Readings for Palm Sunday

Is 50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

R. (2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Reading II
Phil 2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel
Mt 26:14—27:66 or 27:11-54

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity
to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, (My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”’”
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,

they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”

While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and giving it to his disciples said,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you,
for this is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed on behalf of many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it with you new
in the kingdom of my Father.”
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them,
“This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken,
for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed;
but after I have been raised up,
I shall go before you to Galilee.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Though all may have their faith in you shaken,
mine will never be.”
Jesus said to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
this very night before the cock crows,
you will deny me three times.”
Peter said to him,
“Even though I should have to die with you,
I will not deny you.”
And all the disciples spoke likewise.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,
and he said to his disciples,
“Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to feel sorrow and distress.
Then he said to them,
“My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and keep watch with me.”
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying,
“My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me;
yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep.
He said to Peter,
“So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again,
“My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass
without my drinking it, your will be done!”
Then he returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open.
He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time,
saying the same thing again.
Then he returned to his disciples and said to them,
“Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Behold, the hour is at hand
when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
Get up, let us go.
Look, my betrayer is at hand.”

While he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs,
who had come from the chief priests and the elders
of the people.
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying,
“The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him.”
Immediately he went over to Jesus and said,
“Hail, Rabbi!” and he kissed him.
Jesus answered him,
“Friend, do what you have come for.”
Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus
put his hand to his sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him,
“Put your sword back into its sheath,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father
and he will not provide me at this moment
with more than twelve legions of angels?

But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled
which say that it must come to pass in this way?”
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
“Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to seize me?
Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area,
yet you did not arrest me.
But all this has come to pass
that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Those who had arrested Jesus led him away
to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
Peter was following him at a distance
as far as the high priest’s courtyard,
and going inside he sat down with the servants
to see the outcome.
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin
kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus
in order to put him to death,
but they found none,
though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward who stated,
“This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God
and within three days rebuild it.’”
The high priest rose and addressed him,
“Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?”
But Jesus was silent.
Then the high priest said to him,
“I order you to tell us under oath before the living God
whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“You have said so.
But I tell you:
From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power’
and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said,
“He has blasphemed!
What further need have we of witnesses?
You have now heard the blasphemy;
what is your opinion?”
They said in reply,
“He deserves to die!”
Then they spat in his face and struck him,
while some slapped him, saying,
“Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?”

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.
One of the maids came over to him and said,
“You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
But he denied it in front of everyone, saying,
“I do not know what you are talking about!”
As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him
and said to those who were there,
“This man was with Jesus the Nazorean.”
Again he denied it with an oath,
“I do not know the man!”
A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter,
“Surely you too are one of them;
even your speech gives you away.”
At that he began to curse and to swear,
“I do not know the man.”
And immediately a cock crowed.
Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken:
“Before the cock crows you will deny me three times.”
He went out and began to weep bitterly.

When it was morning,
all the chief priests and the elders of the people
took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
They bound him, led him away,
and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned,
deeply regretted what he had done.
He returned the thirty pieces of silver
to the chief priests and elders, saying,
“I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.”
They said,
“What is that to us?
Look to it yourself.”
Flinging the money into the temple,
he departed and went off and hanged himself.
The chief priests gathered up the money, but said,
“It is not lawful to deposit this in the temple treasury,
for it is the price of blood.”
After consultation, they used it to buy the potter’s field
as a burial place for foreigners.
That is why that field even today is called the Field of Blood.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver,
the value of a man with a price on his head,
a price set by some of the Israelites,
and they paid it out for the potter’s field
just as the Lord had commanded me.

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him,
“Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus said, “You say so.”
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
“Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?”
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
“Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?”
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
“Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him.”
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
They answered, "Barabbas!”
Pilate said to them,
“Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?”
They all said,
“Let him be crucified!”
But he said,
“Why? What evil has he done?”
They only shouted the louder,
“Let him be crucified!”
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.
Look to it yourselves.”
And the whole people said in reply,
“His blood be upon us and upon our children.”
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha
—which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!”
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
“He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
“This one is calling for Elijah.”
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
“Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.”
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.


And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
“(Truly, this was the Son of God!”
There were many women there, looking on from a distance,
who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.
Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening,
there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph,
who was himself a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus;
then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen
and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock.
Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.
But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
remained sitting there, facing the tomb.

