St. Agnes

St Agnes

Feastday: January 21

Patron of the Children of Mary

Died: 304

St. Agnes was a Roman girl who was only thirteen years old when she suffered martyrdom for her Faith. Agnes had made a promise, a promise to God never to stain her purity. Her love for the Lord was very great and she hated sin even more than death! Since she was very beautiful, many young men wished to marry Agnes, but she would always say, "Jesus Christ is my only Spouse."

Procop, the Governor's son, became very angry when she refused him. He had tried to win her for his wife with rich gifts and promises, but the beautiful young girl kept saying, "I am already promised to the Lord of the Universe. He is more splendid than the sun and the stars, and He has said He will never leave me!" In great anger, Procop accused her of being a Christian and brought her to his father, the Governor. The Governor promised Agnes wonderful gifts if she would only deny God, but Agnes refused. He tried to change her mind by putting her in chains, but her lovely face shone with joy. Next he sent her to a place of sin, but an Angel protected her. At last, she was condemned to death. Even the pagans cried to see such a young and beautiful girl going to death. Yet, Agnes was as happy as a bride on her wedding day. She did not pay attention to those who begged her to save herself. "I would offend my Spouse," she said, "if I were to try to please you. He chose me first and He shall have me!" Then she prayed and bowed her head for the death-stroke of the sword.

Friday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 216

Reading 1

1 JN 5:5-13

Beloved:

Who indeed is the victor over the world

but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,

not by water alone, but by water and Blood. 

The Spirit is the one who testifies,

and the Spirit is truth. 

So there are three who testify,

the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, 

and the three are of one accord. 

If we accept human testimony,

the testimony of God is surely greater. 

Now the testimony of God is this,

that he has testified on behalf of his Son. 

Whoever believes in the Son of God

has this testimony within himself.

Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar

by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. 

And this is the testimony:

God gave us eternal life,

and this life is in his Son. 

Whoever possesses the Son has life;

whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you so that you may know

that you have eternal life,

you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R. Alleluia.

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.

or:

R. Alleluia.

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.

or:

R. Alleluia.

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.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Gospel

LK 5:12-16

It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;

and when he saw Jesus,

he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 

Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,

“I do will it. Be made clean.” 

And the leprosy left him immediately. 

Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but

“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing

what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 

The report about him spread all the more,

and great crowds assembled to listen to him

and to be cured of their ailments,

but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

Tuesday after Epiphany Lectionary: 213

Tuesday after Epiphany

Lectionary: 213

Reading 1

1 JN 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another,

because love is of God;

everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

In this way the love of God was revealed to us:

God sent his only-begotten Son into the world

so that we might have life through him.

In this is love:

not that we have loved God, but that he loved us

and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8

R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The mountains shall yield peace for the people,

and the hills justice.

He shall defend the afflicted among the people,

save the children of the poor.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Gospel

MK 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things. 

By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,

“This is a deserted place and it is already very late. 

Dismiss them so that they can go 

to the surrounding farms and villages

and buy themselves something to eat.” 

He said to them in reply,

“Give them some food yourselves.” 

But they said to him,

“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food

and give it to them to eat?” 

He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” 

And when they had found out they said,

“Five loaves and two fish.” 

So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. 

The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. 

Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, 

he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples

to set before the people;

he also divided the two fish among them all. 

They all ate and were satisfied. 

And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments

and what was left of the fish. 

Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

Monday after Epiphany Lectionary:212

Monday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 212

Reading 1

1 JN 3:22-4:6

Beloved:

We receive from him whatever we ask,

because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:

we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

and the way we know that he remains in us

is from the Spirit whom he gave us.

Beloved, do not trust every spirit

but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,

because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This is how you can know the Spirit of God:

every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh

belongs to God,

and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus

does not belong to God.

This is the spirit of the antichrist

who, as you heard, is to come,

but in fact is already in the world.

You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,

for the one who is in you

is greater than the one who is in the world.

They belong to the world;

accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,

and the world listens to them.

We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,

while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.

This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 2:7BC-8, 10-12A

R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;

this day I have begotten you.

Ask of me and I will give you

the nations for an inheritance

and the ends of the earth for your possession.”

R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

And now, O kings, give heed;

take warning, you rulers of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;

with trembling rejoice.

R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

Gospel

MT 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,

he withdrew to Galilee. 

He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,

in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet 

might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

the people who sit in darkness

have seen a great light,

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death

light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,

“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He went around all of Galilee,

teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and curing every disease and illness among the people. 

His fame spread to all of Syria,

and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases

and racked with pain,

those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,

and he cured them. 

