Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Spirituality: Don Campbell in The Soul of Creativity
Listening is our bridge from the outer world to the inner world. Music creates multiple levels of listening. Learning to listen to music in creative ways provides the means for health improvement in the body, enhanced communication, and expression. For music has all the universal components of language, emotions, and expression. There is music in silence; thus meditation and hours of silence heighten awareness of our body rhythms and sounds.
Monday, March 2, 2026
Spirituality: Joan Chittister
There is no amount of darkness that can extinguish the inner light. The important thing is not to spend our lives trying to control the environment around us. The task is to control the environment within us.
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Spirituality: from Love and Work by Michael Robertson
I used to think that the goal of life is to do equally well in the spheres of work and love. Now I know there is only one sphere. What matters is the way I treat everyone I encounter in the course of my days: my wife, my child, a friend, a colleague, a secretary, a textbook salesperson, a complaining student. What's important is to treat each one with courtesy, with respect...with love...We're all connected in a web of love.
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Prayer: "Held," by Rob Soley, from Moving Day
We carried our grief
to the ocean's edge,sat quiet in the sand;
the sorrow softened
as the waves washed
over them and the
brilliance of the
morning sun upon
the shimmering waters
filled our hearts
with wonder.
Spirituality: “The Lord’s Prayer,” in A New Zealand Prayer Book / He Karakia Mihinare O Aotearoa
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain bearer, Life-giver,Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe;
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world;
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings;
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trial too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen.
Friday, February 27, 2026
Spirituality: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., on Evolution, in The Phenomenon of Man
“Some thousands of millions of years ago, not, it would appear, by a regular process of astral evolution, but as the result of some unbelievable accident (a brush with another star? an internal upheaval?) a fragment of matter composed of particularly stable atoms was detached from the surface of the sun. Without breaking the bonds attaching it to the rest, and just at the right distance from the mother-star to receive moderate radiation, this fragment began to condense, to roll itself up, to take shape. Containing within its globe and orbit the future of man, another heavenly body—a planet this time—had been born.”
‘‘The Earth was probably born by accident; but, in accordance with one of the most general laws of evolution, scarcely had this accident happened than it was immediately made use of and recast into something naturally directed.”
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Spirituality: Pierre Teilard de Chardin, SJ., on God
“There is one, true, and living God, Creator and Lord of Heaven and Earth, almighty, eternal, immense, incomprehensible, infinite in intelligence, in will, and in all perfections, who, as being one, sole, absolutely simple and immutable spiritual substance, is to be declared as really and essentially distinct from the world, of supreme beatitude in and from himself, and ineffably exalted above all things that exist or are conceivable … This one, only true God, of his own goodness and almighty power, not for the increase of his own beatitude, nor to acquire, but to manifest his perfection … created out of nothing … both the spiritual and the corporeal creature, namely the angelic and the mundane, and then the human creature, as partaking in a sense, of both, consisting of spirit and body.”
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Touch that Fear Away: The Second Sunday in Lent 2026
Touch that Fear Away:
The Second Sunday in Lent 2026
March 1, 2026
www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com
predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673
Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 33; 2 Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9
We hear the Transfiguration account early in Lent even though it was one of the final episodes in the life of Jesus before he turned his attention to Jerusalem. The disciples had been progressively learning about his mission and they were brought into the inner circle of revelation on that mountain. For years, the disciples recognized Jesus as an interpreter and amender of God’s law and he spoke prophetic words in difficult situations. On this mountain, Jesus appears before Moses, the lawgiver, and Eliah, the great prophet, and God’s glory shines on the three of them. Then Moses and Elijah disappear, leaving only Jesus, who is elevated to be higher than the other two. Without any doubt, Peter, James, and John would rightly have been scared to death.
The disciples fall in fear, and here is an amazing detail, “Jesus touches them.” It shows us that the glorified Christ is not distant or otherworldly. He remains involved. He remains interested in their lives. He remains connected to their humanity. He never ceases to be a human with great emotions and feelings. He calls them to something greater. He says, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” His consoling touch reassures them that they matter to him and he wants them to walk with him as be endures his Passion.