The next day, the one following the day of preparation,
the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered before Pilate and said,
“Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said,
‘After three days I will be raised up.’
Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day,
lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people,
‘He has been raised from the dead.’
This last imposture would be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them,
“The guard is yours;
go, secure it as best you can.”
So they went and secured the tomb
by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard.

Another soul joins the army of martyrs

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho was kidnapped Feb. 29, seized by gunmen as he left Mass in Mosul, Iraq.

His body was found on Wednesday - right where the kidnappers said it would be.

For the soul of Archbishop Rahho, for the souls of his tormentors, and for all the faithful departed, we offer our prayers.

Prayers for the Week of 3/9 - 3/15

For the intentions of the Holy Father...

For the protection of the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death...

For all children missing, exploited, and abused...

For the unborn, especially those facing the danger of abortion...

For the innocent victims of abortion...

For women considering abortion...

For women and men hurt by abortion...

For persecuted Christians throughout the world...

For American voters, may they vote this election year according to just morals and values...

For prisoners and all those in jails...

For the sick and those who face the end of life...

For J., P. and all those seeking work...

For C., may she find healing in this time of heartache...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

For all intentions in the blogosphere...

Readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent

Reading 1
Ez 37:12-14

Thus says the Lord GOD:
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them,
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live,
and I will settle you upon your land;
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (7) With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Reading II
Rom 8:8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Gospel
Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany,
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil
and dried his feet with her hair;
it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.

So the sisters sent word to him saying,
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
hen Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death,
but is for the glory of God,
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill,
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples,
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples said to him,
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you,
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble,
because he sees the light of this world.
But if one walks at night, he stumbles,
because the light is not in him.”
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep,
but I am going to awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death,
while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died.
And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe.
Let us go to him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples,
“Let us also go to die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus
had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,

“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this,
she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying,
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this,
she rose quickly and went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village,
but was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her
saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her,
presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him,
she fell at his feet and said to him,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping,
he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said,
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said,
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him,
“Lord, by now there will be a stench;
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,

“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me;
but because of the crowd here I have said this,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands,
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

Hymn for the 5th Sunday of Lent

Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins
And close by Thee to stay.

As Thou with Satan didst contend,
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in Thee to fight,
In Thee to conquer sin.

As Thou didst hunger bear, and thirst,
So teach us, gracious Lord,
To die to self, and chiefly live
By Thy most holy Word.

And through these days of penitence,
And through Thy passiontide,
Yea, evermore in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.

Abide with us, that so, this life
Of suffering over past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last.

Readings for the Third Sundy in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
Is 8:23—9:3

First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulunand the land of Naphtali;
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,
the land west of the Jordan,
the District of the Gentiles.
Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darknesshave seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of glooma light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joyand great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;of whom should I be afraid?

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Reading II
1 Cor 1:10-13, 17

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,
by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.
I mean that each of you is saying,
“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”
or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.


January 27, 2008
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Is 8:23—9:3First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulunand the land of Naphtali;but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,the land west of the Jordan,the District of the Gentiles.Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.The people who walked in darknesshave seen a great light;upon those who dwelt in the land of glooma light has shone.You have brought them abundant joyand great rejoicing,as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,as people make merry when dividing spoils.For the yoke that burdened them,the pole on their shoulder,and the rod of their taskmasteryou have smashed, as on the day of Midian. Responsorial PsalmPs 27:1, 4, 13-14R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.The LORD is my light and my salvation;whom should I fear?The LORD is my life’s refuge;of whom should I be afraid?R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.One thing I ask of the LORD;this I seek:To dwell in the house of the LORDall the days of my life,That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORDand contemplate his temple.R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORDin the land of the living.Wait for the LORD with courage;be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.R. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Reading II1 Cor 1:10-13, 17I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that all of you agree in what you say,and that there be no divisions among you,but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.I mean that each of you is saying,“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”Is Christ divided?Was Paul crucified for you?Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

Gospel
Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.

Readings for the Week of 1/28-2/2

Monday, January 28

Tuesday, January 29

Wednesday, January 30

Thursday, January 31

Friday, February 1

Saturday, February 2

Prayer Requests 1/27-2/2

For the intentions of the Holy Father...

For persecuted Christians throughout the world...

For an end to all abortion and a respect for the dignity and sanctity of life from conception to natural death...

For all married couples, especially couples facing difficult times...

For Kevin, who is in search of work...

For J., who is in search of work...

For an increase in vocations...

