Tag Archive | Feast

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle

Reading 1
ACTS 1:15-17, 20-26

Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said, “My brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus. Judas was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry.

For it is written in the Book of Psalms:

Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it, and: May another take his office.

Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.

Then they prayed,

“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (8) The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever.

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:
R. Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD; above the heavens is his glory.

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:
R. Alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:
R. Alleluia.

He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor To seat them with princes, with the princes of his own people.

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
JN 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 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.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

Feast Day of Saint Joseph the Worker – May 1st

May1

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

A note of caution to my friends online who are Catholic. I suggest that you only read approved of documents, and canonically approved of books of the Bible. I read one Catholic blogger’s post about Jesus and St Joseph’s turbulent relationship, from the unapproved of book of the bible; called infamously, the Gospel of Thomas.

There is a reason why the Catholic Church never approved of the book of Thomas as a gospel. Thomas’ Gospel is a lie!

Obey the Church!

Jesus was the foster son of the a Jewish Carpenter, named Joseph. Period.

St Joseph is a saint. And, Jesus is both God and Man, and the foster son of St Joseph.

St Mark’s Feast Day is April 25th

Apr24

I am praying for the kid’s Uncle Mark.
May St Mark pray for us.

Basilica of St Mark, Venice. Tomb of St Mark on the main alter.

Deferred Feast Day of the Annunciation of the Incarnation

Apr8

The Hail Mary Prayer

Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

-+-

(The Hail Mary Prayer is based on St Luke’s writings, in the Bible, of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of Christ, God’s Son in the Womb of Mary. Gospel of Saint Luke 1:28-35, 42-48.)

First Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Divine Mercy

Apr7

Today, the First Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Below are Excerpts from the “Diary” of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.

“Pray for souls that they be not afraid to approach the tribunal of My mercy [i.e., the Sacrament of Confession] (975).”

“I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy (1109).

Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (300).

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (699).”

-+-

My Two Cents Worth

St Dismas was the first Christian convert. He is commonly called “the Good Thief.”

St Paul held the cloaks of those who killed St Stephen. He was an accessory to St Stephen’s murder. Later, he repented, and became a saint.

St Peter (first Pope) denied knowing Jesus, before Christ was crucified. Perhaps Peter was afraid of the Risen Christ out of fear that Jesus would revenge him and the other cowardly Disciples. He obviously did not realize that Jesus was not a sinner. Jesus is God and Man. Jesus is Love and Mercy Himself. Jesus was not about revenge or payback. But, He did call Peter into repentance, just like He does us. Peter repented, many times.

St Mary Magdalena (a repentant whore) was allowed to see Jesus die and was the first woman to see the Risen Lord.

We, too, can become a Saint. So let us, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His Mercy endures, forever.” (Psalm)

“Jesus, I trust in You.”

MASS READINGS: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Wedding Feast of Cana

Jan19

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 66

Reading 1
IS 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch.

Nations shall behold your vindication, and all the kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem held by your God. No more shall people call you “Forsaken, or your land Desolate, but you shall be called “My Delight,” and your land “Espoused.” For the LORD delights in you and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Worship the LORD in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth; Say among the nations: The LORD is King. He governs the peoples with equity.

R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Reading 2
1 COR 12:4-11

Brothers and sisters:

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another, the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another, mighty deeds; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues; to another, interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

Gospel
JN 2:1-11

There was a Wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”

So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from — although the servers who had drawn the water knew —, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

My Two Cents Worth

Christ revealed His Mission, His Father’s Love and the coming of the Holy Spirit. True Marriages are to reflect the Most Holy Trinity. Let’s pray for folks who are married, engaged, separated or contemplating divorce. God wants us to support them, with our prayers for their success, in their pursuit of God’s Will in their lives.

Last Sunday we celebrated the first Sacrament a Catholic receives: Baptism. This week we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

Let’s pray for the vocations of the recently Baptized and for those entering the Sacrament of Marriage.
Personally, I prayed for my ex tonight, our kids, grandkids, our grandparents, great-grandparents, Siblings, etc, etc.

Fr Frank speaks on the Marriage Feast of Cana 1-20-13

Jan19

Only GOD’s Idea of Holy Matrimony works, is blest and is fruitful and life giving to each other, their kids and the world. “The family is the basic unit of society. As the family goes, so goes the nation.” ~ Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Read these Papal Encyclicals: Casti Connubi, Humanae Vitae, The Gospel of Life, and pick up your Catholic Bibles and read Genesis, then Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And, all four of those Evangelists were Catholic men. Two were Christ’s Apostles. So, get to it. READ: Take up and read.

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (1-13-13)

Jan13

January 13, 2013

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Reading 1

Is 42:1-4, 6-7

Thus says The LORD:

Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have
called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.

A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Go up on to a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!
Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by a strong arm; here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10

R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is majestic.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30

R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul.

O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
you are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;