The touch is also combined with the words of God, the Creator, who says, “This is my special one. Listen to him.” It tells us that we are to hear his words and then comply with his invitations and requests. We often do not like the words “to obey,” so maybe we can update them to observe, conform, abide by, defer to, or follow. Notice that Jesus never tells us to worship him. We do not feel simply inspired by him or to admire him. We conform our lives to his own. He never says, “Adore me.” He asks us to listen to his words and rightly act upon them. That is obedience.
So what are the words we are to hear from him today? Do not be afraid. He knows that fear is not faith. Fear keeps us bound to ourselves and wrapped up in our own interpretations of suffering. Fear keeps us looking at our uncertainty or lack of control or power. Fear shrinks when trust grows. The disciples have to walk back down that mountain where they will enter further misunderstanding and suffering and they will eventually have to face the cross. They glimpsed the glory of Jesus, which will help them confront the brutality of the cross. They were asked to rise and go forward.
We are to follow the example of the disciples as we rise in the face of fear and go onward. We can realize that we are not alone in our trials and tribulations. In the age of the Resurrection, the glorified Christ remains close and wants to touch our pain and suffering and to share our joys and laughter. The glory of Christ is there for our benefit and encouragement. It is the hope to go on for another day knowing that the voice from heaven, the touch of Jesus is one of loving concern. Likewise, we may not be able to see what others see about us. We may not see that our lives testify to the Transfigured one. We may not see that our lives are ones of fidelity when we accept the invitations of God. We may not be able to see what others see – that we are radiant - shining like the sun.
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (Daniel 9) We have rebelled against you God and sinned, but you have remained faithful to us in the covenant. You, O Lord, have justice on your side.
Tuesday: (Isaiah 1) Wash yourselves clean and make justice your aim. Obey the commandments and take care of your neighbor.
Wednesday: (Jeremiah 18) The people of Judah contrived against Jeremiah to destroy him by his own words.
Thursday: (Jeremiah 17) Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings. More tortuous than all else is the human heart. The Lord alone probes the mind and tests the heart.
Friday: (Genesis 37) Israel loved Joseph best of all, which created resentment among his brothers, who later sold him into slavery for twenty pieces of silver.
Saturday: (Micah 7) God removes guilt and pardons sins and does not persist in anger.
Gospel:
Monday: (Luke 6) Jesus said, “Be merciful,” and “Stop judging because you will be judged by the way you judge.”
Tuesday: (Matthew 23) The scribes and Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Be wary of someone’s teaching if they have no integrity between their words and actions.
Wednesday: (Matthew 20) As Jesus went up to Jerusalem, he told his disciples, “Behold. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests, condemned to death, handed over to Gentiles, an crucified, and will be raised on the third day.”
Thursday: (Luke 16) A rich man dressed in purple garments died shortly after Lazarus, a beggar. In heaven, Lazarus was rewarded and the rich man was tormented in hell. He appealed to God to spare his family, but was told that they would not listen to Moses or to anyone who was raised from the dead.
Friday: (Matthew 21) Jesus told the parable of a vineyard owner, who entrusted the land to servants, but these men seized the land and possessed it. They killed the servants and the heir. When the owner returned, he cast the wretched men into a tormented death.
Saturday: (Luke 15) Jesus is accused of welcoming sinners and eats with them. He then tells the story of the prodigal one who was well received by his father upon his return. The one who was lost has been found.
Saints of the Week
March 1: Katherine Drexel (1858-1955), was from a wealthy Philadelphian banking family and she and her two sisters inherited a great sum of money when her parents died. She joined the Sisters of Mercy and wanted to found her own order called the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to work among the African and Native Americans. Her inheritance funded schools and missions throughout the South and on reservations. A heart attack in 1935 sent her into retirement.