For peace throughout the world...

For all intentions in the Catholic blogosphere...

For personal intentions...

Intentions for the Week of 12/17-12/22

For the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and his intentions...

For an end to all abortion, and for a respect of life from conception to natural death...

For children and the gift of fertility, may it be seen as a blessing and not a curse...

For persecuted Christians everywhere, especially Father Adriano Franchini and those who live in nations hostile to Christians...

For the repose of the soul of Tom, and for his wife, his son, his family and friends...

For all those who face death, especially those who do not know God...

For those affected by harsh winter weather...

For those who battle depression and face other mental health problems, especially at this time of year...

For families separated by feuds, may they come to reconciliation and peace...

For those who struggle financially...

For J. and her job hunt...

For P. and her ongoing health struggles...

For N.'s brother and all who live with cancer...

For all intentions posted throughout the St. Blog's network...

For all intentions held in the silence of our hearts...

For personal intentions...

Daily Readings, December 17-22

Monday, December 17

Tuesday, December 18

Wednesday, December 19

Thursday, December 20

Friday, December 21

Saturday, December 22

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent

First Reading Is 35:1-6a, 10

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Second Reading Jas 5:7-10

Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Gospel Mt 11:2-11

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
“What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Hymn for the Third Sunday of Advent

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain

Intentions for the Week of 12/10-12/15

For the intentions of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI...

For the intentions of those who faithfully pray the Rosary...

For persecuted Christians throughout the world...

For the victims of the church shootings in Colorado, for their families, and for their fellow Christians...

For those facing harsh winter weather...

For the poor, that they may know Christ's love through our actions...

For J. and her job search, and all those who are unemployed or underemployed...

For those oppressed by unfair governments...

For an end to abortion, for those lives lost to abortion, for women who've had abortions, and for those who work in the abortion industry, may they have a change of heart...

For the intentions of bloggers in St. Blog's...

For the private intentions of our hearts...

For all other intentions not included here...

Daily Readings, December 10-15

Monday, December 10

Tuesday, December 11

Wednesday, December 12

Thursday, December 13

Friday, December 14

Saturday, December 15

Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent

First Reading Isaiah 11:1-10

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
but he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day, the root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
the Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Second Reading Romans 15:4-9

Brothers and sisters:
Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction,
that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to think in harmony with one another,
in keeping with Christ Jesus,
that with one accord you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
to show God’s truthfulness,
to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,

but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written:
Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
and sing praises to your name.

Gospel Matthew 3:1-12

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Hymn for the Second Sunday of Advent

On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry

On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings!

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
Make straight the way for God within;
Prepare we in our hearts a home,
Where such a mighty Guest may come.

For Thou art our Salvation, Lord,
Our Refuge, and our great Reward.
Without Thy grace our souls must fade
And wither like a flower decayed.

Stretch forth Thine hand, to heal our sore,
And make us rise and fall no more;
Once more upon Thy people shine,
And fill the world with love divine.

To Him Who left the throne of Heaven
To save mankind, all praise be given;
Like praise be to the Father done,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One.

Hymn for the Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Mary

Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing;
Who reignest in splendor with Jesus our King.
Ave, ave, ave, Maria! Ave, ave, Maria!

In heaven, the blessed thy glory proclaim;
On earth we, thy children, invoke thy fair name.
Ave, ave, ave, Maria! Ave, ave, Maria!

We pray for God's glory; may His kingdom come;
We pray for His vicar, our father, and Rome.
Ave, ave, ave, Maria! Ave, ave, Maria!

We pray for our Mother, the Church upon earth,
And bless, dearest Lady, the land of our birth.
Ave, ave, ave, Maria! Ave, ave, Maria!

Readings for the Immaculate Conception

First Reading Genesis 3:9-15, 20

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me(
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Second Reading Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.

Gospel Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Intentions for the Week of 12/2-12/8

For the intentions of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI...

For J., and her job search, and all that are unemployed or underemployed...

For the victims of the mall shooting in Omaha, for those who mourn, and for those who commit acts of violence...

For the repose of the soul of Tom McMahon's mother, and for her family and friends who mourn...

For Tom and Deirdre, and for all who suffer from illnesss...

For Alexis Goggins, her mother Selietha Parker, their family and all victims of abuse...

For all who abuse and mistreat others...

For the people of Venezuela, especially those persecuted by the government...

For the people of Russia...

For those affected by harsh winter weather, especially those who have lost their lives...

