https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/saints-feasts-homilies-readings--6883696enChristianityCopyright Fr. Michael Blackhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/346a9ce309c2c2118217603003d15335.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/saints-feasts-homilies-readings--6883696Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:12:12 +0000Fr. Michael BlackFr. Michael Blackmail@catholic-saints-and-feasts.comSaints & Feasts Homilies delivers Catholic reflections tied to the yearly cycle of Catholic Masses and rooted in the deepest of deep traditions.false7823f2dd-19b9-5599-b0e9-a65a3d2129dfepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mass-readings-30th-sunday-10-25-26-year-a--75970287https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75970287Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:12:08 +0000Fr. Michael Black21430th,a,catholic,gospel,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,time,yearfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mass-readings-29th-sunday-10-18-26-year-a--75840055https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75840055Sat, 17 Oct 2026 19:54:16 +0000Fr. Michael Black23429th,a,catholic,gospel,liturgy,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,time,yearfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mass-readings-28th-sunday-10-11-26-year-a--75691150https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75691150Sat, 10 Oct 2026 19:00:25 +0000Fr. Michael Black27528th,catholic,gospel,liturgy,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mass-readings-27th-sunday-10-4-26-year-a--75549058https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75549058Sat, 03 Oct 2026 15:45:08 +0000Fr. Michael Black32927th,a,catholic,gospel,liturgy,mass,readings,suday,yearfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mass-readings-26th-sunday-ordinary-time-9-27-26-year-a--75382909https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75382909Sat, 26 Sep 2026 18:33:36 +0000Fr. Michael Black25326th,catholic,gospel,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-25th-sunday-ordinary-time-9-20-26-year-a--75241907https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75241907Sat, 19 Sep 2026 21:27:57 +0000Fr. Michael Black68025th,a,catholic,envy,homily,mass,ordinary,owner,sunday,time,wages,yearfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/readings-25th-sunday-ordinary-time-9-20-26-year-a--75241835https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75241835Sat, 19 Sep 2026 21:19:20 +0000Fr. Michael Black26725th,catholic,gospel,liturgy,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-24th-sunday-9-13-26-year-a--75090873https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75090873Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:36:28 +0000Fr. Michael Black79424th,a,catholic,homily,mass,ordinary,sermon,sunday,time,yearfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/readings-24th-sunday-ordinary-time-9-13-26-year-a--75090837https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75090837Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:31:59 +0000Fr. Michael Black29624th,catholic,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/9-6-26-readings-for-the-23rd-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a--74929173https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74929173Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:06:36 +0000Fr. Michael Black22023rd,catholic,gospel,liturgy,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-22nd-sunday-in-ordinary-time-8-30-26-year-a--74756312https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74756312Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:04:41 +0000Fr. Michael Black794falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/8-30-26-readings-for-the-22nd-sunday-ordinary-time-year-a--74749878https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74749878Sat, 29 Aug 2026 22:36:21 +0000Fr. Michael Black232falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/8-23-26-readings-for-the-21st-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a--7454076121st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 8-23-26

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace: "I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family."

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74540761Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:44:03 +0000Fr. Michael Black21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 8-23-26 A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace: "I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my...21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 8-23-26

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace: "I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family."

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

The Gospel of the Lord]]>2332026,21st,23,august,catholic,gospel,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/8-16-26-readings-for-the-20th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a--7408359220th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Readings

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants — all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles.  Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,
I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them.  For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.  For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is tormented by a demon."  But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.  Jesus' disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me."  He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." 

She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." 
Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish." 
And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.

The Gospel of the Lord



]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74083592Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:52:08 +0000Fr. Michael Black20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Readings A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join...20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Readings

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants — all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles.  Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,
I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them.  For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.  For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is tormented by a demon."  But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.  Jesus' disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me."  He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." 

She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." 
Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish." 
And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.

The Gospel of the Lord



]]>2312oth,catholic,liturrgy,mass,ordinary,readings,sidon,sunday,time,tyrefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-20th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-8-16-26-year-a--74081003https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74081003Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:39:09 +0000Fr. Michael Black70220th,canaanite,catholic,homily,ordinary,preaching,priest,readings,sermon,sunday,time,womanfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/8-9-26-readings-for-the-19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a--73707582Readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 9, 2026, Year A

A Reading from the First Book of Kings

At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” 
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains  and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was fire— but the LORD was not in the fire. 
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.  When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.  For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.  When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.  When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.  “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.  At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”  Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” 

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  After they got into the boat, the wind died down.  Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73707582Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:14:56 +0000Fr. Michael BlackReadings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 9, 2026, Year A A Reading from the First Book of Kings At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain...Readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 9, 2026, Year A

A Reading from the First Book of Kings

At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” 
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains  and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was fire— but the LORD was not in the fire. 
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.  When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.  For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.  When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.  When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.  “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.  At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”  Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” 

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  After they got into the boat, the wind died down.  Those who were in the boat did...]]>27219th,2026,9,august,catholic,elijah,gospel,mass,matthew,ordinary,readings,romans,st.,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-8-9-26-year-a--73707196https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73707196Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:00:52 +0000Fr. Michael Black85719th,2026,9,august,catholic,elijah,gospel,homily,ordinary,readings,reflection,sermon,small,still,sunday,time,voicefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/8-2-26-readings-for-18th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a--73323948https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73323948Sat, 01 Aug 2026 19:36:18 +0000Fr. Michael Black2201st,according,gospel,mass,matthew,psalm,reading,readings,second,tofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-17th-sunday-of-ordinary-time-7-26-26-year-a--73167185https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73167185Sat, 25 Jul 2026 16:15:15 +0000Fr. Michael Black84017th,2026,26,26th,catholic,homily,july,liturgy,mass,ordinary,preaching,sermon,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/7-26-26-readings-for-the-17th-sunday-of-ordinary-time-year-a--7316609817th Sunday Ordinary Time Mass Readings Year A

A Reading from the First Book of Kings

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."  Solomon answered: "O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.  I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.  Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.  For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.  So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this— not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches,  nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right— I do as you requested. 
I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you."
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, I love your commands.
I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

R. Lord, I love your commands.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.

R. Lord, I love your commands.
For I love your commands
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.

R. Lord, I love your commands.
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.  For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.  What is bad they throw away. 
Thus it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Do you understand all these things?"  They answered, "Yes."  And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73166098Sat, 25 Jul 2026 14:34:40 +0000Fr. Michael Black17th Sunday Ordinary Time Mass Readings Year A A Reading from the First Book of Kings The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."  Solomon answered: "O LORD, my God, you have made me,...17th Sunday Ordinary Time Mass Readings Year A

A Reading from the First Book of Kings

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."  Solomon answered: "O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.  I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.  Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.  For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.  So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this— not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches,  nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right— I do as you requested. 
I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you."
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, I love your commands.
I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

R. Lord, I love your commands.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.

R. Lord, I love your commands.
For I love your commands
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.

R. Lord, I love your commands.
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.  For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.  What is bad they throw away. 
Thus it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Do you understand all these things?"  They answered, "Yes."  And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>27017th,2026,26,book,catholic,first,july,kings,liturgy,mass,of,ordinary,readings,solomon,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-16th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a-7-19-26--73048772https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73048772Sat, 18 Jul 2026 22:38:38 +0000Fr. Michael Black78916,16th,catholic,homily,mass,ordinary,sermon,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/7-19-26-16th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-mass-readings-year-a--7304853616th Sunday in Ordiary Time Readings

A Reading from the Book of Wisdom

There is no god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned. For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm 

Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.

R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O LORD,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.

R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.
Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant.

R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.  And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.  When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.  The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?  Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.  Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

He proposed another parable to them.  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.  It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

He spoke to them another parable.  "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.  His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."  He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.  The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.  They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun  in the kingdom of their Father.  Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73048536Sat, 18 Jul 2026 21:57:56 +0000Fr. Michael Black16th Sunday in Ordiary Time Readings A Reading from the Book of Wisdom There is no god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned. For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things...16th Sunday in Ordiary Time Readings

A Reading from the Book of Wisdom

There is no god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned. For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm 

Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.

R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O LORD,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.

R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.
Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant.

R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.  And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.  When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.  The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?  Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.  Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

He proposed another parable to them.  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.  It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

He spoke to them another parable.  "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.  His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."  He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the...]]>30416,16th,catholic,homily,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/homily-for-15th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-7-12-26-year-a--72933783https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933783Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:23:25 +0000Fr. Michael Black79015,15th,catholic,homily,mass,ordinary,sermon,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/7-12-2026-15th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-readings-year-a--7293191715th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings

A Reading from the Book of Isaiah
 
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. 

The Word of the Lord 
  
Responsorial Psalm 

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest 
 
You have visited the land and watered it; 
greatly have you enriched it. 
God's watercourses are filled; 
you have prepared the grain. 
 
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest
 
Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, 
breaking up its clods, 
Softening it with showers, 
blessing its yield. 
 
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest

You have crowned the year with your bounty, 
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; 
The untilled meadows overflow with it, 
and rejoicing clothes the hills. 
 
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest
 
The fields are garmented with flocks 
and the valleys blanketed with grain. 
They shout and sing for joy. 

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest. 
  
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
 
Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 

The Word of the Lord 
  
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew  

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.  And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.  It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.  Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” 
 
The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”  He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.  To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.  Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.  
 
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.  Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. 

The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.  But he has no root and lasts only for a time.  When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.  The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word 
and it bears no fruit.  But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” 

The Gospel of the Lord 
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72931917Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:26:18 +0000Fr. Michael Black15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings A Reading from the Book of Isaiah   Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed...15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings

A Reading from the Book of Isaiah
 
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. 

The Word of the Lord 
  
Responsorial Psalm 

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest 
 
You have visited the land and watered it; 
greatly have you enriched it. 
God's watercourses are filled; 
you have prepared the grain. 
 
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest
 
Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, 
breaking up its clods, 
Softening it with showers, 
blessing its yield. 
 
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest

You have crowned the year with your bounty, 
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; 
The untilled meadows overflow with it, 
and rejoicing clothes the hills. 
 
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest
 
The fields are garmented with flocks 
and the valleys blanketed with grain. 
They shout and sing for joy. 

The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest. 
  
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
 
Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 

The Word of the Lord 
  
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew  

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.  And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.  It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.  Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” 
 
The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”  He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.  To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.  Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their...]]>36915,15th,catholic,first,gospel,isaiah,mass,ordinary,paul,reading,readings,romans,second,sow,sower,st.,sunday,the,time,tofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/7-5-2026-14th-sunday-of-ordinary-time-homily-year-a--7282052514th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings

A reading from the Book of Zechariah 

Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: 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.  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 that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

The Word of the Lord
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel Accordng to Matthew 

At that time Jesus exclaimed:  "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72820525Sat, 04 Jul 2026 18:33:14 +0000Fr. Michael Black14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings https://bible.usccb.org/bible/zechariah/9?9 Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on...14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings

A reading from the Book of Zechariah 

Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
 
The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God
 
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: 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.  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 that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

The Word of the Lord
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel Accordng to Matthew 

At that time Jesus exclaimed:  "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>7812026,5,5th,catholic,homily,july,mass,readings,sermon,sunday,zechariahfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/6-28-26-13th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-mass-readings-year-a--7271843613th Sunday Ordinarty Time Mass Readings

A Reading from the Second Book of Kings

One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.  Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine. So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there.” Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?” His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.” Elisha said, “Call her.” When the woman had been called and stood at the door, Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.”

Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;”
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and the Holy One of Israel, our king.

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the 

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.""Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple— amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72718436Sat, 27 Jun 2026 18:41:29 +0000Fr. Michael Black13th Sunday Ordinarty Time Mass Readings https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/4?8 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/4?8 One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.  Afterward, whenever he...13th Sunday Ordinarty Time Mass Readings

A Reading from the Second Book of Kings

One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.  Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine. So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there.” Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?” His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.” Elisha said, “Call her.” When the woman had been called and stood at the door, Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.”

Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;”
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and the Holy One of Israel, our king.