March 7: Perpetua and Felicity (d. 203), were two catechumens arrest and killed during a persecution in North Africa. Perpetua was a young noblewoman who was killed alongside her husband, their young son, and their pregnant slave, Felicity. They were baptized while under arrest and would not renounce their faith. Felicity was excused from death because it was unlawful to kill a pregnant woman, but she gave birth prematurely three days before the planned execution. They were flogged, taunted by wild beasts, and then beheaded. They appear in the First Eucharistic Prayer.
This Week in Jesuit History
- March 1, 1549. At Gandia, the opening of a college of the Society founded by St Francis Borgia.
- March 2, 1606. The martyrdom in the Tower of London of St Nicholas Owen, a brother nicknamed "Little John." For 26 years he constructed hiding places for priests in homes throughout England. Despite severe torture he never revealed the location of these safe places.
- March 3, 1595. Clement VIII raised Fr. Robert Bellarmine to the Cardinalate, saying that the Church had not his equal in learning.
- March 4, 1873. At Rome, the government officials presented themselves at the Professed House of the Gesu for the purpose of appropriating the greater part of the building.
- March 5, 1887. At Rome, the obsequies of Fr. Beckx who died on the previous day. He was 91 years of age and had governed the Society as General for 34 years. He is buried at San Lorenzo in Campo Verano.
- March 6, 1643. Arnauld, the Jansenist, published his famous tract against Frequent Communion. Fifteen French bishops gave it their approval, whereas the Jesuit fathers at once exposed the dangers in it.
- March 7, 1581. The Fifth General Congregation of the Society bound the professors of the Society to adhere to the doctrine of St Thomas Aquinas.
Ahuyenta ese miedo: El segundo domingo de Cuaresma de 2026
Ahuyenta ese miedo:
El segundo domingo de Cuaresma de 2026
1 de marzo de 2026
www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com
predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673
Génesis 12:1-4; Salmo 33; 2 Timoteo 1:8-10; Mateo 17:1-9
Escuchamos el relato de la Transfiguración a principios de la Cuaresma, a pesar de ser uno de los últimos episodios en la vida de Jesús antes de que centrara su atención en Jerusalén. Los discípulos habían ido aprendiendo progresivamente sobre su misión y fueron introducidos al círculo íntimo de la revelación en ese monte. Durante años, los discípulos reconocieron a Jesús como intérprete y reformador de la ley de Dios, y pronunció palabras proféticas en situaciones difíciles. En este monte, Jesús se presenta ante Moisés, el legislador, y Elías, el gran profeta, y la gloria de Dios brilla sobre los tres. Entonces Moisés y Elías desaparecen, dejando solo a Jesús, quien es elevado a un nivel superior al de los otros dos. Sin duda, Pedro, Santiago y Juan habrían estado muertos de miedo.
Los discípulos caen presas del miedo, y aquí hay un detalle asombroso: «Jesús los toca». Nos muestra que el Cristo glorificado no es distante ni etéreo. Permanece involucrado. Permanece interesado en sus vidas. Permanece conectado con su humanidad. Nunca deja de ser un ser humano con grandes emociones y sentimientos. Los llama a algo más grande. Les dice: «Levántense y no tengan miedo». Su toque consolador les asegura que le importan y que quiere que caminen con él mientras soporta su Pasión.
El toque también se combina con las palabras de Dios, el Creador, quien dice: "Este es mi ser especial. Escúchalo". Nos dice que debemos escuchar sus palabras y luego cumplir con sus invitaciones y peticiones. A menudo no nos gustan las palabras "obedecer", así que tal vez podamos adaptarlas a observar, conformarnos, acatar, someternos o seguir. Observe que Jesús nunca nos dice que lo adoremos. No nos sentimos simplemente inspirados por él ni que lo admiremos. Adaptamos nuestras vidas a la suya. Nunca dice: "Adórame". Nos pide que escuchemos sus palabras y las actuemos correctamente. Eso es obediencia.