For persecuted Christians throughout the world...

For the safety of Gillian Gibbons...

For all married couples...

For a respect for the dignity and sanctity of life from conception to natural death...

For an end to abortion in all its forms...

For our troops and those who serve throughout the world...

For the poor...

For priests and for an increase in vocations...

For Old St. Mary and Three Holy Women parishes...

For all intentions posted on other blogs...

For all the intentions in the silence of our hearts...

Daily Readings, December 3-7

Monday, December 3

Tuesday, December 4

Wednesday, December 5

Thursday, December 6

Friday, December 7

Saturday, December 8 is a Holy Day of Obligation, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The readings will be in a separate post.

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent

First Reading - Isaiah 2:1-5

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days to come
the mountain of the Temple of the Lord
shall tower above the mountains
and be lifted higher than the hills.
All the nations will stream to it,
peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Temple of the God of Jacob
that he may teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths;
since the Law will go out from Zion,
and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem’.

He will wield authority over the nations
and adjudicate between many peoples;
these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,
their spears into sickles.
Nation will not lift sword against nation,
there will be no more training for war.

O House of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Psalm 122

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Second Reading - Romans 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Gospel - Matthew 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Hymn for the First Sunday of Advent

Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying

Wake, awake, for night is flying;
The watchmen on the heights are crying:
Awake, Jerusalem, at last!
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices;
Come forth, ye virgins, night is past;
The Bridegroom comes, awake;
Your lamps with gladness take;
Alleluia! And for His marriage feast prepare
For ye must go and meet Him there.

Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom;
For her Lord comes down all glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious.
Her Star is risen, her Light is come.
Ah come, Thou blessèd One, God’s own belovèd Son:
Alleluia! We follow till the halls we see
Where Thou hast bid us sup with Thee.

Now let all the heavens adore Thee,
And saints and angels sing before Thee,
With harp and cymbal’s clearest tone;
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where we are with the choir immortal
Of angels round Thy dazzling throne;
Nor eye hath seen, nor ear hath yet attained to hear
What there is ours, but we rejoice and sing to Thee
Our hymn of joy eternally.

Back in Business

After a rather long hiatus, I am re-starting St. Blog's Prayer Network as one of my Advent resolutions. Please e-mail any prayer intentions to us. We apologize for anyone whose intentions may have been inadvertently missed.

For now, I am going to update the blog on a weekly basis (Sundays) and this is how it's going to work:

1. I will post the readings and the Gospel for Sunday mass and major feast days.
2. I will post links to the readings/Gospels for the weekday masses (Mon. - Sat.)
3. I will post all prayer intentions received.
4. I will post prayer intentions for local and global events (taken from the news).
5. We will post a hymn for Sunday.

I believe this is too important to sit idle.

Please send your requests and please pray for us!

Temporary Hiatus

Moving is taking up a lot of our time, so we'll update as we're able. Apologies.

Prayers for 1/18

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Jaime Hilario Barbel; and Bls. Beatrix of Este the Younger, Carola Lucas, Félicité Pricet, and Maria Teresa Fasce.

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/18

Before Thy People I Confess

Before Thy people I confess
The wonders of Thy righteousness;
Thou knowest, Lord, that I have made
Thy great salvation known,
Thy truth and faithfulness displayed,
Thy lovingkindness shown.

Withhold not Thou Thy grace from me,
O Lord, Thy mercy let me see,
To me Thy lovingkindness show,
Thy truth be still my stay;
Let them preserve me where I go,
And keep me every day.

Let all who seek to see Thy face,
Be glad and joyful in Thy grace;
Let those who Thy salvation love
Forevermore proclaim:
O praise the Lord Who dwells above,
And magnify His Name.

Although I poor and needy be,
The Lord in love takes thought for me;
Thou art my help in time of need,
My Savior, Lord, art Thou;
Then, O my God, I pray, I plead:
Stay not, but save me now.

A new and joyful song of praise
He taught my thankful heart to raise;
And many, seeing me restored,
Shall fear the Lord and trust;
And blest are they that trust the Lord,
The humble and the just.

Prayers for 1/17

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Anthony the Abbot and Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo; and Bls. Gamelbert and Rosalina of Villeneuve.

For all monastic communities...


For the sick, especially those who suffer from skin diseases...


For those who work in cemeteries...


