Category: Verse for the day

“His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were asleep.” –Matthew 28:13 Mass Readings: April 17 First: Acts 2:14,22-33; Resp: Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-11;Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15 The soldiers guarding the tomb were the first witnesses to the Resurrection. As they guarded the tomb of Jesus, “there was a mighty earthquake, as the angel of the Lord descended from heaven…The guards grew paralyzed with fear of him and fell down like dead men” (Mt 28:2, 4). The chief priests instructed the soldiers to say that Jesus’ disciples came during the night and stole him when they were asleep (Mt 28:13)....

Have a Blessed and Meaningful Easter “Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” –Romans 6:3 To know the risen Christ in a life-changing, death-conquering way, we must be baptized in His name (Acts 2:38). If we are already baptized, we must renew our Baptisms and live them. In this way, we become aware that we “have been raised up in company with Christ” (Col 3:1). In Baptism, we know the risen Christ. Therefore, on this first day of the Easter season, at every Mass in the world, the Church calls...

“I had rather one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” –Psalm 84:11 Mass Readings: April 15 First: Genesis 1:1–2:2; Second: Genesis 22:1-18; Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10 The first Holy Saturday was a day without Jesus. He was buried in the tomb, and, because of the Sabbath, His body could not be anointed (Lk 23:56–24:1) or even visited (Mt 28:1). Today the Church relives that first Holy Saturday without Jesus. The Blessed Sacrament does not reside in the tabernacle today. There is no Mass during the day. We identify with Jesus buried in the tomb (see Rm 6:3-4). Mary Magdalene...

“The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover supper.” –Matthew 26:19 Mass Readings: April 12 First: Isaiah 50:4-9;Resp: Psalm 69:8-10,21-22,31,33-34;Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25 Today we celebrate the last Mass of Lent. We pray that these forty days of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice have prepared us for the Triduum. “The Easter Triduum begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer Easter Sunday” (Ordo, see also General Norms, 19). The Triduum is essentially a seventy-hour worship service with breaks for rest and other necessities. Jesus...

“Jesus,” reclining, “grew deeply troubled.” –John 13:21 Mass Readings: April 11 First: Acts 5:27-32,40-41;Resp: Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13; Second: Revelation 5:11-14; Gospel: John 21:1-19 During Holy Week, we recall a week of extreme suffering, pain, and trauma for Jesus. As we reflect on Jesus’ sufferings, we too may be having an extremely difficult week. As we look at our lives, we may feel we have “toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent” our strength (Is 49:4). Like Jesus, we may grow “deeply troubled” (Jn 13:21). We are tempted to let Satan enter our hearts (see Jn 13:27), or we are broken-hearted...