Category: Prayers

“If before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality.” –Wisdom 3:4 Mass Readings: November 2 First: Wisdom 3:1-9; Resp: Psalm 27:1,4,7-9,13-14; Second: Romans 5:5-11; Gospel: John 11:17-27 Listen to the Mass Readings It is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead (2 Mc 12:44-45). Because those in heaven or in hell don’t benefit from our prayers, this implies that not everyone immediately goes to heaven or hell after they die. Therefore, when we pray for the dead, we must be praying for people in some other place, usually called purgatory. It is...

“See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God!” –1 John 3:1 Mass Readings: November 1 First: Revelation 7:2-4,9-14; Resp: Psalm 24:1-6; Second: 1 John 3:1-3; Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 Listen to the Mass Readings To become a saint in heaven, we must be baptized (see Mk 16:16), totally commit our lives to Jesus, and have a strong desire to be holy in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15). We must strive “for that holiness without which no one can see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). To do this, we must hunger...

“Hoping for what we cannot see means awaiting it with patient endurance.” –Romans 8:25 Mass Readings: October 31 First: Romans 8:18-25; Resp: Psalm 126:1-6;Gospel: Luke 13:18-21 Listen to the Mass Readings Because we: have been baptized into Christ (Rm 6:3), have the Trinity living within us (see Jn 17:23), are royal, priestly children of God (Rm 8:16; 1 Pt 2:9), are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13-14), and by faith can do greater works than Jesus did (Jn 14:12), our lives are of great significance for the whole world for all times. Nevertheless,...

“Arise, O Lord, that Your enemies may be scattered, and those who hate You may flee before You.” –Numbers 10:35; see also Psalm 68:2 Mass Readings: October 30 First: Romans 8:12-17; Resp: Psalm 68:2,4,6-7,20-21; Gospel: Luke 13:10-17 Listen to the Mass Readings Moses prayed the above verse whenever the Israelites in the desert prepared to break camp and set out with the Ark of the Covenant on a new stage of their journey. When that day’s travel was finished, Moses prayed: “Return, O Lord, You Who ride upon the clouds, to the troops of Israel” (Nm 10:36). In this way,...

“I love You, O Lord, my Strength.” –Psalm 18:2 Mass Readings: October 29 First: Exodus 22:20-26; Resp: Psalm 18:2-4,47,51; Second: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus revealed that the two greatest commandments were about loving God and our neighbor (Mt 22:37-39). Jesus maintained that His mission was to show us the Father’s love (Jn 15:9). He commanded us to love even our enemies (Mt 5:44). Jesus said that we would be recognized as His disciples because of our “love for one another” (Jn 13:35). Finally, Jesus laid down His life for us when He...