Foot in Heaven
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 7th, 2014
Friday after Ash Wednesday
Liturgical texts here
HEAVEN, not earth, is our home. Thus, St. Paul writes:
Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. (1 Pet 2:11)
We all know there is a battle brewing everyday of our lives between the flesh and the spirit. Even though, through Baptism, God gives us a new heart and renewed spirit, our flesh is still subject to the gravity of sin — those inordinate appetites that want to drag us from the orbit of holiness into the dust of worldliness. And what a battle it is!
Soft on Sin
NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 6th, 2014
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Liturgical texts here
Pilate washes his hands of Christ, by Michael D. O’Brien
WE are a Church that has become soft on sin. Compared to the generations before us, whether it’s our preaching from the pulpit, penances in the confessional, or the way we live, we have become rather dismissive of the importance of repentance. We are living in a culture that not only tolerates sin, but has institutionalized it to the point that traditional marriage, virginity, and purity are made out to be the real evils.
Even Now
NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 5th, 2014
Ash Wednesday
Liturgical texts here
FOR eight years, I have been writing to whoever will listen, a message that can be summed up in one word: Prepare! But prepare for what?
In yesterday’s meditation, I encouraged readers to reflect on the letter Dear Holy Father… He is Coming! It is a writing that, in summarizing the early Church Fathers and the prophetic words of the Popes, is a call to prepare for the “day of Lord.”
Fulfilling Prophecy
NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 4th, 2014
Opt. Memorial for St. Casimir
Liturgical texts here
THE fulfillment of God’s Covenant with His people, which will be fully realized in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, has progressed throughout millennia like a spiral that becomes smaller and smaller as time goes on. In the Psalm today, David sings:
The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
And yet, the revelation of Jesus was still hundreds of years away. So how could the salvation of the Lord be known? It was known, or rather anticipated, through prophecy…
He Loved Him
NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 3rd, 2014
Liturgical texts here
Jesus, looking at him, loved him…
AS I ponder these words in the Gospel, it’s clear that when Jesus looked at the rich young man, it was a gaze so full of love that it was remembered by witnesses years later when St. Mark wrote about it. Although this glance of love did not penetrate the young man’s heart—at least not right away, according to the account—it penetrated the heart of someone that day such that it was cherished and remembered.
Global Revolution!
…the order of the world is shaken. (Psalm 82:5)
WHEN I wrote about Revolution! a few years ago, it was not a word being used much in the mainstream. But today, it is being spoken everywhere… and now, the words “global revolution” are rippling throughout the world. From the uprisings in the Middle East, to Venezuela, Ukraine, etc. to the first murmurings in the “Tea Party” revolution and “Occupy Wall Street” in the U.S., unrest is spreading like “a virus.” There is indeed a global upheaval underway.
I will rouse Egypt against Egypt: brother will war against brother, neighbour against neighbour, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. (Isaiah 19:2)
But it is a Revolution that has been in the making for a very long time…
Authentic Ecumenism
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for February 28th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
No Compromise – Daniel in the Lions Den, Briton Rivière (1840-1920)
FRANKLY, “ecumenism” is not a word that invokes a lot of positive connotations. It has often been associated with interdenominational Masses, watered down theology, and other abuses in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.
In a word, compromise.
Good Salt Gone Bad
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for February 27th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
WE cannot speak of “evangelization”, we cannot utter the word “ecumenism”, we cannot move toward “unity” until the spirit of worldliness has been exorcised from the body of Christ. Worldliness is compromise; compromise is adultery; adultery is idolatry; and idolatry, said St. James in Tuesday’s Gospel, sets us against God.
Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)