Entonces, ¿ cuáles son las palabras que debemos escuchar de él hoy? No tengan miedo. Él sabe que el miedo no es fe. El miedo nos mantiene atados a nosotros mismos y envueltos en nuestras propias interpretaciones del sufrimiento. El miedo nos mantiene mirando nuestra incertidumbre, nuestra falta de control o poder. El miedo se encoge cuando crece la confianza. Los discípulos tienen que bajar de esa montaña, donde se encontrarán con más incomprensión y sufrimiento, y finalmente tendrán que enfrentar la cruz. Vislumbraron la gloria de Jesús, lo que les ayudará a enfrentar la brutalidad de la cruz. Se les pidió que se levantaran y avanzaran.
Debemos seguir el ejemplo de los discípulos al enfrentar el miedo y seguir adelante. Podemos darnos cuenta de que no estamos solos en nuestras pruebas y tribulaciones. En la era de la Resurrección, Cristo glorificado permanece cerca y quiere tocar nuestro dolor y sufrimiento, y compartir nuestras alegrías y risas. La gloria de Cristo está ahí para nuestro beneficio y aliento. Es la esperanza de seguir adelante un día más sabiendo que la voz del cielo, el toque de Jesús, es de amor y preocupación. Del mismo modo, puede que no seamos capaces de ver lo que otros ven de nosotros. Puede que no veamos que nuestras vidas dan testimonio del Transfigurado. Puede que no veamos que nuestras vidas son de fidelidad cuando aceptamos las invitaciones de Dios. Puede que no seamos capaces de ver lo que otros ven: que somos radiantes, que brillamos como el sol.
Escritura para la misa diaria
Lunes: (Daniel 9) Nos hemos rebelado contra ti, Dios, y hemos pecado, pero tú has permanecido fiel a nosotros en el pacto. Tú, oh Señor, tienes la justicia de tu lado.
Martes: (Isaías 1) Purifiquen sus vidas y hagan justicia a su prójimo. Obedezcan los mandamientos y cuiden de su prójimo.
Miércoles: (Jeremías 18) El pueblo de Judá conspiró contra Jeremías para destruirlo con sus propias palabras.
Jueves: (Jeremías 17) Maldito el que confía en los seres humanos. Más tortuoso que cualquier otra cosa es el corazón humano. Solo el Señor sondea la mente y prueba el corazón.
Viernes: (Génesis 37) Israel amaba más que todo a José, quien creó resentimiento entre sus hermanos, quienes luego lo vendieron como esclavo por veinte piezas de plata.
Sábado: (Miqueas 7) Dios quita la culpa y perdona los pecados y no persiste en la ira.
Evangelio:
Lunes: (Lucas 6) Jesús dijo: “Sean misericordiosos” y “Dejen de juzgar porque serán juzgados por la forma en que juzguen”.
Martes: (Mateo 23) Los escribas y fariseos se han sentado en la cátedra de Moisés. Desconfíen de la enseñanza de alguien si no tiene integridad entre sus palabras y acciones.
Miércoles: (Mateo 20) Mientras Jesús subía a Jerusalén, dijo a sus discípulos: "He aquí, el Hijo del Hombre será entregado a los principales sacerdotes, condenado a muerte, entregado a los gentiles, crucificado , y resucitará al tercer día".
Jueves: (Lucas 16) Un hombre rico, vestido de púrpura, murió poco después de Lázaro, un mendigo. En el cielo, Lázaro fue recompensado, mientras que el hombre rico fue atormentado en el infierno. Le rogó a Dios que perdonara a su familia, pero le dijeron que no escucharían a Moisés ni a nadie que resucitara.
Viernes: (Mateo 21) Jesús contó la parábola del dueño de una viña, quien confió la tierra a sus sirvientes, pero estos se apoderaron de ella y la poseyeron. Mataron a los sirvientes y al heredero. Cuando el dueño regresó, los arrojó a una muerte atormentada.
Sábado: (Lucas 15) Jesús es acusado de acoger a pecadores y comer con ellos. Luego cuenta la historia del hijo pródigo, que fue bien recibido por su padre a su regreso. El que estaba perdido ha sido encontrado.
