Month: June 2022
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Water
The Readings for the 13th Friday, Tempus per Annum – Memorial of Junipero Serra Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 Matthew 9:9-13 Learn the meaning of the saying, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Matthew 9:13 (NABRE) THE JESUS PSALTER has become my favorite devotion. There are many editions of it online and off although the first one I…
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Plumb and Level
The Readings for the 13th Thursday, Tempus per Annum – Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church Amos 7:10-17 Matthew 9:1-8 But never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple. Matthew 8:25 (NABRE) SUNDAY I was able to attend Mass at our Cathedral. This was the…
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Three Singers, One Song
The Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul, Apostles Acts 12:1-11 II Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 Matthew 16:13-19 It was the feast of the Unleavened Bread Acts 12:3 (NABRE) TODAY’S FEAST CELEBRATES TWO Men who sang the same song. They were both martyred for the song because they refused to change the tune when the empire demanded…
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Some Magic Bennies
The Readings for the 13th Tuesday, Tempus per Annum – Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12 Matthew 8:23-27 They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” Matthew 8:25 (NABRE) EARLIER POSTS HAVE DISCUSSED the link between the prayer, “Lord have mercy” and olive oil. It’s an ongoing…
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Atone-over
IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH’s Book of Common Prayer (1979), as the priest breaks the consecrated bread, is sung the Fraction Anthem. “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast.” John the Baptist, of course, refers to Christ as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”…
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Freedom Ain’t a State of Mind
The Readings for the 13th Sunday, Tempus per Annum (C2) I Kings 19:16b, 19-21 Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Luke 9:51-62 For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Galatians 5:13a (NABRE) BROADWAY’S SHENANDOAH (1975) had this great number, “Freedom is a State of Mind” and there…
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Hearts Like Mom’s
The Readings for the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 Luke 2:41-51 Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God and pondered it in her heart. Alleluia Verse MARY’S TITLES ARE Innumerable. In the Byzantine Rites, in the Akathist (a hymn) to her she is called over…
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So Loved the World
The Readings for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Ezekiel 34:11-16 Romans 5:5b-11 Luke 15:3-7 But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NABRE) YOUR HOST CAN BE a bit dense sometimes, but it dawns on him that Jesus saying “Love…
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Bonfire Night
The Readings for the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist Isaiah 49:1-6 Acts 13:22-26 Luke 1:57-66, 80 There is no one among your relatives who has this name. Luke 1:61 (NABRE) HOLY MOTHER CHURCH Celebrates three people especially, noting their conceptions as well as their births and deaths: Jesus, Mary, and John the…
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Come See What I’ve Found
The Readings for the 12th Wednesday Tempus per Annum II Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3 Matthew 7:15-20 I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD. II Kings 22:8 (NABRE) WE TEND TO IMAGINE ancient Israel as something like a theocracy under Jewish Law: everyone being faithful to one degree or another,…
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Pigcasting
The Readings for the Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga II Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36 Matthew 7:6, 12-14 Don’t cast your pearls before swine. Matthew 7:6 (NABRE) APART FROM THE EPONYMOUS comic by Stephan Pastis, this verse usually means don’t give something important to those who don’t know how important it is. It pairs well…
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Two Words for One
READING SCRIPTURE IN Multiple translations leads one back to the original languages sooner or later. There is a danger there: as my friend, Steve once said, “Nothing is more dangerous to the faith than a man with an interlinear Bible and a Greek dictionary.” The same is seemingly true with Hebrew, but we’ll get to…
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Let me fix that for you.
The Readings for the 12th Monday, Tempus per Annum 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18 Matthew 7:1-5 Let me remove that splinter from your eye. Matthew 7:4 (NABRE) THIS BIT ABOUT NOT JUDGING is quite familiar to us. We’re often told (as Catholics) that we’re being “too judgey” when it comes to sex or some “inclusion”…
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Dismiss this Crowd
The Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ (C2) Genesis 14:18-20 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Luke 9:11b-17 He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” Luke 9:13 (NABRE) WHEN THE DISCIPLES went to Jesus it was with all good intentions. There’s a whole bunch of people here, nothing to…
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Chez Mammon
The Readings for the 11th Saturday, Tempus per Annum 2 Chronicles 24:17-25 Matthew 6:24-34 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Matthew 6:27 (NABRE) WORRYING, SO GOES THE ONLINE WISDOM, is a form of Atheism. It seems to arise from something said by the Ven. Fulton J. Sheen, or…
Orthoparadoxy 