For Jacob...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/17

Where High the Heavenly Temple Stands

Where high the heavenly temple stands,
The house of God not made with hands,
A great High Priest our nature wears,
The Guardian of mankind appears.

He Who for men their Surety stood,
And poured on earth His precious blood,
Pursues in Heaven His mighty plan,
The Savior and the Friend of man.

Though now ascended up on high,
He bends on earth a brother’s eye;
Partaker of the human name,
He knows the frailty of our frame.

Our fellow Sufferer yet retains
A fellow feeling of our pains:
And still remembers in the skies
His tears, His agonies, and cries.

In every pang that rends the heart,
The Man of Sorrows had a part,
He sympathizes with our grief,
And to the sufferer sends relief.

With boldness, therefore, at the throne,
Let us make all our sorrows known;
And ask the aids of heavenly power
To help us in the evil hour.

Prayers for 1/16

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Fulgentius of Ecija, Fursey, Honoratus of Arles, and Pope Marcellus I; and Bls. Ferreolus, Gonzalo de Amarante, Joseph Vaz, and Juana Maria Condesa Lluch.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Immaculate Conception, Protectress of Workers...

For areas affected by drought...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/16

Lord of Our Life, God Whom We Fear

Lord of our life, God Whom we fear,
Unknown, yet known; unseen, yet near;
Breath of our breath, in Thee we live;
Life of our life, our praise receive.

Thine eye detects the sparrow’s fall;
Thy heart of love expands for all;
Our throbbing life is full of Thee;
Throned in Thy vast infinity.

Shine in our darkness, Light of light,
Our minds illumine, disperse our night;
Make us responsive to Thy will;
Our souls with all Thy fullness fill.

We love Thy Name; we heed Thy rod;
Thy Word our law, O gracious God!
We wait Thy will; on Thee we call:
Our light, our life, our love, our all.

Prayers for 1/15

Today we ask the intercession of the Prophet Habakkuk; Sts. Arnold Janssen, Francis Ferdinand de Capillas, Ita, Maurus, and Paul the Hermit.

We also celebrate the civil holiday of Martin Luther King Day.

For the people of the Azores...

For the Society of the Divine Word...

For the Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Holy Ghost...

For the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration...

For those suffering from winter-related illnesses...

For peace and harmony between all races...

For Karen Marie Knapp...

For the Price family...

For those who died in the fire in Huntingon, WV, and for their families and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/15

Where High the Heavenly Temple Stands

Where high the heavenly temple stands,
The house of God not made with hands,
A great High Priest our nature wears,
The Guardian of mankind appears.

He Who for men their Surety stood,
And poured on earth His precious blood,
Pursues in Heaven His mighty plan,
The Savior and the Friend of man.

Though now ascended up on high,
He bends on earth a brother’s eye;
Partaker of the human name,
He knows the frailty of our frame.

Our fellow Sufferer yet retains
A fellow feeling of our pains:
And still remembers in the skies
His tears, His agonies, and cries.

In every pang that rends the heart,
The Man of Sorrows had a part,
He sympathizes with our grief,
And to the sufferer sends relief.

With boldness, therefore, at the throne,
Let us make all our sorrows known;
And ask the aids of heavenly power
To help us in the evil hour.

Prayers for 1/12-1/14

We ask the intercession of the Martyrs of Ephesus; the Martyrs of Iona; the Forty Martyred Soldiers at Rome; the Martyrs of Mount Sinai; the Martyrs of Raithu; Sts. Antony Mary Pucci, Benedict Biscop, Bernard of Corleone, Marguerite Bourgeous, Godfrey of Cappenberg, Hilary of Poitiers, Ivetta of Huy, Kentigern, Remigius, Felix of Nola, Macrina the Elder, ; and Bls. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung, Veronica of Milan, Anicet Hryciuk, Odo of Novara, and Peter Donders.


For the people of France...

For the Congregation of Notre Dame...

For performing and visual artists...

For underdeveloped children...

For the visually impaired...

For thanksgiving at the safe return of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby, and for their families and friends...

For the churches in North Carolina affected by fire, and for their congregations...

For the repose of the souls of miners killed in West Virginia, and for their families and friends...

For Deputy Tim Johnson, and for his family and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Glory to Thee, O Lord

Glory to Thee, O Lord,
Who by Thy mighty power
Didst manifest Thy glory forth
In Cana’s marriage hour.

Thou spakest: it was done:
Obedient to Thy word,
The water reddening into wine
Proclaimed the present Lord.