R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the 

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.""Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple— amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

The Gospel of the Lord]]>26113,13th,2026,28,catholic,gospel,june,mass,ordinary,psalm,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/6-21-2026-12th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-mass-readings--7261133712th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings

A Reading from the Book of Jeremiah

Jeremiah said: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.' But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!"
 
The Word of the Lord 

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's children,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!''

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.
 
The Word of the Lord
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

Jesus said to the Twelve: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72611337Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:59:21 +0000Fr. Michael Black12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings A Reading from the Book of Jeremiah Jeremiah said: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of...12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings

A Reading from the Book of Jeremiah

Jeremiah said: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.' But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!"
 
The Word of the Lord 

Responsorial Psalm

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's children,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!''

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.
 
The Word of the Lord
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew 

Jesus said to the Twelve: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>264falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/6-14-26-11th-sunday-ordinary-time-year-a-mass-readings--7250954111th Sunday Ordinary Tiome Mass Readings

A Reading from the Book of Exodus 

In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.  Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine.
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock
.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
    serve the LORD with gladness;
    come before him with joyful song.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Know that the LORD is God;
    he made us, his we are;
    his people, the flock he tends.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

The LORD is good:
    his kindness endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: Christ, while we were still helpless,  yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Mark 

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them  because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72509541Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:39:29 +0000Fr. Michael Black11th Sunday Ordinary Tiome Mass Readings A Reading from the Book of Exodus  In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then...11th Sunday Ordinary Tiome Mass Readings

A Reading from the Book of Exodus 

In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.  Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine.
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock
.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
    serve the LORD with gladness;
    come before him with joyful song.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Know that the LORD is God;
    he made us, his we are;
    his people, the flock he tends.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

The LORD is good:
    his kindness endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: Christ, while we were still helpless,  yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Mark 

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them  because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

The Gospel of the Lord]]>26311th,a,catholic,liturgy,mass,ordinary,readings,sunday,time,yearfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/6-7-26-corpus-christi-mass-readings--72331344Corpus Christi Mass Readings: 

A Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy
 
Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.

"Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers."

Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.


R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!


R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.


R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

A Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72331344Sat, 06 Jun 2026 22:13:09 +0000Fr. Michael BlackCorpus Christi Mass Readings:  A Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy   Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out...Corpus Christi Mass Readings: 

A Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy
 
Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.

"Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers."

Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.


R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!


R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.


R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

A Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>238and,blood,body,christ,christi,corpus,devotion,eucharist,feast,mass,of,procession,readingsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-31-26-holy-trinity-sunday-mass-readings--72252132Holy Trinity Sunday 

A Reading from the Book of Exodus

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him,
taking along the two stone tablets. Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, "LORD." Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own."
 
Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!
 
A Reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters, rejoice.  Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

The Word of the Lord
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel Accoridng to John 

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72252132Sat, 30 May 2026 18:52:47 +0000Fr. Michael BlackHoly Trinity Sunday  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/34?4 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/34?4 Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets. Having come down in a cloud,...Holy Trinity Sunday 

A Reading from the Book of Exodus

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him,
taking along the two stone tablets. Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, "LORD." Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own."
 
Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R. Glory and praise for ever!
 
A Reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters, rejoice.  Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

The Word of the Lord
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel Accoridng to John 

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The Gospel of the Lord]]>195catholic,day,feast,gospel,holy,liturgy,mass,readings,sunday,trinityfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-24-26-pentecost-mass-readings--72134214Pentecost Sunday Readings 

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures;

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

A Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 

Brothers and sisters: No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 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. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. 

The Word of the Lord

Sequence — Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.

You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;

Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia.
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72134214Sat, 23 May 2026 21:32:09 +0000Fr. Michael BlackPentecost Sunday Readings  A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire...Pentecost Sunday Readings 

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures;

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

A Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 

Brothers and sisters: No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 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. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. 

The Word of the Lord

Sequence — Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.

You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.356apostle,day,descends,feast,holy,pentecost,spirit,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-17-26-the-ascension-of-the-lord-readings--72032138The Ascension of the Lord 

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

A Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians

Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

The Gospel of the Lord 



]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72032138Sat, 16 May 2026 14:48:23 +0000Fr. Michael BlackThe Ascension of the Lord  A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had...The Ascension of the Lord 

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

A Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians

Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they...]]>2911st,2nd,7th,ascension,catholic,disciples,easter,eucharist,gospel,liturgy,mass,of,reading,readings,sunday,timefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-10-26-6th-sunday-of-easter-homily--71943708https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71943708Sun, 10 May 2026 03:10:09 +0000Fr. Michael Black6706th,catholic,easter,homily,liturgy,mass,preaching,sermon,sixth,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-10-26-6th-sunday-of-easter-readings-homily--719435315-10-2026: 6th Sunday of Easter Readings 
 
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
 
Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city. 
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 

The Word of the Lord 
 
Responsorial Psalm  

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.  

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!” 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 

“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 

He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore let us rejoice in him. He rules by his might forever. 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me. Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness! 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 
 
A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter  

Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit. 

The Word of the Lord 
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John  

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a short time the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” 

The Gospel of the Lord ]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71943531Sun, 10 May 2026 02:42:59 +0000Fr. Michael Black5-10-2026: 6th Sunday of Easter Readings    A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles   Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it...5-10-2026: 6th Sunday of Easter Readings 
 
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
 
Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city. 
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 

The Word of the Lord 
 
Responsorial Psalm  

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.  

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!” 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 

“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 

He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore let us rejoice in him. He rules by his might forever. 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me. Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness! 

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 
 
A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter  

Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit. 

The Word of the Lord 
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John  

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a short time the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” 

The Gospel of the Lord ]]>9156th,catholic,easter,homily,mass,readings,sermon,sixth,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-3-26-5th-sunday-of-easter-homily--71832210https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71832210Sat, 02 May 2026 21:26:12 +0000Fr. Michael Black6935th,catholic,easter,homily,mass,readings,sermon,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/5-3-26-5th-sunday-of-easter-readings-homily--71831985May 3, 2026: 5th Sunday of Easter Mass Readings 

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

The Word of the Lord
 
Responsorial Psalm

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall. They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."

The Gospel of the Lord ]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71831985Sat, 02 May 2026 21:18:32 +0000Fr. Michael BlackMay 3, 2026: 5th Sunday of Easter Mass Readings  A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily...May 3, 2026: 5th Sunday of Easter Mass Readings 

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

The Word of the Lord
 
Responsorial Psalm

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall. They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
 
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip...]]>10195th,acts,apostles,catholic,deacons,easter,gospel,lectionary,mass,of,readings,stephen,sunday,thefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/4-26-26-4th-sunday-of-easter-readings--716485404th Sunday of Easter

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call." He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.
 
The Word of the Lord 

Responsorial Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
:
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John 

 Jesus said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers." Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71648540Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:20:23 +0000Fr. Michael Black4th Sunday of Easter A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you...4th Sunday of Easter

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call." He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.
 
The Word of the Lord 

Responsorial Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
:
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
 
The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John 

 Jesus said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers." Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out...]]>2954th,catholic,good,mass,readings,shepherd,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/4-26-26-4th-sunday-of-easter-readings-homily--716413424th Sunday of Easter

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call." He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.
 
The Word of the Lord 






Responsorial Psalm


The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
:
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 





A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
 
The Word of the Lord







A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John 

 Jesus said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers." Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

The Gospel of the Lord





]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71641342Sat, 25 Apr 2026 21:11:35 +0000Fr. Michael Black4th Sunday of Easter A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you...4th Sunday of Easter

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call." He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.
 
The Word of the Lord 






Responsorial Psalm


The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
:
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 





A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
 
The Word of the Lord







A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John 

 Jesus said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers." Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not...]]>76823rd,4th,catholic,easter,fourth,good,homily,preaching,psalm,sermon,shepherd,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/4-19-26-3rd-sunday-of-easter-readings-homily--71459603A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. You who are Israelites, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. “My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”

The Word of the Lord

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Lord, you will show us the path of life

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.

Lord, you will show us the path of life


I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

Lord, you will show us the path of life


Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

Lord, you will show us the path of life


You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.

A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.

Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.”

And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71459603Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:20:27 +0000Fr. Michael BlackA Reading from the Acts of the Apostles Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. You who are Israelites, hear...A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. You who are Israelites, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. “My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth, as you see and hear.”

The Word of the Lord

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Lord, you will show us the path of life

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.

Lord, you will show us the path of life


I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

Lord, you will show us the path of life


Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

Lord, you will show us the path of life


You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.

A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Beloved: If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas,...]]>10813rd,apostle,catholic,easter,emmaus,gospel,jesus,mass,reading,sunday,thirdfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/4-19-26-3rd-sunday-of-easter-homily--71459596https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71459596Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:20:07 +0000Fr. Michael BlackThe Road to Emmaus - the Second Mass6503rd,apostles,catholic,easter,emmaus,jesus,mass,readings,thirdfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/4-12-26-divine-mercy-sunday-readings--712627674-12-26: Divine Mercy Sunday Readings

First Reading:  A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
  
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm 

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting

Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.

I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.


Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Second Reading: A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.

”Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

”Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71262767Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:42:13 +0000Fr. Michael Black4-12-26: Divine Mercy Sunday Readings First Reading:  A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles    They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon...4-12-26: Divine Mercy Sunday Readings

First Reading:  A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
  
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm 

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting

Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.

I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.


Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Second Reading: A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.

”Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.

”Now a week later his disciples were again inside and...]]>335catholic,divine,doubting,easter,gospel,mass,mercy,readings,second,sunday,thomasfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/4-5-2026-easter-sunday-readings--71107329https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71107329Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:29:24 +0000Fr. Michael Black315easter,jesus,lord,mass,readings,reurrection,sunday,thefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-29-26-palm-sunday-of-the-passion-of-the-lord-readings--70964823Reading before the Procession with Palms 

When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, 'The master has need of them.' Then he will send them at once." This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Say to daughter Zion, "Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large
crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest." And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee."

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 

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.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm 

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.”

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.

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.

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!”

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
 
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 

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.

The Word of the Lord

The Passion according to the Gosepl of St. Matthew

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......]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70964823Sun, 29 Mar 2026 01:58:37 +0000Fr. Michael BlackReading before the Procession with Palms  When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass...Reading before the Procession with Palms 

When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, 'The master has need of them.' Then he will send them at once." This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Say to daughter Zion, "Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large
crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest." And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee."

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 

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.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm 

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.”

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.

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.

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!”

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
 
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 

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.

The Word of the Lord

The Passion according to the Gosepl of St. Matthew

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...]]>1283donkey,jerusalem,palm,passion,readings,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-22-26-5th-sunday-of-lent-readings-homily--70811365A Reading from the Book of Ezekiel

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. 

The Word of the Lord

 Responsorial Psalm  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. 

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 

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. 

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

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.”  When 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. 

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70811365Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:13:27 +0000Fr. Michael BlackA Reading from the Book of Ezekiel 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...A Reading from the Book of Ezekiel

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. 

The Word of the Lord

 Responsorial Psalm  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. 

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 

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. 

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John

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.”  When 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...]]>12465th,bethany,catholic,homily,lazarus,lent,martha,mary,miralce,readings,sermon,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-22-26-5th-sunday-of-lent-homily--708112555th Sunday of Lent 3-22-26 Year A  
 
On this fifth Sunday of Lent we hear the story of Lazarus. This is a story, not a parable, not a fable. It actually happened, in the town of Bethany, just a mile or two outside of Jerusalem. Jesus tells many parables during his public ministry, but he also performs many miracles. These miracles are not parables. Among His greatest miracles are three resuscitations. He raises the son of the widow of Nain from the dead and he raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead. And most incredibly, he raises Lazarus from the dead after he has been in a rock tomb for four days. This is Christ's miracle of miracles, one only surpassed by Christ raising himself from the dead after three days. The events we hear about today, a “sign” in the language of John’s gospel, directly precipitate Christ’s passion and death, which will take place in nearby Jerusalem shortly afterwards.  
 
