Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“Proclaim the good news to all creation.” –Mark 16:15 Mass Readings: April 25 First: 1 Peter 5:5-14;Resp: Psalm 89:2-3,6-7,16-17; Gospel: Mark 16:15-20 Listen to the Mass Readings The early Church, and St. Mark, did their very best to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world (Mk 16:15). The apostles and disciples used every means available to them in the time of Christ: traveling on foot over many miles, meeting people in public places, synagogues, the Temple, in homes, etc. St. Mark, also known as John (Acts 13:5, 13) and John Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37), even was...

“Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul.” –Acts 11:25 Mass Readings: April 24 First: Revelation 3:7-8,10-12; Resp: Psalm 119:137-144; Gospel: John 10:11-16 Listen to the Mass Readings A big temptation of being a disciple of Christ is to do it all ourselves, to be the leader of the pack. Yet St. Barnabas, who was in the position to be the main attraction in the church at Antioch, “was a good man” (Acts 11:24). “Filled with the Holy Spirit and faith” (Acts 11:24), Barnabas realized that he needed help for the job of teaching the fledgling Christians at...

“Who was I to be able to hinder God?” –Acts 11:17, RNAB Mass Readings: April 23 First: Acts 11:1-18; Resp: Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4; Gospel: John 10:1-10 Listen to the Mass Readings St. Peter asks an excellent question: “Who was I to be able to hinder God?” It’s God’s plan to work through people like St. Peter and people like you and me. It’s a great mystery that God, Who is all-powerful, would put Himself in such a position that we humans have the capability to hinder Him! Peter’s question should also be on our lips as well. How many times...

“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up.” –Acts 4:8 At the first Christian Pentecost, “all were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). After Peter and John were released from prison, the first Christian community gathered to pray, and “the place where they were gathered shook as they prayed. They were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 4:31). Stephen, the first deacon and the first martyr, was “a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Barnabas “was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith” (Acts 11:24). The Lord commands us: “Be filled with...

“Many came to believe in the Lord.” –Acts 9:42 Mass Readings: April 21 First: Acts 9:31-42; Resp: Psalm 116:12-17; Gospel: John 6:60-69 Listen to the Mass Readings We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Therefore, we must have faith. Moreover, the Lord wants us to have great and growing faith (see Mt 15:27ff). Consequently, we should pray: Lord, “increase our faith” (Lk 17:5) and “I have faith; help my lack of faith” (Mk 9:24, NJB). Jesus so much wants our faith to grow that he challenges us and may even shake our faith (Jn 6:61). To deepen our...