Blest were the eyes which saw
That wondrous mystery,
The great beginning of Thy works
That kindled faith in Thee.

And blessèd they who know
Thine unseen presence true,
When in the kingdom of Thy grace
Thou makest all things new.

For by Thy loving hand
Thy people still are fed;
Thine is the cup of blessing, Lord,
And Thou the heavenly bread.

O may that grace be ours,
Ever in Thee to live,
And drink of those refreshing streams,
Which Thou alone canst give.

So, led from strength to strength,
Grant us, O Lord, to see
The marriage supper of the Lamb,
Thy great Epiphany.

Apologies Again

Internet problems, a medical emergency (happily resolved), and time constraints have prevented posting the last two days.

Prayers for 1/11

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Francisca Salesia, Pope Hyginus, and Theodosius the Cenobiarch; and Bls. Francis Rogaczewski and William Carter.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/11

Come, Christians, Join to Sing

Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King;
Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
Before His throne rejoice;
Praise is His gracious choice.
Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky;
Alleluia! Amen!
He is our Guide and Friend;
To us He’ll condescend;
His love shall never end.
Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again,
Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain;
Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven’s blissful shore,
His goodness we’ll adore,
Singing forevermore,
“Alleluia! Amen!”

Prayers for 1/10

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Pope Agatho, Nicanor, and Peter Orseolo; and Bls. Anna of the Angels Monteagudo, Benincasa of Cava, Giles of Lorenzana, and Maria Dolores Rodriguez Sopena.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Sopeña Catechetical Institute...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/10

Thine Arm, O Lord, in Days of Old

Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old, was strong to heal and save;
It triumphed o’er disease and death, o’er darkness and the grave.
To Thee they went, the blind, the dumb, the palsied and the lame,
The leper with his tainted life, the sick with fevered frame.

And lo! Thy touch brought life and health, gave speech, and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and fear relieved owned Thee, the Lord of light;
And now, O Lord, be near to bless, Almighty as of yore,
In crowded street, by restless couch, as by Gennesaret’s shore.

Be Thou our great Deliverer still, Thou Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless, with Thine almighty breath.
To hands that work and eyes that see, give wisdom’s heavenly lore,
That whole and sick, and weak and strong, may praise Thee evermore.

Prayers for 1/9

Today we ask the intercession of St. Marciana; and Bls. Pope Gregory X and Tommaso Reggio.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Sisters of St. Martha...

For Fran Lord, and for his family and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/9

O Jesus, Crowned with All Renown

O Jesus, crowned with all renown,
Since Thou the earth hast trod,
Thou reignest, and by Thee come down
Henceforth the gifts of God.
Thine is the health and Thine the wealth
That in our halls abound,
And Thine the beauty and the joy
With which the years are crowned.

Lord, in their change, let frost and heat,
And winds and dews be giv’n;
All fostering power, all influence sweet,
Breathe from the bounteous Heav’n.
Attemper fair with gentle air
The sunshine and the rain,
That kindly earth with timely birth
May yield her fruits again.

That we may feed the poor aright,
And gathering round Thy throne,
Here, in the holy angels’ sight,
Repay Thee of Thine own:
That we may praise Thee all our days,
And with the Father’s Name,
And with the Holy Spirit’s gifts,
The Savior’s love proclaim.

Prayers for 1/8

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Apollinaris, Erhard of Regensburg, Gudule, Pega of Peakirk, Severinus of Noricum, and Thorfinn; and Bls. Edward Waterson and Eurosia Fabris.

For the visually impaired...

For those working in the healthcare profession...

For the victims of the mine collapse in Tshikapa, Congo, and for their families...

For those affected by heavy rains and mudslides in Brazil...

For peace in the world...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

The Son of Man from Jordan Rose

The Son of Man from Jordan rose,
And prayed to God above;
When lo, the opening heav’ns disclose
A swift descending Dove.

The Spirit, lighting on His brow,
Anoints the Holy One;
The Father’s voice declaring, “Thou
Art My belovèd Son.”

So when, through His baptizing blessed
The Font new birth conveys,
Man kneels a son of God confessed,
Heav’n opens as he prays.

Fair innocency, like the dove’s,
Invests him, purged from sin;
For God the brooding Spirit moves,
Directs and rules within.

O Christ, Whose mercy cleansed our stain
With streams of grace divine,
Let us not soil the robes again
Made white in blood of Thine.