The details of today’s gospel are interesting. Jesus receives the message that Lazarus is sick yet he remains for two days where he is with his disciples. Why does he stay two days? Why doesn't he hurry to the side of his friend who is sick? Because he wants the will of God to be manifested. He waits. He takes his time so that the natural course of events may be succeeded by the supernatural course of events.  
 
Only after he knows that Lazarus has died does he depart for Bethany. When Jesus arrives near Bethany he meets Martha and Mary, Lazarus' sisters, who question him and wonder why he did not come earlier “Lord if you had been here our brother would not have died.” Jesus shares their grief as they express this existential wonder.  
 
Where is God when someone is suffering? Where is God when somebody is about to die? People don't ask questions about God’s presence when someone wins the lottery. They don't wonder about the presence of God when they get a promotion at work. But we do ask about God when in the face of evil, in the face of wickedness. We want to know how bad things can happen when we’ve been told that God is so good.  
 
Jesus enters into the suffering of Martha and Mary in a deeply human and admirable way. It's easy to share joy. It requires nothing to bask in the sea of happiness at a crowded wedding reception. It's a joy to be joyful with the parents after a baby is born. But to share another’s grief is work, isn't it? When a friend is depressed, a sibling loses his or her job, or a colleague’s marriage fractures and they want to share their grief with us, it can be a challenge. Joy is naturally communal. Grief is deeply personal. Sorrow is just harder to share than joy.  
 
Jesus is empathetic. He feels and mirrors the sorrow of Martha and Mary because Lazarus was his friend too. It’s the family’s loss and His loss. And so the gospel tells us, in a very short verse, “Jesus wept.”  
 
A famous Hollywood movie might help us to re-imagine the story of Lazarus in a more modern and imaginative key. In the 1978 movie Superman with Christopher Reeve, Superman is emotionally very close to Lois Lane. Lois dies when an earthquake splits the earth and her car slowly sinks into a crevice. She struggles to escape but is suffocated by the earth spilling into her car.  
 
Superman is not there to save her. He is not at her side in her hour of need. He zooms through the sky to help her but arrives too late. He pulls her car from the crevice, removes her body, and gently lays Lois’ dead body on the dirt. He weeps. He is forlorn. If only he had been there.  
 
And then he does something only a man of his power could do. He rockets into outer space and undoes what has been done. He uncreates what has been created. He whips around the circumference of the globe with such speed and force that the world’s rotation reverses. And slowly the boulders climb back up the mountains. The large chunks of concrete of the Hoover dam reassemble themselves and the water reverses and crawls back into its lake.  
 
Superman reverses creation, and thus reverses time. The earthquake is undone. Time reverses as creation reverses. This imaginary episode is not totally crazy. The movie does not show Superman firing a supersonic laser to save Lois, or reaching into a special magic box, slipping through a black hole, or consulting universal psychic. He does something that seems to make some fanciful sense.  
 
To uncreate means to undo time. To go back in time means to restore a previous time. We believe that our God is outside of time. Our God is perfect and so is not subject to time. Time is a means for measuring change and change implies becoming better or becoming worse. Change implies more virtue or less virtue. More power or less power. But God can’t improve or decline, by definition. So there is no time where God is, which means that there is no clock in heaven. There is nothing to gauge in the land of God. God is Timeless, or, in more familiar language, He is eternal.  
 
Jesus, as the second person of the Holy Trinity, is beyond time. He enters into our time- governed reality. He enters into creation but retains mastery over that creation. This is why many of his miracles are undoings. Christ engages in a great undoing project during his ministry. Someone has died. So he reverses time by 4 days and they live. Those who could not hear can now hear. Those who could not see can now see. This is the power of our eternal God. God’s nature is to create, which also means to re-create. How does God accomplish these things? How does Jesus Christ express his power here?  
 
Through his voice. Through his words. Notice that last week when Jesus cures the man born blind, he creates a saliva and dirt paste and spreads it on the man’s eyes. The man then washes and can then see. Another time, Jesus places his fingers in a man's ears and says “be opened.” At other times he merely speaks, no touching or paste needed, like he does to the daughter of Jairus when he says “Talitha Kum” - “Get up little girl” and she awakes from death.  
 
In today’s Gospel Jesus uses his voice alone, His creative voice. God's voice is an instrument of creation in the Book Genesis and of re-creation in the gospels.
 
This begs the question of what is the purpose of a word? We instinctively understand that words exist for communication, but that may not be their primary purpose. Words may be mental packets to help us organize our thoughts. They may be ways of mapping our various experiences into understandable categories. Words may exist only secondarily as vehicles for communication, as aids to help us when body language is insufficient. So words are not merely descriptive. They can also be creative in the sense of creating reality in the act of their vocalization.  
 
For example, when a baseball umpire says “you're out,” those words create the status of being out. When a judge says “innocent” the reality of innocence is created. When the priest says “I absolve you from your sins” you are absolved.” Someone must say “I'm sorry” for sorrow to truly be extended. To say I forgive you is to “do” I forgive you.  
 
And so our timeless God, our creative God, comes to a cave in Bethany. He comes to the grave of Lazarus and commands creation: “Lazarus come out” and death obeys and Lazarus comes out.  
 
Years ago on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, an Arab Christian guide said something thought provoking. He said to our group - “Do you know why Jesus said ‘Lazarus come out?’ Because if he had said just ‘Come out’ everyone would have come out. Jesus had to say his specific name so that only Lazarus would be resuscitated and walk forth from that tomb.  
 
God knows Lazarus by name. He knows each of our names. When he creates us, He creates us by name. And at the end of our lives, he will call us from this life by name. Last week we heard the gospel of the healing of the man born blind. The gospel says repeatedly that he is the man blind from birth, but it never gives his name. How curious. Why is it that sometimes people are named in the gospel and other times not? Perhaps that man born blind wandered into the deserts of Syria and never turned back. Maybe he became a deep believer in Christ but not a belonger.  
 
We want to be believers and belongers. Lazarus clearly is both. He must have become famous. There are old traditions about him in southern France, including that he became the first bishop of Marseille. We can be fairly certain that Lazarus became a kind of super spreader of the faith, someone whose presence provoked awe. What would people have asked him? What was it like, Lazarus, to be dead? What did you see? A bright light? The face of God? Did you perhaps see my uncle - he was from Bethany? We can likewise imagine Lazarus’ as one of the most compelling witnesses to the truth of Jesus Christ.  
 
The first lesson of all miracles is that they happened, which is not so much a lesson as an acknowledgment. The lesson is that our timeless God can reach down into time and undo evil that has been done. He can overpower death with life. He can command nature. He can bend the iron bar of reality with his voice.  
 
And we pray today and all days that at the end of time he will call us by name, and raise us from the dead, not to die a second death, as Lazarus did, but to live forever with a resurrected body, not just a resuscitated body, with Mary, and Saints Lazarus, Martha and Mary and all the holy ones in the timelessness of heaven. Amen. 
 
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70811255Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:40:35 +0000Fr. Michael Black5th Sunday of Lent 3-22-26 Year A     On this fifth Sunday of Lent we hear the story of Lazarus. This is a story, not a parable, not a fable. It actually happened, in the town of Bethany, just a mile or two outside of Jerusalem. Jesus tells many...5th Sunday of Lent 3-22-26 Year A  
 
On this fifth Sunday of Lent we hear the story of Lazarus. This is a story, not a parable, not a fable. It actually happened, in the town of Bethany, just a mile or two outside of Jerusalem. Jesus tells many parables during his public ministry, but he also performs many miracles. These miracles are not parables. Among His greatest miracles are three resuscitations. He raises the son of the widow of Nain from the dead and he raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead. And most incredibly, he raises Lazarus from the dead after he has been in a rock tomb for four days. This is Christ's miracle of miracles, one only surpassed by Christ raising himself from the dead after three days. The events we hear about today, a “sign” in the language of John’s gospel, directly precipitate Christ’s passion and death, which will take place in nearby Jerusalem shortly afterwards.  
 
The details of today’s gospel are interesting. Jesus receives the message that Lazarus is sick yet he remains for two days where he is with his disciples. Why does he stay two days? Why doesn't he hurry to the side of his friend who is sick? Because he wants the will of God to be manifested. He waits. He takes his time so that the natural course of events may be succeeded by the supernatural course of events.  
 
Only after he knows that Lazarus has died does he depart for Bethany. When Jesus arrives near Bethany he meets Martha and Mary, Lazarus' sisters, who question him and wonder why he did not come earlier “Lord if you had been here our brother would not have died.” Jesus shares their grief as they express this existential wonder.  
 
Where is God when someone is suffering? Where is God when somebody is about to die? People don't ask questions about God’s presence when someone wins the lottery. They don't wonder about the presence of God when they get a promotion at work. But we do ask about God when in the face of evil, in the face of wickedness. We want to know how bad things can happen when we’ve been told that God is so good.  
 
Jesus enters into the suffering of Martha and Mary in a deeply human and admirable way. It's easy to share joy. It requires nothing to bask in the sea of happiness at a crowded wedding reception. It's a joy to be joyful with the parents after a baby is born. But to share another’s grief is work, isn't it? When a friend is depressed, a sibling loses his or her job, or a colleague’s marriage fractures and they want to share their grief with us, it can be a challenge. Joy is naturally communal. Grief is deeply personal. Sorrow is just harder to share than joy.  
 
Jesus is empathetic. He feels and mirrors the sorrow of Martha and Mary because Lazarus was his friend too. It’s the family’s loss and His loss. And so the gospel tells us, in a very short verse, “Jesus wept.”  
 
A famous Hollywood movie might help us to re-imagine the story of Lazarus in a more modern and imaginative key. In the 1978 movie Superman with Christopher Reeve, Superman is emotionally very close to Lois Lane. Lois dies when an earthquake splits the earth and her car slowly sinks into a crevice. She struggles to escape but is suffocated by the earth spilling into her car.  
 
Superman is not there to save her. He is not at her side in her hour of need. He zooms through the sky to help her but arrives too late. He pulls her car from the crevice, removes her body, and gently lays Lois’ dead body on the dirt. He weeps. He is forlorn. If only he had been there.  
 
And then he does something only a man of his power could do. He rockets into outer space and undoes what has been done. He uncreates what has been created. He whips around the circumference of the globe with such speed and force that the world’s rotation reverses. And slowly the boulders climb back up the mountains. The large chunks of concrete of the Hoover dam...]]>7625th,bethany,catholic,gospel,homily,jesus,lazarus,lent,martha,mary,sermon,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-15-26-4th-sunday-of-lent-homily--70645179March 15, 2026: 4th Sunday of Lent Homily
 
The Louvre museum in Paris is one of the most popular museums in the world and also one of the largest. Hidden down one of its endless hallways is a small room where a dark stone is on simple display. The stone is shaped a bit like a tombstone and it's about four feet high and three feet across. It’s called the Moabite Stone and has a deep connection to today's first reading.  
 
It was discovered in 1868 by a German missionary in the area east of the Dead Sea in modern- day Jordan. The stone dates from about 840 BC, meaning its ancient letters were chiseled into the basalt stone just 130 years or so after David died. Along with just a few other pieces of archeological evidence, the Moabite stone establishes a solid historical foundation upon which the biblical story of David firmly rests. This rock-like evidence provides a powerful counter argument to any argument that the Old Testament is a mere collection of fables.  
 
The Moabite Stone is of great interest for a number of reasons: It contains some of the earliest non-biblical references to the Kingdom of Israel; it specifically mentions the Jewish god “Yahweh” and that images of him were stolen by the Moabites; and it also references the House of David, which was established with his modest anointing in today's first reading at Mass. 
 
When does this anointing of David occur? Probably around the year 1,000 BC. We need a little bit of history to set the context. 
  
After returning from their long exile in Egypt the Jewish people slowly populated the land of Canaan, more or less the western part of the modern Middle East.  
 
They were for a few centuries governed by judges., These judges, or local leaders, were non dynastic, that is, their power and authority did not pass on to their heirs. Their authority was probably over just one or two tribes and often temporary.  
 