And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,

and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Searching

Searching 

   Today is the feast of the Epiphany, where the Kings brings the gifts to Jesus. I will talk about the “gifts” in a different blog during the week. Today, I want to focus on the Three Wise Men/Kings journey. They saw a sign and decided to actively find this special child. The journey is not like today. There was no GPS or Rest Stops. They packed and left and not sure of where they would end up. Yes, I get in my car and just drive sometimes but I have a GPS or Signs that can bring me back home. 

   Do we today, go out and search for Jesus? They did not wait for Him to come to them but set out to find Him. How do we search for Jesus today in the world? What do we do that takes us from the comfort of our homes and look for Jesus? Sometimes we need to go outside our comfort zone to search for Jesus and meet Him in a different way. We all need to be active in the search. There is no one exempt from this. For some part of the journey and search would be opening up the Bible and read the words of Jesus. Others may need to go on a retreat. Some may get involved in ministries both inside and outside of the Church. Those are some ways I know I have searched for Jesus. It is also searching for Jesus in the hurt and pain in the world. We can look to those who serve the least and see Jesus at work. We can look to those who aid victims of devastation as Jesus at work. Maybe you see Jesus in nature and all of its Glory. It can be in a smile of a child that you see Jesus. We are not going to get this huge blinking sign in the form of an arrow that will say “ Here is a Jesus Moment” and point to it. We do need to be on the look out for those times where we can see Jesus in the world and in our daily lives.

   The Wise Men took a leap of faith and searched for the miracle of Jesus. We too must do that. Seek those miracles around us and even go in search of them. This is an active Faith. If we are not moving and searching then we will just stand and never grow in love or understanding. They best way to learn about something or someone is to go on a journey of self discovery. Today we have the whole world of information at our finger tips and with just a few clips we can be transported all over the world. We have it easier but it still is a challenge sometimes to do this search. We have to stop the games, the chats and search. 

   Make that effort and search for Jesus on this day and everyday. The Wise men did not reach their destiny or destination over night. It took time and so will your search. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and let your heart, mind and soul lead you in your search. 

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
Lectionary: 20

Reading 1

IS 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD. 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R/ (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R/ Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R/ Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

All kings shall pay him homage,

all nations shall serve him.

R/ Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R/ Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading 2

EPH 3:2-3A, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:

You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace 

that was given to me for your benefit, 

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

It was not made known to people in other generations 

as it has now been revealed

to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Gospel

MT 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

in the days of King Herod, 

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.”

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled, 

and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 

for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

since from you shall come a ruler,

who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod called the magi secretly 

and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 

“Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word, 

that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures 

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 

they departed for their country by another way.

Digging Out

Digging Out

  As I was digging out from the snow storm today, I thought about how many times I had to dig myself out in my spiritual life. First lets look at the snow itself then relate it to our spiritual lives. 

     One snowflake has no impact and it even can go unnoticed but as the flakes continue to come down they start to make that impact on our lives. It is when they start to pile up that we take notice and our lives start to change. We have to alter our plans because of the snow and even cancel things at times. We have to become reliant on others to help clear the snow, so we can get back to our daily lives. Without that extra help we will only get so far and in the case of snow it may just be to the end of our driveways or the street. Some people wait till the snow has stopped before making any attempt to clear it , while others keep going out and clean as it comes down. If it is a minor amount the first plan is great but if there are multiple inches then the second way is best. By doing it that way, you are able to attain the goal without much effort as you go along. Yet, if you wait, you are faced with more effort to move the great chunks that have become ice and it is a greater amount to contend with. 

     Ok, so how does this have anything to do with spiritual life? Think of the snowflakes as sin and think how sin can pile up on us and bury us. How do we dig ourselves out of sin? As Catholics we are blessed to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is the first way we can start digging out. We are human and will sin, that is part of the life we have to face here on earth. So, we really can not wait till the storm of sin ends to dig ourselves out.  Many other form of Christianity seem to use this idea and practice. I will address that later on in this blog. 

      The first thing to do is to acknowledge our sins. That is when we examine our conscience. Not many people do this. If for example you never look outside or listen to reports, you will never will know if it snowed or not or how much there is. You will think that all your plans you had for the day is set and ready. But then you walk out and see the reality of it that there is so much snow (sin) that your plans are going to be delayed longer (purgatory) and you will arrive later (heaven) or even your plans are canceled (hell).  We can change this by going to confession and examining our conscience. Remember I said before that some people wait for snow to stop or slow up and others will clear every so often? They both get the job done and there is that clear path. So, it comes down to how you want to deal with the snow (sins). Some will wait for the Penance Services around Lent or Advent and others will go a few times during the year.  You also will have that combination of both. When sin is great in your life, you will go to confession for that time but under normal conditions will wait till those special times to go. The goals are the same.