Redeemer of a world undone,
We praise Thee and adore,
Jesu, with God the Father One,
And Spirit evermore.

Prayers for 1/7

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Canute Lavard, Charles of Sezze, Lucian of Antioch, Nicetas of Remesiana, Raymond of Penyafort, Reinhold, and Valentine of Rhaetia; and Bl. Ambrose Fernandez.

For the peoples of Romania and Denmark...

For all who work in the legal profession...

For stonemasons...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for Epiphany Sunday

Songs of Thankfulness and Praise

Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar;
Branch of royal David’s stem
In Thy birth at Bethlehem;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana, wedding guest,
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee,
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign:
All will then the trumpet hear;
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Mirrored in Thy holy Word;
May we imitate Thee now,
And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we like to Thee may be
At Thy great Epiphany;
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.

Prayers for 1/5 & 1/6

We ask the intercession of the Martyrs of Egypt; the Martyrs in Africa; several Martyrs of the French Revolution; The Three Magi; Sts. Charles of Mount Argus, Genoveva Torres Morales, Gerlac of Valkenburg, John Nepomucene Neumann, Syncletica, and Raphaela Maria Porras; and Bls. Andre Bessette, Marcelina Darowska, Maria Repetto, Pietro Bonilli, and Rita Amada De Jesus.

For the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Angels...


For the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary...

For the Sisters of the Holy Family...

For the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart...

For the Sisters of Jesus, Mary and Joseph...

For the repose of the soul of Dom Lettieri, and for his family and friends...

For the repose of the soul of Christina Denwiddie, and for her family and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/6

O Thou Who in Jordan

O Thou Who in Jordan didst bow Thy meek head,
And, ’whelmed in our sorrow, didst sink to the dead,
Then rose from the darkness to glory above,
And claimed for Thy chosen the kingdom of love.

Thy footsteps we follow, to bow in the tide,
And are buried with Thee in the death Thou hast died;
Then wake in Thy likeness to walk in the way
That brightens and brightens to shadowless day.

O Jesus, our Savior, O Jesus, our Lord,
By the life of Thy passion, the grace of Thy Word,
Accept us, redeem us, dwell ever within,
To keep, by Thy Spirit, our spirits from sin.

Till, crowned with Thy glory, and waving the palm,
Our garments all white from the blood of the Lamb,
We join the bright millions of saints gone before,
To bless Thee, and wonder, and praise evermore.

Hymn for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

From God the Father, Virgin-Born

From God the Father, virgin-born
To us the only Son came down;
By death the font to consecrate,
The faithful to regenerate.

Beginning from His home on high
In human flesh He came to die;
Creation by His death restored,
And shed new joys of life abroad.

Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring
The gift of healing on Your wing;
To every dull and clouded sense
The clearness of Your light dispense.

Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;
The gloom of darkness chase away;
Your work of healing, Lord, begin,
And take away the stain of sin.

Lord, once You came to earth’s domain
And, we believe, shall come again;
Be with us on the battlefield,
From every harm Your people shield.

To You, O Lord, all glory be
For this Your blest epiphany;
To God Whom all His hosts adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.

Apology

Catholic Forum was down for much of the morning.

Hymn for 1/5

Behold, the Master Passeth By

Behold, the Master passeth by!
O seest thou not His pleading eye?
With low sad voice He calleth thee,
“Leave this vain world, and follow Me.”

O soul, bowed down with harrowing care,
Hast thou no thought for Heaven to spare?
From earthly toils lift up thine eye;
Behold, the Master passeth by!

One heard Him calling long ago,
And straightway left all things below
Counting his earthly gain as loss
For Jesus and His blessèd cross.

That “Follow Me” his faithful ear
Seemed every day afresh to hear;
Its echoes stirred his spirit still,
And fired his hope, and nerved his will.

God gently calls us every day:
Why should we then our bliss delay?
Thou, Lord, e’en now art calling me;
I will leave all, and follow Thee.

Prayers for 1/4

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pharaildis, and Trophimus of Arles; and Bls. Angela of Foligno and Manuel Gonzalez Garcia.

For the Sisters of Charity...

For the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth...

For Andrew Dailey...

For Dale and Heather Price and family...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site..

Hymn for 1/4

Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
Look upon a little child;
Pity my simplicity,
Suffer me to come to Thee.

Lamb of God, I look to Thee;
Thou shalt my Example be;
Thou art gentle, meek, and mild;
Thou wast once a little child.

