Mass Reading & Meditation for November 1, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 5:1-12
All Saints
Blessed are they … (Matthew 5:4)
It’s easy to read the beatitudes and see in them the lives of the saints. We could probably take a pencil and paper right now and make a quick list: poor in spirit—St. Francis; mourning—St. Monica; hungry for righteousness—St. Benedict; merciful—Mother Teresa; clean of heart—St. Maria [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for October 2, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 18:1-5,10
The Guardian Angels
People who are rich and famous often have a retinue of people to watch over them—bodyguards, personal trainers, agents, and the like. But if we had the spiritual vision to penetrate beyond outward appearances, we’d be able to see that it’s not only the wealthy who have helpers. As the [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for September 21, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 9:9-13
St. Matthew
Everyone must have known and despised Matthew. He was the guy who collected duty from local farmers and craftsmen whenever they took their products to or from the territory of Herod Antipas. He probably also collected taxes for the Romans. If he was like most tax collectors of the time, he [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for September 8, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 1:1-16,18-23
The Birth of the Virgin Mary
For centuries, God had been promising his people a Savior, one who would “shepherd his flock” and whose greatness would “reach to the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:3). And over the generations, countless Jews waited, trusting that God’s promises would be fulfilled. That’s why the birth [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for September 2, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 4:38-44
Have you ever wondered why the four gospels are so different from each other?
They all tell the story of Jesus: his teaching, his miracles, his death, and his resurrection. But each of them has different details, and some of these details even contradict each other.
Take today’s reading, for example. Along with Matthew [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for August 27, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 24:42-51
The old maxim that exhorts us to “keep on keeping on” is another way to interpret today’s Gospel reading.
Jesus says, “Stay awake!” He encourages us to keep serving him despite whatever difficulties and temptations we encounter. Granted, it’s not always easy to do. We get tired, we want to let others take [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for August 26, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 23:27-32
You have probed me, and you know me. (Psalm 139:1)
Jesus had X-ray vision. He could see right into the hearts of the people who came to him for healing and help. In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us that he also knew the hearts of the people who hated and opposed him: the [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for August 25, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 23:23-26
Many homes have a junk drawer or catch-all closet that the owners don’t really want other people to know about.
When company approaches, stray papers and miscellaneous objects are quickly deposited into these hiding places. And with these distractions out of sight, the house appears orderly, and guests get a good impression. Still, [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for August 22, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 23:1-12
All their works are performed to be seen. (Matthew 23:5)
Jesus didn’t mince any words in criticizing these Pharisees for their outward display of holiness. That’s because he knew that many of them weren’t living up to the standard they expected from others. We can be sure they had good intentions. They studied [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for August 20, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Matthew 22:1-14
A master storyteller, Jesus frequently used parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings—to teach about spiritual realities.
In today’s Gospel, he compared the kingdom of heaven to a feast held by a king for his son’s wedding. As the parable unfolds, the invited guests refuse the invitation. Some even kill the king’s messengers—an image of [...]