       When we clear the paths to the car and clean it off and dig the car out so we can get going, this part I consider the part of examining our consciences. This is where the differences between being Catholic and many other denominations of Christianity appear. You see, as Catholics we know we need that extra help when it comes to our sins. We need that Priest who is “Persona Christi” (in the person of Christ) to absolve us of our sins. This is where I say we can only get so far on the road to heaven alone. In the case of the analogy of the snow, we will get to the end of our driveway or the street unless the plowman (Priest) clears the roads for us. We can not continue on no matter how clear that path is to our car or how clean our car is or how clean that driveway is. The snow (sin) will hinder us and can even stop us by getting stuck. Yet, the plow (Priest) can clear the way and aid us in our journey to heaven. We can manage better knowing that the road ahead is clear. Priests aid us in our journey and help us clear those paths. I do not know why other would take that chance and go out on the unsafe road without the aid of confession and the Priest. 

     I know and can speak from experience that there was a time I felt I could go out onto the road and would be fine. That I did not need any help and I talked to God myself and that was all I needed. Well, I can say it didn’t work and all I did was travel and lost the road I was on and ended up in a ditch. Without the road being cleared, I did not see any difference between the road and the ditch. There was no distinction in my life. It all seemed the same and of course I knew best. This is one of the reasons why I respect those who become Priests. Without their help in removing those sins that block me and cause me to go off the road, I would still be in that ditch waiting for eternity, and I do not mean eternity in heaven either. 

     We are blessed to have Confession and I hope that in some way I helped in showing how important of a Sacrament it is and that we should use it as often to keep that road clear before us. Our souls are in need of forgiveness that only a Priest as “Persona Christi” can forgive. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may we all seek forgiveness and offer it also.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Lectionary: 207

Reading 1

1 JN 3:7-10

Children, let no one deceive you. 

The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,

just as he is righteous. 

Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,

because the Devil has sinned from the beginning. 

Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil. 

No one who is begotten by God commits sin,

because God’s seed remains in him;

he cannot sin because he is begotten by God. 

In this way,

the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;

no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,

nor anyone who does not love his brother.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 98:1, 7-8, 9

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Let the sea and what fills it resound,

the world and those who dwell in it;

Let the rivers clap their hands,

the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

The LORD comes;

he comes to rule the earth;

He will rule the world with justice

and the peoples with equity.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel

JN 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,

and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,

“Behold, the Lamb of God.”

The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,

“What are you looking for?”

They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),

“where are you staying?”

He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying,

and they stayed with him that day.

It was about four in the afternoon.

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,

was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.

He first found his own brother Simon and told him,

“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.

Then he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said,

“You are Simon the son of John;

you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.

Christmas Weekday Lectionary: 206

Christmas Weekday

Lectionary: 206

Reading 1

1 JN 2:29-3:6

If you consider that God is righteous,

you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness

is begotten by him.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us

that we may be called the children of God. 

Yet so we are.

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God’s children now;

what we shall be has not yet been revealed. 

We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,

for we shall see him as he is.

Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,

as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,

for sin is lawlessness. 

You know that he was revealed to take away sins,

and in him there is no sin. 

No one who remains in him sins;

no one who sins has seen him or known him.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 98:1, 3CD-4, 5-6

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation by our God.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

break into song; sing praise.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,

with the harp and melodious song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel

JN 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

He is the one of whom I said,

‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me

because he existed before me.’

I did not know him,

but the reason why I came baptizing with water

was that he might be made known to Israel.”

John testified further, saying,

“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky

and remain upon him.

I did not know him,

but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,

‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,

he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

January Second Readings Saint Basil the Great

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Lectionary: 205

Reading 1

1 JN 2:22-28

Beloved:

Who is the liar? 

Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. 

Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. 

Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,

but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. 

If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,

then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 

And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. 

I write you these things about those who would deceive you. 

As for you,

the anointing that you received from him remains in you,

so that you do not need anyone to teach you. 

But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; 

just as it taught you, remain in him.

And now, children, remain in him,

so that when he appears we may have confidence

and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

The LORD has made his salvation known:

in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation by our God.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

break into song; sing praise.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel

JN 1:19-28

This is the testimony of John. 

When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him

to ask him, “Who are you?”

He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,

“I am not the Christ.” 

So they asked him,

“What are you then? Are you Elijah?” 

And he said, “I am not.” 

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.” 

So they said to him,

“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? 

What do you have to say for yourself?”

He said:

“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,

‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’

as Isaiah the prophet said.” 

Some Pharisees were also sent. 

They asked him,

“Why then do you baptize

if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” 

John answered them,

“I baptize with water;

but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,

the one who is coming after me,

whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 

This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,

where John was baptizing.