After perhaps 300 - 400 years of being ruled by judges, the Jews asked asked God to be ruled by a king since so many of the neighboring tribes had kings. So Saul is anointed by Samuel as the first king of Israel. The era of the judges comes to a close, and the Jews, at least the two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, will be ruled by kings 586. At that point, the start of the Babylonian exile, the last king with the blood of David in his veins, named Zedekiah, is killed after being taken into exile. This is when the house of David ends. 
 
David serves for approximately 40 years as king, and dies around the year 970 BC. He is followed by his son Solomon. This chain of Saul-David-Solomon is the well-known but short-lived United Monarchy of the Jews which will fracture in the time of Solomon's sons.  
 
Why does the history of the Jewish people matter? Because the church matters. The Catholic church, in its theology, worship, sacraments, and structure, grows out of that ancient chosen people. If the church is the tree, then the Jews are the roots. We fulfill, and are fulfilling, the promises God made to the Jews without canceling that promise.  
God's new and eternal Covenant, as we say at the consecration at Mass, brings to greater fruition and universality the Old Covenant God made with the Patriarchs.  
 
Theology is not a ship in a bottle or a precious diamond resting under a glass canopy. Theology happens in history for a real religion. Real people. Real dates. Real places. Real events. No castles in the clouds for us. No cosmic dreamcatchers or “the force be with you.” We are rooted in historical truth. 
 
Notice in the reading how David is not the first choice of Samuel. His choice is Eliab, the oldest of Jesse’s sons. He is tall and of a fine appearance, while David is the youngest, not present, and busy working the herd.  
 
In other words, a good appearance does not always translate into competence or leadership abilities. We often universalize, instinctively, physical and personal gifts, thinking that they indicate skilled competence or somehow translate into other areas of life. But there is no intrinsic relationship between competence and charm or personal attractiveness or athletic skill.  
The Bible reiterates this lesson. The best leader might be the physically least impressive person.  
 
And why do the Jews want a king in the first place? Partly out of jealousy and partly out of a natural human instinct. They want a king because every group wants a good leader. The ship needs a captain, the platoon a lieutenant, the team a coach. Groups thrive under good leaders and do things they would never be able to do when governed by committe.  
 
And if that leader is chosen and anointed by God, all the better. The anointing of Saul and then David, in fact, become the model for the anointing which is part of the coronation ritual for all kings, even down to today in the western world. Kings in the middle ages were even thought to have the gift of healing due that anointing.  
 
Samuel anoints David with oil and, presumeably, with words. The reading doesn't record exactly what Samuel said as he anointed David but there must have been a formula recited as the oil dripped down his scalp.  
 
Words and oil. Gestures and blessings. Water and bread and wine. It sounds familiar to Catholic ears. We see in this typology an echo of the seven sacraments. In the sacrament of Holy Orders the priest’s hands are anointed to consecrate the body and blood of Christ. In the ordination of a Bishop his head is anointed with sacred chrism, a very direct recalling of a king’s christening.  
 
Turning to the Gospel from St. John in the story of the unnamed man born blind, we see the same sacramental typology at work. Jesus could have just said “Abracadabra” or “Open Sesame” but he didn't. His touch would have been enough. The Divine finger placed on the human eyelid would have been enough. He is God after all. But Christ does some prefiguring of the sacraments here.He mixes his saliva with dirt and then smears the clay on the man's eyes in order for the man’s sight to be restored. How Sacramental! Our seven sacraments have deep roots! We see them in the anointing of David. We see them in the passage from John’s Gospel.  
 
The recipe of our sacraments is not incidental. The material, or matter, cannot be changed. It cannot be rice instead of bread for the Eucharist. It cannot be ginger ale instead of water at baptism, in the same way that Samuel could not have anointed David with honey instead of oil. The life giving grace of the sacraments are God’s gifts to the church, and the church’s gift to her faithful. They are not mere markers of the seasons or of life’s turning points. They are not equivalent to a birthday cake or the high school prom. 
 
David's anointing by Samuel is still with us in many ways: In the never ending geopolitical fights over Jerusalem; in the anointing of modern kings; in the sacraments, in the church hierarchical structure, in the sacred election of the bishop of Rome by ordained cardinals.  
 
The past is not so past for those paying attention. Much more unites us to our Jewish roots and to the ancient world than divides us. Christ, the founder of the church, is repeatedly called the “Son of David” in the Gospels. We are the sons and daughters of the Son of David, then. Through Creed, through baptism, through Holy Communion, we practice our ever ancient and ever new faith in beautiful and harmonious continuity with our religious forefathers. Amen. 
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70645179Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:38:30 +0000Fr. Michael BlackMarch 15, 2026: 4th Sunday of Lent Homily   The Louvre museum in Paris is one of the most popular museums in the world and also one of the largest. Hidden down one of its endless hallways is a small room where a dark stone is on simple display. The...March 15, 2026: 4th Sunday of Lent Homily
 
The Louvre museum in Paris is one of the most popular museums in the world and also one of the largest. Hidden down one of its endless hallways is a small room where a dark stone is on simple display. The stone is shaped a bit like a tombstone and it's about four feet high and three feet across. It’s called the Moabite Stone and has a deep connection to today's first reading.  
 
It was discovered in 1868 by a German missionary in the area east of the Dead Sea in modern- day Jordan. The stone dates from about 840 BC, meaning its ancient letters were chiseled into the basalt stone just 130 years or so after David died. Along with just a few other pieces of archeological evidence, the Moabite stone establishes a solid historical foundation upon which the biblical story of David firmly rests. This rock-like evidence provides a powerful counter argument to any argument that the Old Testament is a mere collection of fables.  
 
The Moabite Stone is of great interest for a number of reasons: It contains some of the earliest non-biblical references to the Kingdom of Israel; it specifically mentions the Jewish god “Yahweh” and that images of him were stolen by the Moabites; and it also references the House of David, which was established with his modest anointing in today's first reading at Mass. 
 
When does this anointing of David occur? Probably around the year 1,000 BC. We need a little bit of history to set the context. 
  
After returning from their long exile in Egypt the Jewish people slowly populated the land of Canaan, more or less the western part of the modern Middle East.  
 
They were for a few centuries governed by judges., These judges, or local leaders, were non dynastic, that is, their power and authority did not pass on to their heirs. Their authority was probably over just one or two tribes and often temporary.  
 
After perhaps 300 - 400 years of being ruled by judges, the Jews asked asked God to be ruled by a king since so many of the neighboring tribes had kings. So Saul is anointed by Samuel as the first king of Israel. The era of the judges comes to a close, and the Jews, at least the two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, will be ruled by kings 586. At that point, the start of the Babylonian exile, the last king with the blood of David in his veins, named Zedekiah, is killed after being taken into exile. This is when the house of David ends. 
 
David serves for approximately 40 years as king, and dies around the year 970 BC. He is followed by his son Solomon. This chain of Saul-David-Solomon is the well-known but short-lived United Monarchy of the Jews which will fracture in the time of Solomon's sons.  
 
Why does the history of the Jewish people matter? Because the church matters. The Catholic church, in its theology, worship, sacraments, and structure, grows out of that ancient chosen people. If the church is the tree, then the Jews are the roots. We fulfill, and are fulfilling, the promises God made to the Jews without canceling that promise.  
God's new and eternal Covenant, as we say at the consecration at Mass, brings to greater fruition and universality the Old Covenant God made with the Patriarchs.  
 
Theology is not a ship in a bottle or a precious diamond resting under a glass canopy. Theology happens in history for a real religion. Real people. Real dates. Real places. Real events. No castles in the clouds for us. No cosmic dreamcatchers or “the force be with you.” We are rooted in historical truth. 
 
Notice in the reading how David is not the first choice of Samuel. His choice is Eliab, the oldest of Jesse’s sons. He is tall and of a fine appearance, while David is the youngest, not present, and busy working the herd.  
 
In other words, a good appearance does not always translate into competence or leadership...]]>5504th,blind,catholic,david,healing,homily,jesus,king,lent,man,mass,miracle,sermons,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-15-26-4th-sunday-of-lent-readings-homily--706416614th Sunday of Lent 3-15-26 Readings

A Reading from the 1st Book of Samuel

The LORD said to Samuel: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, 
because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance 
but the LORD looks into the heart.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, 
but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him;  we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
 in the sight of my foes;
 you anoint my head with oil;
 my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
A Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
 
Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel accoring to John

As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—. So he went and washed, and came back able to see.His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, 

“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is, :but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied,
“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’
So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?”
He said, “I don’t know.”They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.”

But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”Now the Jews did not believe  that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them,
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said,  “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now,
nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed  that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner.” He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”

So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them,
“I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” They ridiculed him and said,  “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.” The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing,  that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.
If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.”

They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, 
so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin;  but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

The Gospel of the Lord]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70641661Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:10:51 +0000Fr. Michael Black4th Sunday of Lent 3-15-26 Readings A Reading from the 1st Book of Samuel The LORD said to Samuel: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”As Jesse and his...4th Sunday of Lent 3-15-26 Readings

A Reading from the 1st Book of Samuel

The LORD said to Samuel: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, 
because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance 
but the LORD looks into the heart.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, 
but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him;  we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
 in the sight of my foes;
 you anoint my head with oil;
 my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
A Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
 
Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Holy Gospel accoring to John

As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, Go wash in the...]]>10584th,blind,catholic,homily,lent,man,miracle,readings,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-12-26-thurs-of-3rd-week-of-lent-homily--70611904March 12, 2026 Thursday of the 3rd week of Lent  

Helen Keller said that blindness cuts you off from things but deafness cut you off from people. How true it is that hearing loss, especially severe hearing loss, leads to withdrawal, isolation, depression, and reduced independence. 

A world without sound is a much more flat, one-dimensional world. Although sound is invisible, we all live in a sound world as much as a visual world. In the same way that our eyes take in the landscapes all around us, our ears take in the soundscapes that surround us as well. 

To be cut off from this engrossing sound scape, from the voices and bird song and music that populates our world is to be reduced. We have a sound mind that yearns for the dense reality offered through all the gifts of the senses, especially hearing. 

It is a relatively short step to go from “I can't hear” to “I'm all alone.”  

A close cousin to not being able to hear is choosing not to listen. What is the point of the faculty of hearing, after all, if it’s used only to listen to your own voice and none other?  

In the first reading at Mass today the prophet Jeremiah speaks for his boss, God, and says “Thus says the Lord, listen to my voice then I will be your God and you shall be my people.” 

Jeremiah then complains to the Lord about his fellow Jews: “When you speak these words to them, they will not listen to you either. When you call to them they will not answer you.”  

Finally, he gives the Lord some advice: “Say to them, This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord its God or take correction.”  

And in the Psalms we hear this: “And if today, you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” 
How important it is to listen to God, to the church, to others in order to give meaning to our lives. Otherwise, we become a personal echo chamber, isolated and never growing or improving. 

How do we listen to God? Is He the call of the loon on the morning lake? The huge waves crashing on the rocky shore? The crackling fire? The wind threading through the trees? Nature has its soundtrack. But God is more than his creation in the same way that we are more than our bodies.  

We listen to God by listening to his church. The church and God are not strictly synonymous but to restrict God’s voice to nature’s symphony is to disembody him and to leave His will open to any and all interpretations.  

There's a wonderful scene in the 1980s movie The Mission. An indigenous chief from a rain forest tribe is arguing with a church cardinal. He asks the Cardinal: “Do you speak for God?” The Cardinal responds, pensively, “I personally do not speak for God, but I do speak for the church, which is his instrument on earth.” 

The church indeed is the instrument of God on earth. And this instrument, both beautiful and flawed, has a mind and has a voice, and has plenty to say.  

She speaks at mass. She speaks in the readings and in her liturgical prayers. The church speaks in her sacred music and in her homilies. We listen to the voice of God when we listen to the church. Even her liturgical body language is meaningful for those who can’t hear or who don’t speak the local language of the Mass.  

Most people who suffer from hearing loss wait about 10 years to do anything about it. It’s often too late - relationships have dried up, work ends, family members become distant. If we isolate ourselves from the voice of God in the church, we too will be cut off from the beneficial spiritual and moral formation the Church offers to all of her faithful.  

