Category: Verse for the day

“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...

“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...

“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...

“They had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia they tried to go on into Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them.” –Acts 16:6-7 Mass Readings: May 20 First: Acts 16:1-10; Resp: Psalm 100:1-3,5; Gospel: John 15:18-21 Listen to the Mass Readings Six days from today, the Church begins the Pentecost novena. In this way, we prepare our hearts and open them to the Holy Spirit. Although the Holy Spirit is our Joy, our Hope, and the Desire of our hearts, the Spirit,...