Lord, I would be as Thou art;
Give me Thine obedient heart;
Thou art pitiful and kind,
Let me have Thy loving mind.

Let me, above all, fulfill
God my heav’nly Father’s will;
Never His good Spirit grieve;
Only to His glory live.

Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,
In Thy gracious hands I am;
Make me, Savior, what Thou art,
Live Thyself within my heart.

Prayers for 1/3

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Pope Antherus, Daniel of Padua, Genevieve, and Munchin of Limerick; and Bls. Alan de Solminihac, Gerard Cagnoli, Kuriakose Elias Chavara, and Stephana de Quinzanis.

For the Congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of Carmel...

For prisoners...

For women serving in the armed forces...

For those whose spouses in the armed forces are serving far from home...

For Florida Wife and her husband...

For the Bayshores...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/3

Behold the Amazing Gift of Love

Behold th’amazing gift of love
The Father hath bestowed
On us, the sinful sons of men,
To call us sons of God!

Concealed as yet this honor lies,
By this dark world unknown,
A world that knew not when He came,
Even God’s eternal Son.

High is the rank we now possess;
But higher we shall rise;
Though what we shall hereafter be
Is hid from mortal eyes.

Our souls, we know, when He appears,
Shall bear His image bright;
For all His glory, full disclosed,
Shall open to our sight.

A hope so great, and so divine,
May trials well endure;
And purge the soul from sense and sin,
As Christ Himself is pure.

Prayers for 1/2

Today we ask the intercession of many Martyrs of the French Revolution; Many Martyrs Who Suffered in Rome; the Martyrs of Lichfield; the Patriarch Abel; Sts. Adelard, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzen, Macarius the Younger, and Pope Telesphorus; and Bl. Bentivoglio de Bonis.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the people of Russia...

For those who work in the healthcare profession...

For bakers and confectioners...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/2

Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord


Come, let us sing unto the Lord,
New songs of praise with sweet accord;
For wonders great by Him are done;
His hand and arm have victory won,
His hand and arm have victory won.

The great salvation of our God
Is seen through all the earth abroad;
Before the heathen’s wondering sight,
He hath revealed His truth and right,
He hath revealed His truth and right.

He called to mind His truth and grace
In promise made to Israel’s race;
And unto earth’s remotest bound,
Glad tidings of salvation sound,
Glad tidings of salvation sound.

All lands to God lift up your voice;
Sing praise to Him, with shouts rejoice;
With voice of joy and loud acclaim,
Let all unite and praise His Name,
Let all unite and praise His Name.

Prayers for 1/1

Today we ask the intercession of Mary, Mother of God; the Martyred Soldiers of Rome; Sts. Eugendus, Fulgentius of Ruspe, Joseph Mary Tomasi, and Zygmunt Gorazdowski; and Bls. Clarus, Jean-Baptiste Lego, René Lego, Valentin Paquay, and Zedislava Berka.

For a blessed year...

For peace in the world...

For tailors...

For those in troubled marriages...

For the victims of the tornadoes in Texas...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Sing of Mary

Sing of Mary, pure and lowly,
Virgin-Mother undefiled.
Sing of God's own Son most holy,
Who became her little child.
Fairest child of fairest Mother,
God the LORD who came to earth,
Word made Flesh, our very Brother,
Takes our nature by his birth.

Sing of JESUS, son of Mary,
In the home at Nazareth.
Toil and labour cannot weary
Love enduring unto death.
Constant was the love he gave her,
Though it drove him from her side,
Forth to preach, and heal, and suffer,
Till on Calvary he died.

Sing of Mary, sing of JESUS,
Holy Mother's holier son.
From his throne in heaven he sees us,
Thither calls us every one,
Where he welcomes home his Mother
To a place at his right hand,
There his faithful servants gather,
There the crowned victors stand.

Joyful Mother, full of gladness,
In thine arms thy LORD was borne.
Mournful Mother, full of sadness,
All thy heart with pain was torn.
Glorious Mother, now rewarded
With a crown at JESUS' hand,
Age to age thy name recorded
Shall be blest in every land.

Glory be to GOD the FATHER;
Glory be to GOD the SON;
Glory be to GOD the SPIRIT;
Glory to the THREE in ONE.
From the heart of blessed Mary,
From all saints the song ascends,
And the Church the strain re­echoes
Unto earth's remotest ends.