Solitary confinement is a punishment in prison partly because of the silence which reigns over the prisoners in their cells. Not everyone is good company for themselves.  

Many people are in a form of modern solitary confinement. Cut off, dwelling in a cell where the ancient voice of God does not reach.  

Jeremiah commands his fellow Jews to listen, not just to hear, the voice of God. Listening to the multi-track voice of the Church enriches our sound scape, contextualizes our existence, and gives more meaning to our life.  

Heaven will be beautiful for many reasons, and partly because of the hum and whistle of a great cloud of witnesses offering God sound worship and sound praise of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Hell may be very quiet, or perhaps a mere echo chamber of narcissists glorying in the voice they love the best – their own.  
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70611904Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:48:01 +0000Fr. Michael BlackMarch 12, 2026 Thursday of the 3rd week of Lent   Helen Keller said that blindness cuts you off from things but deafness cut you off from people. How true it is that hearing loss, especially severe hearing loss, leads to withdrawal,...March 12, 2026 Thursday of the 3rd week of Lent  

Helen Keller said that blindness cuts you off from things but deafness cut you off from people. How true it is that hearing loss, especially severe hearing loss, leads to withdrawal, isolation, depression, and reduced independence. 

A world without sound is a much more flat, one-dimensional world. Although sound is invisible, we all live in a sound world as much as a visual world. In the same way that our eyes take in the landscapes all around us, our ears take in the soundscapes that surround us as well. 

To be cut off from this engrossing sound scape, from the voices and bird song and music that populates our world is to be reduced. We have a sound mind that yearns for the dense reality offered through all the gifts of the senses, especially hearing. 

It is a relatively short step to go from “I can't hear” to “I'm all alone.”  

A close cousin to not being able to hear is choosing not to listen. What is the point of the faculty of hearing, after all, if it’s used only to listen to your own voice and none other?  

In the first reading at Mass today the prophet Jeremiah speaks for his boss, God, and says “Thus says the Lord, listen to my voice then I will be your God and you shall be my people.” 

Jeremiah then complains to the Lord about his fellow Jews: “When you speak these words to them, they will not listen to you either. When you call to them they will not answer you.”  

Finally, he gives the Lord some advice: “Say to them, This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord its God or take correction.”  

And in the Psalms we hear this: “And if today, you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” 
How important it is to listen to God, to the church, to others in order to give meaning to our lives. Otherwise, we become a personal echo chamber, isolated and never growing or improving. 

How do we listen to God? Is He the call of the loon on the morning lake? The huge waves crashing on the rocky shore? The crackling fire? The wind threading through the trees? Nature has its soundtrack. But God is more than his creation in the same way that we are more than our bodies.  

We listen to God by listening to his church. The church and God are not strictly synonymous but to restrict God’s voice to nature’s symphony is to disembody him and to leave His will open to any and all interpretations.  

There's a wonderful scene in the 1980s movie The Mission. An indigenous chief from a rain forest tribe is arguing with a church cardinal. He asks the Cardinal: “Do you speak for God?” The Cardinal responds, pensively, “I personally do not speak for God, but I do speak for the church, which is his instrument on earth.” 

The church indeed is the instrument of God on earth. And this instrument, both beautiful and flawed, has a mind and has a voice, and has plenty to say.  

She speaks at mass. She speaks in the readings and in her liturgical prayers. The church speaks in her sacred music and in her homilies. We listen to the voice of God when we listen to the church. Even her liturgical body language is meaningful for those who can’t hear or who don’t speak the local language of the Mass.  

Most people who suffer from hearing loss wait about 10 years to do anything about it. It’s often too late - relationships have dried up, work ends, family members become distant. If we isolate ourselves from the voice of God in the church, we too will be cut off from the beneficial spiritual and moral formation the Church offers to all of her faithful.  

Solitary confinement is a punishment in prison partly because of the silence which reigns over the prisoners in their cells. Not everyone is good company for themselves.  

Many people are in a form of modern solitary confinement. Cut off, dwelling in...]]>342falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-8-26-3rd-sunday-of-lent-readings-homily--70538764https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70538764Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:32:42 +0000Fr. Michael Black11412026,catholic,homily,lent,living,mass,readings,samaria,samaritan,water,well,womanfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-8-26-3rd-sunday-of-lent-homily--705311043rd Sunday of Lent 3-8-2026

Taking place at a well...taking time at a well... 

In the early 300s a Church bishop in Palestine name Eusebius ran a book production factory and library in a city on the mediterranean coast called Caesarea. Eusebius of Caesarea built on the innovative legacy of two scholars – Origen and Pamphilus – who, basically, invented the book. The predecessor to the book, the scroll, was cumbersome, old-technology, and ripe for creative destruction. The book was to the scroll what a digital spreadsheet is to a paper ledger. A book, or codex, was a technological innovation which presented information in a much more efficient and searchable manner than a scroll could.  

Of the many books published by Eusebius was one called the Onomasticon. It sounds a bit like a mouth disease or the name of a dinosaur but it’s just a long Greek word meaning “book of names.” The Onomastican is a book- length list of many of the places named in the bible, alongside a list of what those places were called at the time Eusebius wrote. 

Today’s gospel from St. John begins with a place-name which is referenced in the Onomasticon: “Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.” 

If Sychar were large or well-known, there would’ve been no need to tell the reader that it was a town or that it was in Samaria. Sychar was small and off the radar, so John has to tell us where it is. Sychar is not otherwise mentioned in Holy Scripture. 

Before probing the theological and spiritual depth of this multi-layered gospel, it’s worth pausing over what this opening line is telling us.  

The town of Sychar is mentioned because it’s close to a reliable water source – the well of Jacob. Important things happen near wells in the Bible and elsewhere. Moses meets his wife near a well. Isaac’s wife Rebekah is found at a well. Towns and castles and forts are built over wells. No water, no life. The memorable opening scenes of the movie Lawrence of Arabia revolve around a well in a stark desert landscape. A man is murdered for drinking from the wrong well. When asked why he shot the man, the gunman replies “He was nothing – the well is everything.”  

A well doesn’t move, any more than a mountain moves. A well is a local landmark, and you can pull water from Jacob’s well today. It's still there, in the exact same spot as it was two thousand years ago. The town of Sychar was absorbed into the Roman city of Neapolis, which became modern Nablus. And you can visit modern Nablus in the West Bank, at some risk, and visit the large Orthodox church in which the well is found. A church has been built over the well since the 4th century, as attested to by St. Jerome. 

The meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well embeds Scripture in history. No New Testament events occur “once upon a time” or “in fairytale land.”  Even parables, which are stories and not necessarily historically true, were told by actual people at actual times in actual places. So the recounting of a parable is always a historical event even if the parable itself is not. 

Today’s gospel “takes place” in Sychar. What an interesting phrase that is! What does it mean to “take place.” It can mean something metaphorical when we say that someone “took second place or third place” in a race, but here it means something much more tangible. Where does Star Wars take place – In a galaxy far far away. That is, Star Wars doesn’t actually take place. It takes celluloid, it takes film. Where does Rome & Juliet take place – it’s set in Verona, Italy, but it takes place at your local theater. Today’s gospel “takes place” in Sychar in the sense that it grabs reality, in the sense that it also “takes time” in Sychar too. This conversation happened in time and in space and in reality.  

Our faith is sticky, isn’t it? It’s easily remembered because all real memories are inseparable from places. How strange it would be to say that you loved your grandma’s cooking but had no idea where you ate it. You remember where you ate those meals in the same instance in which you remember the meals themselves. A memory, a real memory, and its location are inseparable.  
This is another way of saying that we naturally link historical truth with time and place. To verify an event, we ask where and when. Isn’t that perhaps the deeper reason why we place a town-name after Jesus’ given name. He is Jesus of Nazareth, not Jesus of the 4th realm or of the heavenly spheres. He is from somewhere because he is real. Uncle Sam is not from anywhere because he doesn’t actually exist. And we have Teresa of Avila and Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua. Where is Thor from, really? Where are Spok or Captain Kirk from, really? 

So... today, we are eavesdroppers on a conversation, at a well, in the town of Sychar around 32 A.D. We can feel the sun on our face and hear the exhaustion in the voice of Jesus. If we didn’t go to Mass, we probably would never have heard this conversation. But we do go to Mass, and so the words of the Word are offered to us by the priest or deacon who speaks with the force of the one he quotes because he shares in his same priesthood. 

In this dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman there is much to digest. She, interestingly, is left unnamed, indicating perhaps that she remained a Samaritan and never became a follower of the Nazarene. 

Part of this holy conversation concerns temple worship. Once again, geography matters. The Samaritans had their temple on Mt. Gerizim, which overlooked the cities of Shechem and Sychar. So when the Samaritan woman says to Jesus “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain...” she is likely pointing her finger at the low mountain so conspicuous to both of them. The northern Jews – the ten tribes who had separated from the two southern tribes - had built a temple on Mt. Gerizim about 400 years before Christ. These northern Jews - eventually known as Samaritans – refused to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, perhaps because at one point they were prohibited from worshipping there and so built their own temple at a location with a solid biblical pedigree.  

But Jesus is not a Samaritan. He is a thoroughbred, a member of that broader family of Jews descended from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, so he worships at the Temple in Jerusalem.  
Yet Jesus states to the Samaritan woman that not even that temple in Jerusalem is the ultimate end of true worship: “the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”  

Real worship of God, then, is not the spilling of an animal’s blood in one temple in one place. To worship in spirit and in truth means that Shechem and Jerusalem will be replaced. It means that true religion will no longer be transmitted by tribe or by bloodlines but by baptism and creed throughout the world. Jesus is both the heir of a great religious tradition as a Jew and the founder of an even more profound, more universal successor religion.  

Perhaps we don’t think of him in these terms, but Jesus is the founder of Catholicism. And as its founder, he wants joiners. He wants people to join his religion. He wants believers and belongers. As St Augustine says, Jesus “thirsted for the faith of that woman” just as he thirsts for the faith of us all. 

The woman concludes her conversation with our founder by saying "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking with you." 

Our founder never said that he was the Christ to anyone else so explicitly in the gospels, not even to his own apostles. And he has told us everything as the woman predicted. At least everything necessary for salvation. He was speaking with her eye to eye. He is speaking with us today. We now know much, much more than she knew then. We don’t see through a glass darkly. We see clearly after two thousand years. We are capable of making the right decision to be followers, and joiners, of so great a founder. Amen.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70531104Sun, 08 Mar 2026 02:15:42 +0000Fr. Michael Black3rd Sunday of Lent 3-8-2026 Taking place at a well...taking time at a well...  In the early 300s a Church bishop in Palestine name Eusebius ran a book production factory and library in a city on the mediterranean coast called Caesarea. Eusebius of...3rd Sunday of Lent 3-8-2026

Taking place at a well...taking time at a well... 

In the early 300s a Church bishop in Palestine name Eusebius ran a book production factory and library in a city on the mediterranean coast called Caesarea. Eusebius of Caesarea built on the innovative legacy of two scholars – Origen and Pamphilus – who, basically, invented the book. The predecessor to the book, the scroll, was cumbersome, old-technology, and ripe for creative destruction. The book was to the scroll what a digital spreadsheet is to a paper ledger. A book, or codex, was a technological innovation which presented information in a much more efficient and searchable manner than a scroll could.  

Of the many books published by Eusebius was one called the Onomasticon. It sounds a bit like a mouth disease or the name of a dinosaur but it’s just a long Greek word meaning “book of names.” The Onomastican is a book- length list of many of the places named in the bible, alongside a list of what those places were called at the time Eusebius wrote. 

Today’s gospel from St. John begins with a place-name which is referenced in the Onomasticon: “Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.” 

If Sychar were large or well-known, there would’ve been no need to tell the reader that it was a town or that it was in Samaria. Sychar was small and off the radar, so John has to tell us where it is. Sychar is not otherwise mentioned in Holy Scripture. 

