For two weeks (but this year only two days, because we are beginning Lent), our first reading in Year II is taken from the letter of James, a relative of Jesus and leader of the Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem. He draws heavily from the Jewish wisdom literature and the teachings of the Gospel. His key […]
Greeting (See 2 Cor 1:18-20) The Son of God proclaimed to you was never Yes and No; with him it was always Yes. That is why it is through Christ that we say our Yes to God. May the Spirit of Jesus be always with you. R/ And also with you. Introduction by the Celebrant
The first reading describes the efforts of King Jeroboam to strengthen the political separation of the northern tribes of Israel by adding to it a religious separation. Gospel. Jesus, on the other hand, brings people together and gives them something to eat when they are hungry, as a sign of his mercy, his efforts toward
The liturgy celebrates today two great missionaries from the Eastern Church, the monk Cyril and his brother, Methodius, bishop. Born in Thessalonica in Greece, they evangelised the Bulgarians, Moravians and Bohemians in the 9th Century. They created the Slavonic (Slavic) alphabet – called “Cyrillic” – translated the scriptures and prepared liturgies in Slavonic. On account of
Wise as he was before, Solomon in his later years became deaf to God; this was the cause of the division of his kingdom. A sign that Jesus is the Promised Saviour is that he first goes to the poor, the sick, and the marginalised people, for they need him most. Not only material poverty
Chosen by God, builder of the Temple, endowed with wisdom, at the height of power and riches, Solomon abandoned God and his covenant. The sacred writer seems to wonder how so great a man could have fallen so low. God’s grace, if not used, gives no security. Gospel. Despised pagans too, are offered salvation. The
On February 11, 1858, our Lady appeared at Lourdes to a simple girl, Bernadette Soubirous. Since then, millions of pilgrims have flocked to this town, experiencing a renewal of their faith and, for some, their health. Pilgrimages are a sacred tradition for God’s pilgrim people; many of these journeys are to Marian sanctuaries, where many
The Old Testament heaps praise on Solomon as the typical wise man, who understood the meaning of life, of the world, of right and wrong. People came to him from distant countries to seek his advice. And yet, as we know, in later life at least, his wisdom was not powerful enough to keep him
At the dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem, King Solomon prayed to the Lord. He asked God to be always present in the temple for the sake of the covenant; thus, he would be available to people expressing their needs. After a period of initial fervor, the teaching of the Pharisees began to imply that
Not much is known about St Scholastica, the sister of the great St. Benedict, in whose shadow she lived. Dedicating her virginity to God, she first lived a life of prayer at home, then stayed near her brother at Subiaco, then at Monte Cassino, until Benedict put her in charge of a community of women.
