Daily Readings

Thus says the LORD:Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted,    to the tyrannical city!She hears no voice,    accepts no correction;In the LORD she has not trusted,    to her God she has not drawn near. For then I will change and purify    the lips of the peoples,That they all may call upon the name of the ... read more

When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,the spirit of God came upon him,and he gave voice to his oracle:The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,the utterance of a man whose eye is true,The utterance of one who hears what God says,and knows what the Most High knows,Of one who sees ... read more

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Virginia Centurione Bracelli (1587-1651) is celebrated in Italy. She was born in Genoa, Italy and entered into an arranged marriage at the age of 15. She bore two daughters and was widowed at the young age of 20. She refused another marriage and took up a vow of chastity. She ... read more

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,"Are you the one who is to come,or should we look for another?"Jesus said to them in reply,"Go and tell John what you hear and see:the blind regain their sight,the lame walk,lepers are cleansed,the deaf ... read more

"Rejoice: the Lord is nigh." As Christmas draws near, the Church emphasizes the joy which should be in our hearts over all that the birth of our Savior means for us. The great joy of Christians is to see the day drawing nigh when the Lord will come again in His glory to lead them ... read more

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.O shepherd of Israel, hearken,From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.Rouse your power.R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.Once again, O LORD of hosts,look down from heaven, ... read more

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Lucy (283-304). St. Lucy (or Lucia) was born in Syracuse, Sicily, where she also died. She was of a noble Greek family, and was brought up as a Christian by her mother, who was miraculously cured at the shrine of St. Agatha in Catania. Lucy made a ... read more

The angel Gabriel was sent from Godto a town of Galilee called Nazareth,to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,of the house of David,and the virgin’s name was Mary.And coming to her, he said,“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”But she was greatly troubled at what was saidand pondered what sort of ... read more

In the USA the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, elsewhere it is an Optional Memorial. Our Lady appeared to an Indian convert named Juan Diego on December 9, 1531. She left a marvelous portrait of herself on the mantle of Juan Diego. This miraculous image has proved to be ageless and ... read more

I am the LORD, your God,    who grasp your right hand;It is I who say to you, “Fear not,    I will help you.”Fear not, O worm Jacob,    O maggot Israel;I will help you, says the LORD;    your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.I will make of you a threshing sledge,    sharp, new, and double-edged,To ... read more

The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Damasus I (306-384), who was Supreme Pontiff from 366 to 384. He was a very learned man, well versed in the Scriptures. He commissioned St. Jerome to complete the translation of the Bible into the Latin language. Shortly after his reign the 72 books of the Bible, ... read more

To whom can you liken me as an equal?says the Holy One.Lift up your eyes on highand see who has created these things:He leads out their army and numbers them,calling them all by name.By his great might and the strength of his powernot one of them is missing!Why, O Jacob, do you say,and declare, O ... read more

In 2019 Pope Francis added the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto to the Universal Roman Calendar. The title Our Lady of Loreto refers to the Holy House of Loreto, the house in which Mary was born, and in which the Word was made flesh at the Annunciation. Tradition says that a band of ... read more

Comfort, give comfort to my people,says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to herthat her service is at an end,her guilt is expiated;Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORDdouble for all her sins.A voice cries out:In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!Make straight in the wasteland a highway for ... read more

Today the Church in the United States celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474-1548), an Indian convert, to whom the Virgin Mary appeared as he was going to Mass in Tlatlelolco, Mexico. Our Lady asked him to tell the Bishop that she desired a shrine to be built on the spot to ... read more