Before probing the theological and spiritual depth of this multi-layered gospel, it’s worth pausing over what this opening line is telling us.  

The town of Sychar is mentioned because it’s close to a reliable water source – the well of Jacob. Important things happen near wells in the Bible and elsewhere. Moses meets his wife near a well. Isaac’s wife Rebekah is found at a well. Towns and castles and forts are built over wells. No water, no life. The memorable opening scenes of the movie Lawrence of Arabia revolve around a well in a stark desert landscape. A man is murdered for drinking from the wrong well. When asked why he shot the man, the gunman replies “He was nothing – the well is everything.”  

A well doesn’t move, any more than a mountain moves. A well is a local landmark, and you can pull water from Jacob’s well today. It's still there, in the exact same spot as it was two thousand years ago. The town of Sychar was absorbed into the Roman city of Neapolis, which became modern Nablus. And you can visit modern Nablus in the West Bank, at some risk, and visit the large Orthodox church in which the well is found. A church has been built over the well since the 4th century, as attested to by St. Jerome. 

The meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well embeds Scripture in history. No New Testament events occur “once upon a time” or “in fairytale land.”  Even parables, which are stories and not necessarily historically true, were told by actual people at actual times in actual places. So the recounting of a parable is always a historical event even if the parable itself is not. 

Today’s gospel “takes place” in Sychar. What an interesting phrase that is! What does it mean to “take place.” It can mean something metaphorical when we say that someone “took second place or third place” in a race, but here it means something much more tangible. Where does Star Wars take place – In a galaxy far far away. That is, Star Wars doesn’t actually take place. It takes celluloid, it takes film. Where does Rome & Juliet take place – it’s set in Verona, Italy, but it takes place at your local theater. Today’s gospel “takes place” in Sychar in the sense that it grabs reality, in the sense that it also “takes time” in Sychar too. This conversation happened in time and in space and in reality.  

Our faith is...]]>6343rd,catholic,homily,jesus,lent,samaritan,savior,sermon,sunday,well,womanfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-1-26-2nd-sunday-of-lent-readings-homily--70369885A Reading from the Book of Gensis


The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”Abram went as the LORD directed him.






The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.


R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.






A reading from the 2nd letter off St. Paul to Timothy

Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.







The Word of the Lord 






A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I w ill make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord





]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70369885Sun, 01 Mar 2026 04:38:50 +0000Fr. Michael BlackA Reading from the Book of Gensis The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so...A Reading from the Book of Gensis


The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”Abram went as the LORD directed him.






The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.


R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.






A reading from the 2nd letter off St. Paul to Timothy

Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.







The Word of the Lord 






A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I w ill make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord





]]>749catholic,gospel,homily,lent,second,sunday,transfigurationfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-1-26-2nd-sunday-of-lent-homily--70369503Second Sunday of Lent – 3-1-2026 Year A – The Transfiguration  

The Cloud of Knowing 

The oldest surviving depiction of Christ’s crucifixion is in Rome. It dates from the 430s and  is carved into the wooden doors of the church of Santa Sabina on Rome's Aventine Hill.  The carving is not particularly expressive of Christ’s suffering. He is alive and rather dignified. He is between two thieves, and his arms are extended in the traditional pose of the crucifixion.  
It’s a bit surprising but showing Christ crucified was uncommon in the first few centuries of the Church.  Crucifixes, and even paintings and icons of the crucifixion, did not proliferate until the 6th through the 9th centuries, and even then, very slowly. It wasn’t until the dawning of the high Middle Ages, around 1000 AD, that the suffering, bloodied, forlorn Christ on the cross became common in churches throughout the known world.  

Before he was shown pinned to the cross, Christ was more commonly shown as the Good Shepherd, young and sometimes beardless, or at the table of the Last Supper flanked by his apostles. He was very often shown in the orans, or praying, position. Sometimes he was shown in a Roman toga holding a book or a scroll, resembling a philosopher. Or he was shown as he appears in today’s gospel – Transfigured on a high mountain. 

It makes sense, culturally and sociologically, that early Christians were reluctant to depict their founder struggling, pained and dead.  Crucifixion was an act of capital punishment. And in a world of barbaric cruelty towards prisoners and criminals, showing your leader on a common instrument of torture would probably have been counter-productive. Imagine displaying a painting in your home of a man dying in an electric chair, or wearing a gold medal showing a man with a noose around his neck, hanging from a branch. We have become habituated to the crucifix, but for early Christians it may have been too raw and too confusing to bend their knee or bow their head toward a bloody man stuck to a wooden beam.  

Not showing Christ on the cross also made sense theologically for early Christianity. A crucifix is easily understood by us today because we have a wealth of teaching and solid traditions to help us interpret it – the God-man dies for our sins and then opens for us the doors to paradise through his bodily resurrection.  

Christ’s immolation was a multi-layered theological event. It took many centuries for the Church’s best minds to cogently plumb the depths of Christ’s great act of redemptive suffering in its full biblical, historical, liturgical, and philosophical richness. 

Christ’s miracles, His resurrection, His preaching, and His transfiguration, as opposed to his crucifixion, require less theology to grasp. These events explain themselves. They don’t require knowledge of the Old Testament to make sense. And so the most common artistic motifs of the first millenium show Christ praying, performing miracles, being transfigured, teaching, or rising from his tomb.  Centuries were to pass before Christ’s self-offering on the cross could be fully understood by the common mind and fully displayed in common art.  

Roughly speaking, very roughly, the second millennium church gathered around Christ’s death on Calvary in Jerusalem, while the first millennium church gathered around his crib in Bethlehem.  

Christ’s humble self-gift in the incarnation led, over centuries, to a deeper comprehension of his self-gift on the cross. The spiritual refreshment pulled from the well of the incarnation is based on humility, a humility witnessed by Peter, James, and John in today’s gospel 

Christ shows this select core of three apostles his radiant glory – and the apostles are dumbfounded. They have not met this man before. What happened to the carpenter’s son from little Nazareth? The Church fathers consistently commented that the real miracle of the transfiguration was not this one moment in which Christ revealed his divinity but that he consistently suppressed his divinity throughout his life. His ordinariness, the mundane, day in and day out humdrumness of his life was the real miracle to behold.  

Christ could have been surrounded by today’s super-halo as He planed a board in his workshop. But he wasn’t. He could have walked around in the midst of a cloud of witnesses such as Moses and Elijah. But he didn’t. The voice of His father could have thundered in appreciation at every holy act he performed. But it didn’t.  

Christ wore a common tunic. He slept on the ground. He ate fish baked over a campfire. He walked long miles on dusty trails. And few discerned his divine nature until his resurrection and ascension.  

Christ’s first and most significant transfiguration was becoming a baby. His sustained suppression of his divinity was what made him unique. Like superman ripping open his shirt to reveal the big S underneath – Christ at the transfiguration reveals to those closest to him his truest self. It was there all along – he was just holding it back. He blended in with the crowd, he harnessed his knowledge and powers, he throttled his glory to the level where his followers could take it – could understand him – could not be overwhelmed.  

Christ on the mountain doesn’t change into someone else, but reveals who he has always been. He is the square that becomes a cube or the triangle that becomes a pyramid. He retains his original shape but now transfigures into his multi-dimensional self, his true self. 
“Master, it is good that we are here” says St. Peter in a charming understatement.  Indeed. We, two thousand years later, know as much and more than St. Peter. It was good that he was there at that time, but it is better that we are here at this time. Progress is not just technological. Progress is theological and spiritual as well.  

We hopefully see in the transfigured Christ a preview of coming attractions, a goal to aim at. And we hopefully also see in the humble Jesus of Nazareth a model of hiddenness, of not revealing all that we know, or are, in every moment to everyone.  Our restraint, our sublimation, our discretion, can be God like. There are times to shine in the reflected light of Christ and there are times, many times, to retreat from that bright light as well and to work in the humble shadows.Amen.
 
 ]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70369503Sun, 01 Mar 2026 03:48:54 +0000Fr. Michael BlackSecond Sunday of Lent – 3-1-2026 Year A – The Transfiguration   The Cloud of Knowing  The oldest surviving depiction of Christ’s crucifixion is in Rome. It dates from the 430s and  is carved into the wooden doors of the church of Santa Sabina...Second Sunday of Lent – 3-1-2026 Year A – The Transfiguration  

The Cloud of Knowing 

The oldest surviving depiction of Christ’s crucifixion is in Rome. It dates from the 430s and  is carved into the wooden doors of the church of Santa Sabina on Rome's Aventine Hill.  The carving is not particularly expressive of Christ’s suffering. He is alive and rather dignified. He is between two thieves, and his arms are extended in the traditional pose of the crucifixion.  
It’s a bit surprising but showing Christ crucified was uncommon in the first few centuries of the Church.  Crucifixes, and even paintings and icons of the crucifixion, did not proliferate until the 6th through the 9th centuries, and even then, very slowly. It wasn’t until the dawning of the high Middle Ages, around 1000 AD, that the suffering, bloodied, forlorn Christ on the cross became common in churches throughout the known world.  

Before he was shown pinned to the cross, Christ was more commonly shown as the Good Shepherd, young and sometimes beardless, or at the table of the Last Supper flanked by his apostles. He was very often shown in the orans, or praying, position. Sometimes he was shown in a Roman toga holding a book or a scroll, resembling a philosopher. Or he was shown as he appears in today’s gospel – Transfigured on a high mountain. 

It makes sense, culturally and sociologically, that early Christians were reluctant to depict their founder struggling, pained and dead.  Crucifixion was an act of capital punishment. And in a world of barbaric cruelty towards prisoners and criminals, showing your leader on a common instrument of torture would probably have been counter-productive. Imagine displaying a painting in your home of a man dying in an electric chair, or wearing a gold medal showing a man with a noose around his neck, hanging from a branch. We have become habituated to the crucifix, but for early Christians it may have been too raw and too confusing to bend their knee or bow their head toward a bloody man stuck to a wooden beam.  

Not showing Christ on the cross also made sense theologically for early Christianity. A crucifix is easily understood by us today because we have a wealth of teaching and solid traditions to help us interpret it – the God-man dies for our sins and then opens for us the doors to paradise through his bodily resurrection.  

Christ’s immolation was a multi-layered theological event. It took many centuries for the Church’s best minds to cogently plumb the depths of Christ’s great act of redemptive suffering in its full biblical, historical, liturgical, and philosophical richness. 

Christ’s miracles, His resurrection, His preaching, and His transfiguration, as opposed to his crucifixion, require less theology to grasp. These events explain themselves. They don’t require knowledge of the Old Testament to make sense. And so the most common artistic motifs of the first millenium show Christ praying, performing miracles, being transfigured, teaching, or rising from his tomb.  Centuries were to pass before Christ’s self-offering on the cross could be fully understood by the common mind and fully displayed in common art.  

Roughly speaking, very roughly, the second millennium church gathered around Christ’s death on Calvary in Jerusalem, while the first millennium church gathered around his crib in Bethlehem.  

Christ’s humble self-gift in the incarnation led, over centuries, to a deeper comprehension of his self-gift on the cross. The spiritual refreshment pulled from the well of the incarnation is based on humility, a humility witnessed by Peter, James, and John in today’s gospel 

Christ shows this select core of three apostles his radiant glory – and the apostles are dumbfounded. They have not met this man before. What happened to the carpenter’s son from little Nazareth? The Church...]]>512catholic,homily,james,john,lent,mass,mt.,peter,sermon,tabor,transfigurationfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1st-sunday-of-lent-2026-readings-homily--70208851
A reading from the Book of Genesis 

The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. 
The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 
it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food, 
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. 

So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. 

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm
 
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; 
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt 
and of my sin cleanse me. 
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

For I acknowledge my offense, 
and my sin is before me always: 
“Against you only have I sinned, 
and done what is evil in your sight.” 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 

A clean heart create for me, O God, 
and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 
Cast me not out from your presence, 
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 

Give me back the joy of your salvation, 
and a willing spirit sustain in me. 
O Lord, open my lips, 
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 
 
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans
 
Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. 

