The Mass in Focus

As vast as the starry sky, so are God’s promises

The stars in the night sky shine brightly on a clear night. Several years ago when I was studying in the Holy Land a group of classmates decided to make a pilgrimage from Jerusalem to Mount Sinai. Our plan was to drive to the border with Egypt and then camp out overnight before crossing onto the Sinai Peninsula. We had no tents just sleeping bags.

Readings for the holy Mass – Second Sunday of Lent

Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Second Sunday of Lent Read Msgr. Joseph Prior’s commentary on the readings for this Sunday’s Mass. See the Mass readings for Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013   See the readings for today’s Mass Listen to the daily readings in audio

Following Jesus Christians enter a spiritual desert for 40 days in lent

Today as we celebrate this first Sunday in Lent, we are reminded that Jesus goes into the desert to pray before he begins his public ministry. The desert is a place of great extremes. It can be overwhelmingly hot during the day with the sun shining brilliantly on the landscape. At night it can be bitterly cold. Water is scarce. Vegetation is present but unusual. Wild life is present in the varying creatures that roam mainly at night. Shelter is difficult to find.

Readings for the holy Mass – First Sunday of Lent

Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition. First Sunday of Lent Read Msgr. Joseph Prior’s commentary on the readings for this Sunday’s Mass. See the Mass readings for Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013   See the readings for today’s Mass Listen to the daily readings in audio

Encounters with the divine bring astonishment and fear, but God heals

“Here I am, send me.” The words of Isaiah, the prophet, echo through the ages of a people who respond to the gracious call of the Lord. Isaiah’s response comes after an encounter with the Divine Word. In this case it was through a vision. He sees the Lord sitting on a “high and lofty throne with the train of his garment filling the temple.” The Lord is surrounded by angels crying out their praise: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!”

Readings for the holy Mass — Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Read Msgr. Joseph Prior’s commentary on the readings for this Sunday’s Mass. See the Mass readings for Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013   See the readings for today’s Mass Listen to the daily readings in audio

Scripture’s biggest question, ‘why?’, answered with most profound word: love

““Why?” is a question that comes up frequently in life. Children, whose minds and intellects seem to grow in leaps and bounds, ask the question often of their parents. The question is asked in a sincere quest for knowledge and understanding. Adolescents may ask the question in this way also. At the same time some may ask this question with a sense of rebellion or liberation – Why do I have to do this? – for example. The question also is asked when we move into adulthood but this time it is usually associated with the larger questions of life.

Readings for the holy Mass – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Read Msgr. Joseph Prior’s commentary on the readings for this Sunday’s Mass. See the Mass readings for Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013   See the readings for today’s Mass Listen to the daily readings in audio

Cause to rejoice: Christ is present with us always

“Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!” cry Ezra, Nehemiah and the Levites. The reading from the Law, the Torah, prompted the sound of rejoicing. The great rejoicing is based on the Lord’s presence among His people in several ways. First, they are celebrating the Day of the Lord, the Sabbath. The day commemorates the day of rest following creation. The day is set aside not only as a day of rest where the people imitate the Lord’s rest but also a day of praise and rejoicing -- rejoicing at the Lord’s goodness to us in creating us and giving us all that He created.

Readings for the holy Mass – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Read Msgr. Joseph Prior’s commentary on the readings for this Sunday’s Mass. See the Mass readings for Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013   See the readings for today’s Mass Listen to the daily readings in audio