Category: Daily Prayer

FULL-COURT PRESS

“Paul was pressed in the Spirit.” –Acts 18:5, KJV Mass Readings: May 25 First: Acts 18:1-8; Resp: Psalm 98:1-4; Gospel: John 16:16-20 Listen to the Mass Readings Tomorrow begins the Holy Spirit novena, nine days of intense prayer to prepare for receiving the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Like St. Paul, we are to be absorbed, that is, totally occupied with the coming of the Spirit, as if the Spirit was pressing upon us from all sides (Acts 18:5). Like the apostles and Mary in the upper room, we are to live and breathe for the purpose...

ARE YOU HARVESTING WITH A BASKET OR A COMBINE?

“When they heard about the raising of the dead, some sneered, while others said, ‘We must hear you on this topic some other time.’ ” –Acts 17:32 Mass Readings: May 24 First: Revelation 21:1-5; Resp: Psalm 95:1-7; Gospel: John 10:22-30 Listen to the Mass Readings We Christians in the Western world in this new millennium can relate to Paul’s ministry in Athens probably better than we can relate to other events in Acts of the Apostles. Paul met the people where they were and received a lukewarm response to his presentation of the gospel, although he did convert a few...

THE BIG PICTURE

“When He comes, He will prove the world wrong.” –John 16:8 Mass Readings: May 23 First: Acts 16:22-34; Resp: Psalm 138:1-3,7-8; Gospel: John 16:5-11 Listen to the Mass Readings God has created the universe. “He holds the whole wide world in His hands.” God is big. He has big plans. He wants all to be saved (1 Tm 2:4). He commands us to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). He calls us to live with Him in heaven forever. Each human being is very small. Each of us is like a microscopic dot on a microscopic planet. Our lives...

LYDIA

“The Lord opened [Lydia’s] heart to accept what Paul was saying.” –Acts 16:14 Mass Readings: May 22 First: Acts 16:11-15; Resp: Psalm 149:1-6,9; Gospel: John 15:26–16:4 Listen to the Mass Readings Lydia was a dealer in purple goods (Acts 16:14). In that day, purple cloth was an expensive item sought by the wealthy. Thus, Lydia was a woman of some means, as she owned a house, dealt with the wealthy, and knew how to operate in the circles of the elite. Lydia was also extraordinarily persuasive. She must have been a great saleswoman, and she “managed to prevail upon” St....

ARSONIST

Peter and John “upon arriving imposed hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” –Acts 8:17. Mass Readings: May 21 First: Acts 8:5-8,14-17;Resp: Psalm 66:1-7,16,20; Second: 1 Peter 3:15-18;Gospel: John 14:15-21 Listen to the Mass Readings Near the end of Jesus’ public ministry, Samaritans would not allow Jesus and His disciples to pass through their town because they were headed toward Jerusalem. St. John the Apostle was indignant. He asked Jesus for permission to call down fire from heaven to destroy those Samaritans (Lk 9:52-54). Jesus refused him, rebuking John on the spot (Lk 9:55). Jesus did eventually allow...