For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, how much more did the grace of God 
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ  overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; 
but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of the one, 
death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. 
In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so, through one righteous act, acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of the one man 
the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous.

The Word of the Lord

A reading from the Hoiy Gospel according to Matthew

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: 

He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, 
lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”

Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, ""All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him. 

The Gospel of the Lord

First Sunday of Lent 2-22-26 Homily
 
We, the hearers of today’s mass readings, find ourselves in a primordial garden this First Sunday of Lent, ear witnesses to the first conversations of mankind. After blowing life into the nostrils of man, God quickly follows with a prohibition: “You shall not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil” ...and it’s all downhill from there.  

The mouth is a source of many and varied sins. The mouth, in fact, may be the cause of damnation more than any other part of the human body. The mouth of Eve opens wide in today’s reading from Genesis and closes again on a piece of fruit, changing the world forever.  

That “opening” act was preceded by Eve opening her mouth for a different purpose - to jaw with the serpent. That superfluous exchange of words formed the glide path to the original sin of eating.  
Mankind eats. We must eat. The necessity of eating is part of all animal life, down to bacterial life. Even amoebas eat, though not with mouths. The need to eat pulls man out of his home, compelling him to search for food, to gathering the material needed to nourish his body. This search for food is a fundamental reason why mankind engages with the broader world in the first place and becomes a social animal.  While on the search for food, we cross paths with people we would otherwise never meet...at the market, the store, or the restaurant.  Eve herself is in a garden looking for food when she runs into the devil himself. If she had stayed home, she may never have met her match.  

And what does man eat? Anything and everything. We are omnivores. Our jaws, our teeth, and our appetites consume bark, clams, liver, mushrooms, grasshoppers, snake eggs, monkey brains, frog legs, and sheep eyeballs - the list of strange foods and delicacies is endless.  We are greedy for food and devour almost all that the earth offers us. 

Nearly all that our eyes behold is fit for consumption, especially when in dire need, except when our eyes fall on our fellow man. We see our cousin, our neighbor, even our enemy, and we know that him we cannot consume. Only the most primitive man, he most untrained in religious and human virtues, will consume his neighbor.  

When I conclude that I cannot eat my fellow man I am also concluding something else - that my fellow man should not eat me. My neighbor is not edible for the same reason that I am not edible. My dignity surpasses that of a carrot, a lobster, or a cow. Eating, clearly, is more than caloric intake.  

The pan-cultural prohibition against canabalism hints at an important insight - that there is a moral code embedded in our choice of what to eat and what not to eat. And if there are layers of meaning to so fundamental a biological function as eating, then it follows that there are also deeper layers of meaning to every human activity, especially those acts superior to basic biological functioning, activities like willed actions.  

God’s commandment to Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil does what all moral codes do – it sets a limit. All morality starts with setting limits on our behavior or even on our thinking.  These guardrails, and the effort to live life within these guardrails, forms the essential drama of every human soul, every household, and every community.  Without limits, life is less interesting, and its deeper layers remain buried and unseen. The ultimate limit, or deadline, is death.  

The final frontier of death, that dark curtain, gives all of life a sense of urgency and purpose.  Our being towards death, our life as hemmed in by the constraint of our biological end, makes us pay closer attention to all of reality. An endless life on earth, after all, would be essentially without purpose, without punishment, without reward, and without moral drama. If Eve had not sinned our lives on earth would still have ended, just not through the pain of death, but through some other form of departure perhaps similar to Mary’s, the only creature never..]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70208851Sun, 22 Feb 2026 03:59:51 +0000Fr. Michael BlackFirst Sunday of Lent Readings 2-22-2026 Year C  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/2?7  The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God...
A reading from the Book of Genesis 

The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. 
The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 
it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food, 
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. 

So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. 

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm
 
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; 
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt 
and of my sin cleanse me. 
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

For I acknowledge my offense, 
and my sin is before me always: 
“Against you only have I sinned, 
and done what is evil in your sight.” 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 

A clean heart create for me, O God, 
and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 
Cast me not out from your presence, 
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 

Give me back the joy of your salvation, 
and a willing spirit sustain in me. 
O Lord, open my lips, 
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 
 
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans
 
Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. 

For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, how much more did the grace of God 
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ  overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; 
but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of the one, 
death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who...]]>1059adam,apple,catholic,eve,first,gospel,homily,lent,original,readings,sermon,serpent,sin,snake,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1st-sunday-of-lent-2026-homily--70208826First Sunday of Lent 2-22-26 Homily
 
We, the hearers of today’s mass readings, find ourselves in a primordial garden this First Sunday of Lent, ear witnesses to the first conversations of mankind. After blowing life into the nostrils of man, God quickly follows with a prohibition: “You shall not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil” ...and it’s all downhill from there.  

The mouth is a source of many and varied sins. The mouth, in fact, may be the cause of damnation more than any other part of the human body. The mouth of Eve opens wide in today’s reading from Genesis and closes again on a piece of fruit, changing the world forever.  

That “opening” act was preceded by Eve opening her mouth for a different purpose - to jaw with the serpent. That superfluous exchange of words formed the glide path to the original sin of eating.  
Mankind eats. We must eat. The necessity of eating is part of all animal life, down to bacterial life. Even amoebas eat, though not with mouths. The need to eat pulls man out of his home, compelling him to search for food, to gathering the material needed to nourish his body. This search for food is a fundamental reason why mankind engages with the broader world in the first place and becomes a social animal.  While on the search for food, we cross paths with people we would otherwise never meet...at the market, the store, or the restaurant.  Eve herself is in a garden looking for food when she runs into the devil himself. If she had stayed home, she may never have met her match.  

And what does man eat? Anything and everything. We are omnivores. Our jaws, our teeth, and our appetites consume bark, clams, liver, mushrooms, grasshoppers, snake eggs, monkey brains, frog legs, and sheep eyeballs - the list of strange foods and delicacies is endless.  We are greedy for food and devour almost all that the earth offers us. 

Nearly all that our eyes behold is fit for consumption, especially when in dire need, except when our eyes fall on our fellow man. We see our cousin, our neighbor, even our enemy, and we know that him we cannot consume. Only the most primitive man, he most untrained in religious and human virtues, will consume his neighbor.  

When I conclude that I cannot eat my fellow man I am also concluding something else - that my fellow man should not eat me. My neighbor is not edible for the same reason that I am not edible. My dignity surpasses that of a carrot, a lobster, or a cow. Eating, clearly, is more than caloric intake.  

The pan-cultural prohibition against canabalism hints at an important insight - that there is a moral code embedded in our choice of what to eat and what not to eat. And if there are layers of meaning to so fundamental a biological function as eating, then it follows that there are also deeper layers of meaning to every human activity, especially those acts superior to basic biological functioning, activities like willed actions.  

God’s commandment to Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil does what all moral codes do – it sets a limit. All morality starts with setting limits on our behavior or even on our thinking.  These guardrails, and the effort to live life within these guardrails, forms the essential drama of every human soul, every household, and every community.  Without limits, life is less interesting, and its deeper layers remain buried and unseen. The ultimate limit, or deadline, is death.  

The final frontier of death, that dark curtain, gives all of life a sense of urgency and purpose.  Our being towards death, our life as hemmed in by the constraint of our biological end, makes us pay closer attention to all of reality. An endless life on earth, after all, would be essentially without purpose, without punishment, without reward, and without moral drama. If Eve had not sinned our lives on earth would still have ended, just not through the pain of death, but through some other form of departure perhaps similar to Mary’s, the only creature who has never tasted death. 

There are endless layers of meaning to the Genesis narrative. Its depths have been plumbed, its nuances have been unpacked, by many impressive and creative theologians, artists, and philosophers. As people of the modern west, we have been schooled in the suppositions of the Enlightenment, and biased by our hyper technological, democratic culture. So we are sensitive to any restrictions on our freedom, which we tend to understand as an ultimate good.  

The seprent in the Genesis narrative today frames God as man’s enemy. But God is not our enemy. He’s not even our rival. God is not happy to the extent that we are sad. He is not pleased to the extent that we remain unpleased or unsatisfied. Our happiness, our fulfillment, is more likely when our will concurs with His. When our gift of freedom is exercised in accordance with His will, as expressed through the voice of his Son in the Church, we are more likely to live a kind of challenging self-fulfillment similar to the self fulfillment experienced by an elite athlete, a skilled craftsman, or an experienced musician.  

These professionals bend and shape their wills over long periods of time to conform with the laws of their arts. And precisely in that curtailing of their own desires, of their own wants and needs, are they able to sing an aria, vault over a high pole, or shape raw marble into the serene face of a saint. If we refuse to learn from the saints, or see them as too remote or impersonal, let us at least learn from other elite warriors – the athlete, the artist, or the craftsman. They live in our world. They do wondrous things. We admire their works so we should admire their focus and disciple in going for the gold. 

The fundamental temptation of all sin is the deification of the will. The conviction that my freedom, my expressed will, is superior to anyone else, or anything else, is the root of much sin. But my freedom is, in fact, not a royal decree. It can err. Freedom is also so conditioned by a
thousand human factors that our choices are never pure and our reasons never as dryly rational as we like to imagine.  

Adam and Eve exercise their freedom poorly today, turning a garden into a desert. They become the focus of their own lives, realizing, suddenly, that they are unclothed.  And they make this bad choice from a state of perfection, making our already fallen state seem ever hopeless. 
 
But we have more helps than them. Perfect nature is bested by perfect grace. We have God’s son. We have the catechism. We have Mary and the tombs of the saints. We have 2,000 years of learning. We have processions and devotions and rosaries and ashes on our foreheads. We are well and fully arrayed to resist the powerful temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are equipped to shape our will to God’s, to climb the podium at the end of our lives not to wear a small round medal of gold for a time, but to be crowned with eternal life for eternity. That’s our goal. That’s our mission possible. Amen.  
 
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70208826Sun, 22 Feb 2026 03:48:24 +0000Fr. Michael BlackFirst Sunday of Lent 2-22-26 Homily   We, the hearers of today’s mass readings, find ourselves in a primordial garden this First Sunday of Lent, ear witnesses to the first conversations of mankind. After blowing life into the nostrils of man, God...First Sunday of Lent 2-22-26 Homily
 
We, the hearers of today’s mass readings, find ourselves in a primordial garden this First Sunday of Lent, ear witnesses to the first conversations of mankind. After blowing life into the nostrils of man, God quickly follows with a prohibition: “You shall not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil” ...and it’s all downhill from there.  

The mouth is a source of many and varied sins. The mouth, in fact, may be the cause of damnation more than any other part of the human body. The mouth of Eve opens wide in today’s reading from Genesis and closes again on a piece of fruit, changing the world forever.  

That “opening” act was preceded by Eve opening her mouth for a different purpose - to jaw with the serpent. That superfluous exchange of words formed the glide path to the original sin of eating.  
Mankind eats. We must eat. The necessity of eating is part of all animal life, down to bacterial life. Even amoebas eat, though not with mouths. The need to eat pulls man out of his home, compelling him to search for food, to gathering the material needed to nourish his body. This search for food is a fundamental reason why mankind engages with the broader world in the first place and becomes a social animal.  While on the search for food, we cross paths with people we would otherwise never meet...at the market, the store, or the restaurant.  Eve herself is in a garden looking for food when she runs into the devil himself. If she had stayed home, she may never have met her match.  

And what does man eat? Anything and everything. We are omnivores. Our jaws, our teeth, and our appetites consume bark, clams, liver, mushrooms, grasshoppers, snake eggs, monkey brains, frog legs, and sheep eyeballs - the list of strange foods and delicacies is endless.  We are greedy for food and devour almost all that the earth offers us. 

Nearly all that our eyes behold is fit for consumption, especially when in dire need, except when our eyes fall on our fellow man. We see our cousin, our neighbor, even our enemy, and we know that him we cannot consume. Only the most primitive man, he most untrained in religious and human virtues, will consume his neighbor.  