Santos de la semana
1 de marzo: Katherine Drexel (1858-1955), Provenía de una acaudalada familia de banqueros de Filadelfia, y ella y sus dos hermanas heredaron una gran suma de dinero al fallecer sus padres. Se unió a las Hermanas de la Misericordia y quiso fundar su propia orden, las Hermanas del Santísimo Sacramento, para trabajar entre los afroamericanos y los nativos americanos. Su herencia financió escuelas y misiones en todo el sur y en reservas. Un infarto en 1935 la obligó a jubilarse.
7 de marzo: Perpetua y Felicidad (f. 203), Dos catecúmenos fueron arrestados y asesinados durante una persecución en el norte de África. Perpetua, una joven noble, fue asesinada junto con su esposo, su hijo pequeño y su esclava embarazada, Felicidad. Fueron bautizados durante su arresto y no renunciaron a su fe. Felicidad fue eximida de la pena de muerte porque era ilegal matar a una mujer embarazada, pero dio a luz prematuramente tres días antes de la ejecución prevista. Fueron azotados, acosados por fieras y luego decapitados. Aparecen en la Primera Plegaria Eucarística.
Esta semana en la historia jesuita
- 1 de marzo de 1549. En Gandía, apertura de un colegio de la Compañía fundada por San Francisco de Borja.
- de marzo de 1606. Martirio en la Torre de Londres de San Nicolás Owen, un hermano apodado "Juan el Pequeño". Durante 26 años construyó escondites para sacerdotes en hogares de toda Inglaterra. A pesar de las severas torturas, nunca reveló la ubicación de estos lugares seguros.
- 3 de marzo de 1595. Clemente VIII elevó a Fray Roberto Belarmino al cardenalato, diciendo que la Iglesia no tenía igual en saber.
- 4 de marzo de 1873. En Roma, los funcionarios del gobierno se presentaron en la Casa Profesa del Gesù con el propósito de apropiarse de la mayor parte del edificio.
- 5 de marzo de 1887. En Roma, se oficiaron las exequias del P. Beckx, fallecido el día anterior. Tenía 91 años y había gobernado la Compañía como General durante 34 años. Está enterrado en San Lorenzo en Campo Verano.
- 6 de marzo de 1643. Arnauld, el jansenista, publicó su famoso tratado contra la Comunión Frecuente. Quince obispos franceses lo aprobaron, mientras que los padres jesuitas expusieron de inmediato sus peligros.
- 7 de marzo de 1581. La Quinta Congregación General de la Compañía obligó a los profesores de la Compañía a adherirse a la doctrina de Santo Tomás de Aquino.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Poem: "Consciousness," a poem shared on the Colbert show by Michael Pollan
since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to
the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;
wholly to be a fool
while
Spring is in the world
my blood approves,
and kisses are a better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers.
Don’t cry
—the best gesture of my brain
is less than
your eyelids’ flutter
which says
we are for each other:
then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life’s not a paragraph
And death i think is no parenthesis
Monday, February 23, 2026
Prayer: Six Recognitions of the Lord (Mary Oliver)
Of course I have always known you
are present in the clouds, and the
black oak I especially adore, and the
wings of birds. But you are present
too in the body, listening to the body,
teaching it to live, instead of all
that touching, with disembodied joy.
We do not do this easily. We have
lived so long in the heavens of touch,
and we maintain our mutability, our
physicality, even as we begin to
apprehend the other world. Slowly we
make our appreciative response.
Slowly appreciation swells to
astonishment. And we enter the dialogue
of our lives that is beyond all under-
standing or conclusion. It is mystery,
It is love of God. It is obedience.
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Spirituailty: Silence, Song, and Shadows by Tom Bender
The goal of singing a song is not to reach the end as quickly as possible. It is a state of creating harmony, beauty, growth and understanding. The goal of work, as a sacred art, is to use the need for a product or service to develop the greatest possible power on the object, and the users. Sacred work puts the mind on service to the heart as well.
