Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
1Jn 2:18-21; Ps 96:1-2,11-13; Jn 1:1-18 It’s the seventh day of the Christmas Octave; it’s the Memorial of Saint Sylvester; it’s the last day of the secular calendar. There is much to celebrate even when celebrating may seem too much. We have all had our share of holiday parties and family gatherings, and still there’s […]
Father Luke E. Policicchio, O.S.B.
Father Luke Policicchio, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Sunday, December 29, 2019. He was born in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania on October 13, 1941, a son of Carmine Policicchio of Vandergrift and the late Mary (Gallo) Policicchio. His brothers are Frank (Christina) Policicchio of Monaca and James (Kathy) Policicchio of Vandergrift. He attended Saint […]
Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
1Jn 2:12-17; Ps 96:7,8ab,9,10; Lk 2:36-40 Where is the wisdom? The wisdom of this Christmas Octave is found in our responsorial psalm. We must give the LORD the glory due to his name. To give anything less is completely foolish. What is the glory due to his name? It is the glory of all the […]
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
1 Jn 1:5-2:2; Ps 124:2-5, 7cd-8; Mt 2:13-18 “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Christ, the newborn king, was not welcome by the king. King Herod was deeply threatened by the news brought by the Magi. There was no room for any other king in Judea. If […]
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
1Jn 1:1-4; Ps 97:1-2,5-6,11-12; Jn 20:1a and 2-8 “All peoples see his glory!” Without the witness of Saint John no one would see his glory. Indeed the Synoptic Gospels give witness to the King of Glory, Christ the LORD, but they do not have the unique perspective of Saint John, the Evangelist. Indeed, the gospels […]
Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Acts 6:8-10;7:54-59; Ps 31:3cd-4,6,8ab,16bc,17; Mt 10:17-22 “Let your face shine upon your servant.” “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness.” We can be sure that this prayer from Psalm 31 was deep within the heart of Saint Stephen. Also, we can be sure that it is a dangerous prayer. If […]
Christmas Mass During the Day
25 Dec 19 The Nativity of the Lord, Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 Sing! Break into song! Sing praise! No less than six times does the Psalmist summon us and all the nations, and all the ends of the earth, to sing joyfully to the LORD. We have every reason to sing […]
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of ADVENT
24 December 2019 2Sm7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16; Ps89:2-5,27,29; Lk1:67-79 “Free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.” The Prophet John the Baptist would announce to all “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” This is the freedom for which we were born. […]
Monday of the Fourth Week in ADVENT
Mal3:1-4, 23,24; Ps 25:4,5ab,8-10,14; Lk1:57-66 O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their Savior. Come and save us, O Lord our God. “Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.” These words should resound with clarity in our ears, for we have prepared for the past three weeks and […]
Saturday, Third Week of Advent
Sgs 2:8-14; Ps 33:2,3,11,12,20,21; Lk 1:39-45 “O Oriens: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” After a long time in the dark it takes a while for our eyes to adjust to the light. We don’t see too clearly […]
Friday, Third Week of Advent
Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab,5,6; Lk 1:26-38 “O Clavis David: O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people to freedom.” What can open […]
Thursday, Third Week of Advent
Jgs 13:2-7, 24,25a; Ps 71:3-4a,5,6ab,16-19; Lk 1:5-25 “O Radix Jesse: O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.” The liturgy places before us […]
Wednesday, Third Week of Advent
Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1,2,12,13,18,19; Mt 1:18-25 “O Adonai: O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.” The sacred Lord of ancient Israel shall govern his people with justice […]
Tuesday, Third Week of Advent
Gn 49:2,8-10; Ps 72:1-8,17; Mt 1:1-17 “O Sapientia: O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.” All through Advent the liturgy has been asking us to consider the Psalmist’s question, “Who is the king of glory?” In […]
Monday of the Third Week of Advent
Nm 24:2-7,15-17a; Ps 25:4-9; Mt 21:23-27 Indeed, the Book of Psalms is an inspiration for anyone who reads, knocks, and finds. As today’s Psalm teaches, those who are humble enough to be taught, how to know the truth and the way to live that truth. So in all honestly they ask, “teach me oh […]
Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church
Sir 48:1-4,9-11; Ps 80:2-19; Mt 17:9-13 Saint John of the Cross is a doctor of the universal church. His teaching about prayer and the spiritual life is not reserved for Carmelites or other consecrated religious. He teaches the doctrine of the cross. This is the cross our Lord Jesus commands us to take up, each […]
Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
Is 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-4,6; Mt 11:16-19 The faith of men and woman throughout the centuries has given bright and glorious witness to the power of the gospel to transform human weakness into unexpected strength. Saint John the Baptist did not hold back his preaching even though it was offensive to the king. Not many centuries […]
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Zec 2:14-17; Judith 13:18,19 ; Lk 1:39-47 Holofernes the general in command of Israel’s enemies didn’t have a chance against the beauty and courage of Judith. She was inspired by the LORD to gain access to his tent by fooling him into thinking that she had betrayed her people and was in awe of his […]
Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
Is 40:25-31; Ps 103:1-4,8,10; Mt11:28-30 Kindness is so rare in our world. Most people found the movie Pay It Forward a great new way to live; something worth trying. That’s the sad part. What’s new about kindness? The responsorial psalm on this Advent day summons us to bless the LORD because he is abounding in […]
Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
Is 40:1-11; Ps 96:1-3,10-13; Mt 18:12-14 The Lord our God comes with power, with the power of a shepherd, a good shepherd. It is not easy for us to relate to this image from the scripture and from another time and culture. A good shepherd is one who does not abandon the sheep; indeed, he […]
