Category: Prayers

“The Lord said to him: ‘You must go! This man is the instrument I have chosen to bring My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I Myself shall indicate to him how much he will have to suffer for My name.’” –Acts 9:15-16 Mass Readings: May 5 First: Acts 9:1-20; Resp: Psalm 117:1-2; Gospel: John 6:52-59 Listen to the Mass Readings The Lord converted Saul of Tarsus by: grace (see Eph 2:8), the martyrdom of St. Stephen (Acts 7:60–8:1), the redemptive suffering of the early Church (Acts 8:1, 3; 9:4), the prayers of...

“He was seen by James; then by all the apostles.” –1 Corinthians 15:7 Mass Readings: May 3 First: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Resp: Psalm 19:2-5; Gospel: John 14:6-14 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus selected James, Philip, and the other apostles at the start of His public ministry (Mk 3:13ff). Jesus also selected the apostles to see Him after He had risen from the dead (1 Cor 15:5, 7). No one can ever replace the witness of the apostles as “the chosen witnesses of the Lord’s Resurrection” (Catechism, 860). Jesus told His apostles: “He who hears you, hears Me. He who...

” ‘So that we can put faith in You,’ they asked Him, ‘What sign are You going to perform for us to see? What is the “work” You do?’ ” –John 6:30 Mass Readings: May 2 First: Acts 7:51–8:1; Resp: Psalm 31:3-4,6-8,17,21; Gospel: John 6:30-35 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus was asked: “What is the ‘work’ You do?” (Jn 6:30) Jesus responded not by saying what He did but Who He was. Jesus said: “I Myself am the Bread of Life” (Jn 6:35). Life in Christ is not primarily what we do, but who we are in Jesus. Stephen...

“Throughout, Stephen’s face seemed like that of an angel.” –Acts 6:15 Listen to the Mass Readings The modern idea is that an angel’s face is sweet, cherubic, and blissful. Yet the truth is that angels have their faces constantly focused on Jesus. Angels “fix [their] eyes on Jesus” (Heb 3:1). The angels worship Jesus, but also are in a state of constant focused attention on Jesus. Angels are messengers from God who wait for a message from God to deliver or for a command from the Lord to execute. Angels center their entire existence on Jesus (see Jn 1:51; Mt...

“Stay with us. It is nearly evening – the day is practically over.” –Luke 24:29 The Jewish people of Jesus’ time measured their days not from morning to night but from evening to evening. Thus, Jesus began the day of His death with the Last Supper, the first Mass, and He ended the day of His resurrection with the second Mass. After a Liturgy of the Word (lasting for the time it takes to walk about seven miles), Jesus “took bread, pronounced the blessing, then broke the bread and began to distribute it to them. With that their eyes were...