When I conclude that I cannot eat my fellow man I am also concluding something else - that my fellow man should not eat me. My neighbor is not edible for the same reason that I am not edible. My dignity surpasses that of a carrot, a lobster, or a cow. Eating, clearly, is more than caloric intake.  

The pan-cultural prohibition against canabalism hints at an important insight - that there is a moral code embedded in our choice of what to eat and what not to eat. And if there are layers of meaning to so fundamental a biological function as eating, then it follows that there are also deeper layers of meaning to every human activity, especially those acts superior to basic biological functioning, activities like willed actions.  

God’s commandment to Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil does what all moral codes do – it sets a limit. All morality starts with setting limits on our behavior or even on our thinking.  These guardrails, and the effort to live life within these guardrails, forms the essential drama of every human soul, every household, and every community.  Without limits, life is less interesting, and its deeper layers remain buried and unseen. The ultimate limit, or deadline, is death.  

The final frontier of death, that dark curtain, gives all of life a sense of urgency and purpose.  Our being towards death, our life as hemmed in by the constraint of our biological end, makes us pay closer attention to all of reality. An endless life on earth, after all, would be essentially without purpose, without punishment, without reward, and without moral drama. If Eve had not sinned our lives on...]]>6231st,adam,apple,catholic,devil,eve,homily,lent,sermon,serpent,snake,sundayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ash-wednesday-2026-readings-homily--70124925




First Reading: Joel 2:12-18

Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.

The Word of the Lord






Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.






Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2


Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation. 

The Word of the Lord







A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (6:1-6, 16-18)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."







The Gospel of the Lord

Homily

Normally the first word that a baby learns, unsurprisingly, is “mama.” One of the next words that most babies learn is “more.” A baby wants more food, more drink, more mom, more dad, more everything.  

We never forget that word, do we? From our infancy we simply want more and more. We even want more of non-tangible, non-physical things. We want more feedback. More compliments. More leisure. More knowledge. We very naturally want more. And no one has to stoke the fires of more, to remind us to desire more. We want more sleep, and no one needs encouragement to hit the snooze button, or to spend more time online, or to eat more ice cream. All of these things come to us naturally. 

The opposite of “more” may not be “less” but simply “no” or “none.” The beginning of Lent is a good time to remind ourselves that the word “no” can be a loving word.  When a mom or dad tells their teenage daughter to be home at 11, she might say, “but why can't I stay out until 12? Don't you love me?” And they could respond “Yes, we love you, - be home by 11.” In other words “We love you, no, you can’t stay out until 12.” “I love you, no” is an alternative to “I love you, yes.” Our body often demands that we respond to its desires with yes. But in Lent we tell our bodies “I love you, no!”
 
On Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent the Church encourages us to say “no” to ourselves more often. She teaches us that “more and more” is not beneficial for our bodies or our souls. The more we say “no” to food and drink and pleasure, the more capable we are of saying “yes” to God. 
We don’t seek to free ourselves from external chains just for the sake of being free. Freedom is not a goal as much as a means. Freedom is like time or money. It’s meant to be used, otherwise it loses its meaning. Freedom from the demands of the body has a positive more than a negative purpose. We are free “from” so that we can free “for.” We are free from self-focus, self-aggrandizement, self-coddling, so that we can be free for service to the church and others. To liberate ourselves from the incessant demands of our own bodies frees us for service to others. When we are not slaves to our bodily desires, we are more available, more willing, more capable, to serve those around us and to practice our faith at full throttle.
 
On Ash Wednesday our undying church smudges ash on our forehead and whispers “You’re gonna die.” We can almost feel the priest’s breath on our face as he says, in effect, “You're no bigger or better than this little pile of dust.” And this is not a virtual or digital encounter. The priest doesn’t appear through a screen. Receiving ashes is a real encounter between two real people, and if someone doesn't believe that Catholicism is true, today at least they know that Catholicism is real, and that realness may, down the road, lead to belief. Ours is not a fake or a counterfeit religion. There's nothing more real than wearing a scuff of ash on your forehead at lunch today.
 
The deep religious sentiment conveyed today is not too intellectual. A smudge on our forehead is not an idea or a concept. It’s simply there...all..day...long, a temporary Catholic tatoo. And we can’t outrun our forehead. 

On archeological digs, it’s very common that as the workers tunnel down through the layers of dirt and rock and broken shards of pottery, they find an ash layer. This shows where a fire burned down the castle, the city, the fort, or the house. This is where everything before came to an end. This layer demarcates destruction and a new beginning. A bed of ash separates one era from another.  
May today be our own personal ash layer. From today’s ashes may we start again. Today - may we drop our sins like a murder weapon. May we leave behind the old man and start the Chrisitan adventure again, harnessing our desires. We will return one day to the dust from which God made us. And when we return to that state there will be judgment, there will be mercy, and there will be condemnation. There will be heaven, hell, or purgatory. And there will be eternity. May we prepare well for that endless day. Amen.  ]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70124925Wed, 18 Feb 2026 02:41:20 +0000Fr. Michael BlackAsh Wednesday Readings & Homily 2026 First Reading: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/Joel/2?12 Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return...




First Reading: Joel 2:12-18

Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.

The Word of the Lord






Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.






Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2


Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation. 

The Word of the Lord







A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (6:1-6, 16-18)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in...]]>700falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ash-wednesday-2026-homily--70124931ASH WEDNESDAY 2026
 
Normally the first word that a baby learns, unsurprisingly, is “mama.” One of the next words that most babies learn is “more.” A baby wants more food, more drink, more mom, more dad, more everything.  

We never forget that word, do we? From our infancy we simply want more and more. We even want more of non-tangible, non-physical things. We want more feedback. More compliments. More leisure. More knowledge. We very naturally want more. And no one has to stoke the fires of more, to remind us to desire more. We want more sleep, and no one needs encouragement to hit the snooze button, or to spend more time online, or to eat more ice cream. All of these things come to us naturally.  

The opposite of “more” may not be “less” but simply “no” or “none.” The beginning of Lent is a good time to remind ourselves that the word “no” can be a loving word.  When a mom or dad tells their teenage daughter to be home at 11, she might say, “but why can't I stay out until 12? Don't you love me?” And they could respond “Yes, we love you, - be home by 11.” In other words “We love you, no, you can’t stay out until 12.” “I love you, no” is an alternative to “I love you, yes.” Our body often demands that we respond to its desires with yes. But in Lent we tell our bodies “I love you, no!” 

On Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent the Church encourages us to say “no” to ourselves more often. She teaches us that “more and more” is not beneficial for our bodies or our souls. The more we say “no” to food and drink and pleasure, the more capable we are of saying “yes” to God. 
We don’t seek to free ourselves from external chains just for the sake of being free. Freedom is not a goal as much as a means. Freedom is like time or money. It’s meant to be used, otherwise it loses its meaning. Freedom from the demands of the body has a positive more than a negative purpose. We are free “from” so that we can free “for.” We are free from self-focus, self- aggrandizement, self-coddling, so that we can be free for service to the church and others. To liberate ourselves from the incessant demands of our own bodies frees us for service to others. When we are not slaves to our bodily desires, we are more available, more willing, more capable, to serve those around us and to practice our faith at full throttle.

On Ash Wednesday our undying church smudges ash on our forehead and whispers “You’re gonna die.” We can almost feel the priest’s breath on our face as he says, in effect, “You're no bigger or better than this little pile of dust.” And this is not a virtual or digital encounter. The priest doesn’t appear through a screen. Receiving ashes is a real encounter between two real people, and if someone doesn't believe that Catholicism is true, today at least they know that Catholicism is real, and that realness may, down the road, lead to belief. Ours is not a fake or a counterfeit religion. There's nothing more real than wearing a scuff of ash on your forehead at lunch today. The deep religious sentiment conveyed today is not too intellectual. A smudge on our forehead is not an idea or a concept. It’s simply there...all..day...long, a temporary Catholic tatoo. And we can’t outrun our forehead.

On archeological digs, it’s very common that as the workers tunnel down through the layers of dirt and rock and broken shards of pottery, they find an ash layer. This shows where a fire burned down the castle, the city, the fort, or the house. This is where everything before came to an end. This layer demarcates destruction and a new beginning. A bed of ash separates one era from another.  May today be our own personal ash layer. From today’s ashes may we start again. Today - may we drop our sins like a murder weapon. May we leave behind the old man and start the Chrisitan adventure again, harnessing our desires. We will return one day to the dust from which God made us. And when we return to that state there will be judgment, there will be mercy, and there will be condemnation. There will be heaven, hell, or purgatory. And there will be eternity. May we prepare well for that endless day. Amen.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70124931Wed, 18 Feb 2026 02:09:49 +0000Fr. Michael BlackASH WEDNESDAY 2026   Normally the first word that a baby learns, unsurprisingly, is “mama.” One of the next words that most babies learn is “more.” A baby wants more food, more drink, more mom, more dad, more everything.   We never forget that word,...ASH WEDNESDAY 2026
 
Normally the first word that a baby learns, unsurprisingly, is “mama.” One of the next words that most babies learn is “more.” A baby wants more food, more drink, more mom, more dad, more everything.  

We never forget that word, do we? From our infancy we simply want more and more. We even want more of non-tangible, non-physical things. We want more feedback. More compliments. More leisure. More knowledge. We very naturally want more. And no one has to stoke the fires of more, to remind us to desire more. We want more sleep, and no one needs encouragement to hit the snooze button, or to spend more time online, or to eat more ice cream. All of these things come to us naturally.  

The opposite of “more” may not be “less” but simply “no” or “none.” The beginning of Lent is a good time to remind ourselves that the word “no” can be a loving word.  When a mom or dad tells their teenage daughter to be home at 11, she might say, “but why can't I stay out until 12? Don't you love me?” And they could respond “Yes, we love you, - be home by 11.” In other words “We love you, no, you can’t stay out until 12.” “I love you, no” is an alternative to “I love you, yes.” Our body often demands that we respond to its desires with yes. But in Lent we tell our bodies “I love you, no!” 

On Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent the Church encourages us to say “no” to ourselves more often. She teaches us that “more and more” is not beneficial for our bodies or our souls. The more we say “no” to food and drink and pleasure, the more capable we are of saying “yes” to God. 
We don’t seek to free ourselves from external chains just for the sake of being free. Freedom is not a goal as much as a means. Freedom is like time or money. It’s meant to be used, otherwise it loses its meaning. Freedom from the demands of the body has a positive more than a negative purpose. We are free “from” so that we can free “for.” We are free from self-focus, self- aggrandizement, self-coddling, so that we can be free for service to the church and others. To liberate ourselves from the incessant demands of our own bodies frees us for service to others. When we are not slaves to our bodily desires, we are more available, more willing, more capable, to serve those around us and to practice our faith at full throttle.

On Ash Wednesday our undying church smudges ash on our forehead and whispers “You’re gonna die.” We can almost feel the priest’s breath on our face as he says, in effect, “You're no bigger or better than this little pile of dust.” And this is not a virtual or digital encounter. The priest doesn’t appear through a screen. Receiving ashes is a real encounter between two real people, and if someone doesn't believe that Catholicism is true, today at least they know that Catholicism is real, and that realness may, down the road, lead to belief. Ours is not a fake or a counterfeit religion. There's nothing more real than wearing a scuff of ash on your forehead at lunch today. The deep religious sentiment conveyed today is not too intellectual. A smudge on our forehead is not an idea or a concept. It’s simply there...all..day...long, a temporary Catholic tatoo. And we can’t outrun our forehead.

On archeological digs, it’s very common that as the workers tunnel down through the layers of dirt and rock and broken shards of pottery, they find an ash layer. This shows where a fire burned down the castle, the city, the fort, or the house. This is where everything before came to an end. This layer demarcates destruction and a new beginning. A bed of ash separates one era from another.  May today be our own personal ash layer. From today’s ashes may we start again. Today - may we drop our sins like a murder weapon. May we leave behind the old man and start the Chrisitan adventure again, harnessing our desires. We will return one day to the dust from which God made us. And when we...]]>372abstienence,ash,catholic,fasting,homily,lent,mass,priest,reflection,sermon,talk,wednesdayfalsefull