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Spirituality: Rachel Naomi Remen in My Grandfather's Blessings
Days pass and the years vanish and we walk sightless among miracles. O Holy One, fill our eyes with seeing and our minds with knowing. Let there be moments when your presence, like lightning, illumines the darkness in which we walk… And we will exclaim in wonder, “How filled with awe is this place and we did not know it.”
Friday, February 20, 2026
Spirituality: from Letters to a Young Poet by Rainier Maria Rilke
At the bottom the only courage that is demanded of us is to have courage for the most strange, the most singular, and the most inexplicable that we may encounter. That humankind has in this sense been cowardly, has done life endless harm; the whole so-called "spirit-world," death, all those things that are so akin to us, have by daily parrying been so crowded out of life that the senses with which we could have grasped them are atrophied. To say nothing of God.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Poem: "Abide," Carrie Newcomer & Parker Palmer
Oh, abide with me, where it's breathless and it's empty
yes, abide with me and we'll pass the evening gentlystay awake with me and we'll listen more intently
to something wordless and remaining sure and every changing
in the quietness of now.
There are things I cannot prove, and still somehow I know.
It's like a message in a bottle that some unseen hand has thrown
you don't have to be afraid, you don't have to walk alone
I don't know but I suspect, that it will feel like home.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Abiding in Faith: The First Sunday in Lent 2026
Abiding in Faith:
The First Sunday in Lent 2026
February 22, 2026
www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com
predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673
Sirach 15:15-20; Psalm 119; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37
Let us spend a moment in the Garden of Eden before we get to the Desert. We imagine Eden to be idyllic, a place of care and plenty, a time in our lives in which we easily allowed God to provide for us. It was beginning of God’s plan for humans on the Earth, a plan that was marked by beauty and communion. Humans came from inanimate dust that was created by God and divine life was breathed into it. We were made humbly and yet we were spiritually exalted. Every human being therefore carries the breath of God, which means we are to respect the dignity of each human person today. We were given boundaries to live by, and yet, we were designed for enlightenment. Could it be that, from the very beginning, we are supposed to expand our consciousness? Was this always part of the plan? After all, all of creation is still evolving.
Knowing that we are built to strive for greater knowledge, we experience temptation, just as Jesus did. For Jesus, this temptation came from God, and it was to clarify his experience of trust. In his first test, at his point of physical vulnerability, Jesus was tempted to take control of his own needs rather than to trust God’s plan for him. Jesus showed us that trust precedes gratification, and his real hunger was to realize that God abided by him. In the second test, Jesus teaches us that faith does not impel us to prove anything. He learns that spiritual strength lies in not testing God, it is having one’s life testify to God through daily actions. Jesus was called to obey God, not to presume to act on behalf of God. The third test is that hardest one of all. Jesus was tempted to worship success, status, political gains, or approval from others. He reminds us the making idols is easy and a daily practice and can immediately resolve some huge problems, but he remains committed to God as an act of worship. Jesus chose obedience to God rather than assume real power. He shows that he rightly worships God.
In today’s world, we see the religion is falsely used as a means to gain or to exert power. This is not faith in God. It is the worship of human power and glory. Many people use religious words and piety and devotional practices to speak for God, and some gain many followers. Politicians, religious leaders, and lobbyists use a “fear-based” spirituality to win people over to their position, and many times, people use sin language to control behavior. Ideologies such as religious fundamentalism, nativism, neo-traditionalism, and religious nationalism, and prosperity theology shape faith and culture today, and there is a tendency to replace power for God. All this stands in contrast to the example of Jesus in the Gospel. All this stands in contrast to the “God is love” spirituality of Jesus and Scripture.
