Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Psalms 103:1-4,9-12
Luke 2:41-51
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
(14) For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died. (15) He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again. (16) Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. (17) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. (18) But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (21) For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Psalms 103:1-4,9-12
(1) Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name! (2) Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits; (3) who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases; (4) who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies; (9) He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever. (10) He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. (11) For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. (12) As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Luke 2:41-51
(41) His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover. (42) When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast, (43) and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it, (44) but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey, and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances. (45) When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him. (46) After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions. (47) All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. (48) When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.” (49) He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (50) They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them. (51) And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!
Deuteronomy 7:6-11
Psalms 103:1-4,6-7,8,10
1 John 4:7-16
Matthew 11:25-30
Deuteronomy 7:6-11
(6) For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. (7) Yahweh didn’t set his love on you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples: (8) but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (9) Know therefore that Yahweh your God himself is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations, (10) and repays those who hate him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack to him who hates him. He will repay him to his face. (11) You shall therefore keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you today, to do them.
Psalms 103:1-4,6-7,8,10
(1) Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name! (2) Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits; (3) who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases; (4) who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies; (6) Yahweh executes righteous acts, and justice for all who are oppressed. (7) He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the children of Israel. (8) Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. (10) He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.
1 John 4:7-16
(7) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. (8) He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. (9) By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (11) Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. (12) No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. (13) By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (14) We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. (15) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. (16) We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
Matthew 11:25-30
(25) At that time, Jesus answered, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants. (26) Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight. (27) All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him. (28) “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!
2 Corinthians 3:15–4:1, 3-6
Psalms 85:9-14
Matthew 5:20-26
2 Corinthians 3:15–4:1, 3-6
3 15 yes, to this day whenever moses is read a veil lies over their minds; 16 but when a man turns to the lord the veil is removed. 17 now the lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the lord is, there is freedom. 18 and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the lord who is the spirit. 4 1 therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of god, we do not lose heart. 3 and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 in their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of christ, who is the likeness of god. 5 for what we preach is not ourselves, but jesus christ as lord, with ourselves as your servants for jesus’ sake. 6 for it is the god who said, “let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of christ.
Psalms 85:9-14
8 let me hear what god the lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 10 steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 yea, the lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way.
Matthew 5:20-26
20 for i tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21″you have heard that it was said to the men of old, `you shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 but i say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `you fool!’ Shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23 so if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, i say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.
Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!
Observed by Eastern Catholics, along with Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Reformed Orthodox Christians, the Apostles’ Fast, also known as the Fast of Peter and Paul, serves as a spiritual marker in the liturgical year.
The Apostles’ Fast has a compelling history!
After rejoicing for fifty days following Easter, the Apostles, guided by Sacred Tradition, began a period of fasting and prayer. This was a time of preparation as they readied themselves to leave Jerusalem and spread Christ’s teachings.
The Scriptural foundation of the fast can be found in the Synoptic Gospels, where Jesus tells the Pharisees that the time for his disciples to fast will come after the ‘bridegroom’ has been taken away, referring to His impending crucifixion and subsequent Ascension.
Importantly, the Apostles’ Fast is more than a fast – it’s an act of heartfelt gratitude. It is believed to have been instituted to thank God for the witness and resilience of the Apostles during their missions. As Catholics partake in this fast, they express their gratitude for the Apostles’ endurance in the face of persecution.
The fasting guidelines, while not as rigorous as Great Lent or the Dormition Fast, involve abstaining from certain foods like red meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and wine, with some exceptions.
The Apostles’ Fast commences on the Monday after the Sunday of All Saints, which is the second Monday after Pentecost. It concludes on June 29, with the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The start of the fast can fluctuate between May 18 and June 21, depending on the date of Easter.
For Catholics, participating in the Apostles’ Fast is a deep spiritual journey.
It’s a period of thankfulness, remembering the sacrifices of the Apostles, and a time to seek divine inspiration to live out the teachings of the Gospel in our daily lives!
Editorial credit: Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com
The Vatican has ruled against two climate activists, Guido Viero and Ester Goffi, for causing significant damage to the historical Laocoön and His Sons statue during a protest last year.
Both Viero, 61, and Goffi, 26, are associated with Ultima Generazione, an Italian group known for its nonviolent actions aimed at drawing attention to the pressing climate crisis.
The activists had stuck themselves to the marble base of the statue using a highly corrosive adhesive, an action the Vatican classified as causing “aggravated damage”.
As a result, the court ordered the activists, including Laura Zorzini who filmed the incident, to pay for restoration, legal costs, and also handed them further fines.
Notably, these fines and the accompanying nine-month prison sentences were suspended on the condition that the activists avoid any repeat offenses within a five-year period.
The group responded by deeming the ruling as excessive, arguing it overlooked the gravity of their cause. Consequently, Ultima Generazione has appealed for financial aid to cover the penalties and legal costs, totaling over $30,000.
On the 2023 World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis addressed the issue of rising youth suicides, highlighting the spiritual impoverishment pervading modern society.
“An increasingly evident form of poverty that affects young people,” the Pope called it, expressing his concern about the damaging narratives that often tag our youth as “losers,” thereby fuelling their self-doubt.
He called for a collective effort to help these individuals develop into confident, compassionate adults.
Francis criticized the frantic pace of our culture, which often neglects the necessity of caring for others, thus perpetuating a culture of indifference.
He urged Christians to engage personally in acts of charity, echoing Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan: “Who is my neighbor?”
Particularly worried about the youth’s susceptibility to societal shifts, the Pope noted a worrying trend: “We exalt physical qualities as if they were the primary goal in life.”
These changes often sideline the needs of the impoverished, their pleas falling on deaf ears amidst the clamor for affluence.
The theme for this year’s World Day of the Poor, an initiative founded by Pope Francis himself in 2016, is “Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor,” a quote from the Book of Tobit.
He underscored the harsh impact of rising costs on families, forcing them into heartbreaking choices between food and healthcare.
The pontiff’s message also addressed the harsh realities of the modern workforce: exploitative wages, job insecurity, and hazardous workplaces that prioritize profit over human safety.
As St. John Paul II rightly stated, “the primary basis of the value of work is man himself.”
Advocating for more than sporadic assistance to the poor, Francis underscored the need for “reestablishing the just interpersonal relationships that poverty harms.”
Quoting St. Thérèse of Lisieux, he emphasized that charity should not be hidden but serve as a guiding light for all: “No one lights a candle to put it under a bushel basket, but puts it on a candlestand, so that it can give light to everyone in the house.”
Text credit: Vatican website
