Daily Readings

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,went to the chief priests and said,“What are you willing to give meif I hand him over to you?”They paid him thirty pieces of silver,and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,the ... read more

Wednesday of Holy Week is traditionally known as Spy Wednesday, to commemorate the treachery of Judas, who made a bargain with the high priest to betray Jesus for 30 silver pieces (Matt 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6). ... read more

There are approximately 20,000 sailors stranded near the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most strategic maritime routes — according to data compiled by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).However, beyond the economic and geopolitical impact, the war is “breaking down the mental health of these workers,” said Bishop Emeritus Luis Quinteiro Fiuza of ... read more

Colorado violated the First Amendment by telling therapists that they could not help young people struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction, the U.S. Supreme Court said in a March 31 ruling. The high court said in an 8-1 decision that Colorado’s law banning “conversion therapy” for minors runs afoul of free speech protections and does not ... read more

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has canceled the second World Children’s Day, which had been scheduled to take place in Rome Sept. 25–27, about six weeks after Pope Leo XIV dissolved the commission responsible for its organization.The Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life announced the decision March 27, saying it had “considered it ... read more

GENEVA — Before Pope Leo XIV is expected to set foot in Algeria, a side event conference at the United Nations Human Rights Council heard testimony and insights that paint a troubling picture of what awaits him: a country where Christians cannot freely practice their faith, where churches have been shuttered by the state, and ... read more

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,was reclining at Jesus' side.So Simon Peter nodded to him to find ... read more

This Holy Week Mass brings us the second description of the Christlike Suffering Servant of the Lord. It is almost a portrait of Jesus during Holy Week. These final three Lenten Gospels all describe a dinner with Judas present. ... read more

During a vigil for peace on Monday evening in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan Mathieu, invoked God as “great and merciful,” affirming his designs of peace and rejection of war.The cardinal called for an end to violence, describing war as a “spiral” and an “adventure ... read more

The Mexican Bishops’ Conference encouraged the country’s faithful “to live Holy Week with profound faith,” emphasizing that this time reminds us that “evil does not have the last word.”In a March 28 video message, the Mexican bishops said that “Holy Week invites us to contemplate the mystery of God’s love, which is given for us ... read more

JOS, Nigeria — At least 11 people are feared dead and several others injured following a deadly attack by suspected gunmen in Gari Ya Waye community Angwan Rukuba, served by Nigeria’s Catholic Archdiocese of Jos.The attack occurred on the night of March 29, Palm Sunday, at about 7:50 p.m. local time.Eyewitnesses said the assailants stormed the ... read more

NAIROBI, Kenya — In addition to theological reflections on marriage and the sacraments, the final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy in Africa, which members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) issued on March 24, draws attention to a wide range of social, cultural, and pastoral realities shaping the ... read more

Here is my servant whom I uphold,my chosen one with whom I am pleased,Upon whom I have put my Spirit;he shall bring forth justice to the nations,Not crying out, not shouting,not making his voice heard in the street.A bruised reed he shall not break,and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,Until he establishes justice on ... read more

For those following the readings of daily Mass in Lent, the Biblical best has been saved for Holy Week. The book of the prophet Isaiah contains four separate descriptions of a "Suffering Servant"--a shadowy figure called by God to suffer and give his life for the people. Today we read the first description of the ... read more

In an incident described as unprecedented, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, along with Father Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land and the official responsible for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the church as they made their way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.According to a joint statement ... read more