What is the invitation for us today? We can begin by taking increased time for silence and prayer to get to know about this God that Jesus teaches us. We need to make dates with ourselves, spend time with ourselves. We want to experience that type of friendship that Adam and Eve would have had with God – harmonious, trusting, comfortable, thankful for the divine generosity. We want to experience the trust of Jesus in God – knowing that God saw him, knew him, and understood him. We can know that these temporary temptations come from God for our benefit so we can learn how to worship authentically. With out human freedom, we want to continue to evolve and to expand our consciousness so that we grow in wisdom and to know that this is part of obeying God. We want to test those boundaries, search for God’s vital voice, and to discover how to trust in this complex environment. To stay faithful is to keep choosing God when something else feels easier. And when can always be consoled as Jesus did when those temptations ended. Angels came to minister to him. In other words, God will find some way to console you, to remind you of your goodness, to tell you that you are loved, and to thank you for the person you are becoming.
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (Leviticus 19) The Lord gives Moses ten commandments that he inscribes on stone tablets.
Tuesday: (Isaiah 55) God’s word will issue forth from his mouth and shall not return until it has fulfilled his will.
Wednesday: (Jonah 3) Jonah set out to Nineveh asking them to proclaim a fast and then repent. The king does repent and the Lord dropped his threat because they turned from evil.
Thursday: (Esther 3) Queen Esther appeals to God for help in converting the king’s heart for hatred of the enemy that threatens them.
Friday: (Ezekiel 18) If the wicked turns from sinfulness and keeps the Lord’s statutes, he will surely live. Likewise, if a virtuous man becomes wicked, he shall die.
Saturday: (Deuteronomy 26) Moses tells the people to observe the Lord’s statutes and decrees with their whole heart and soul. The Lord will stand by you.
Gospel:
Monday: (Matthew 25) Jesus tells his disciples about the last judgment when the goats and sheep will be separated. The measuring stick is the mercy shown to the most vulnerable.
Tuesday: (Matthew 6) The disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. He tells them not to pray like the pagans, who seek honor and glory, and then gives them the Lord’s prayer.
Wednesday: (Luke 11) Jesus chastises the crowd that seeks a sign, but none will be given to them. Because of Jonah’s preaching, the king and people repented.
Thursday: (Matthew 7) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. The Father is generous, especially to those who love him.
Friday: (Matthew 5) Your righteousness must surpass the levels of the scribes and Pharisees in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Show righteousness by quickly settling disputes.
Saturday: (Matthew 5) Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Heavenly Father. Be perfect as the Father is perfect.
Saints of the Week
February 22: The Chair of Peter is celebrated on this day. Previously, both Peter and Paul were remembered until their feast was transferred to June 29th. As the custom was ingrained in practice, Christians continued to honor the contributions Peter made to the church as the first of the apostles in continuous succession.
February 23: Polycarp, bishop and martyr (69-155), was made bishop of Smyrna and was the leader of the second-generation Christians. He was a disciple of the apostle John and a friend of Ignatius of Antioch. He wrote catechesis and rites for initiation into the Christian community. He was martyred in 155 and is a Father of the early church.
This Week in Jesuit History
- February 22, 1599. By order of Pope Clement VIII, the superiors general of the Jesuits and the Dominicans, assisted by others, met to settle, if possible, the controversies about grace. Nothing came of the meeting, since the Dominicans insisted on the condemnation of the writings of Fr. Molina.
- February 23, 1551. The Roman College, the major school of the Society later to become the Gregorian University, began its first scholastic year with 15 teachers and 60 students.
- February 24, 1637. The death of Francis Pavone. Inflamed by his words and holy example, sixty members of a class of philosophy that he taught and the entire class of poetry embraced the religious state.
- February 25, 1558. St Aloysius Gonzaga received tonsure at the Lateran basilica. Within the next month he would receive the minor orders.
- February 26, 1611. The death of Antonio Possevino, sent by Pope Gregory XIII on many important embassies to Sweden, Russia, Poland, and Germany. In addition to founding colleges and seminaries in Cracow, Olmutz, Prague, Braunsberg, and Vilna, he found time to write 24 books.
- February 27, 1767. Charles III banished the Society from Spain and seized its property.
- February 28, 1957. The Jesuit Volunteer Corps began.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)