Yesterday’s celebration of All Saints inspires us today to pray for All Souls. We remember our faithful departed and commend them to the loving mercy of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. On this sober feast we recall that one day we will all make the journey from this life to the next, and we ask God for the grace to carry on.
Mass Readings – The Commemoration of All Souls
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The victory of the Saints stands as a reminder for us. For just as Christ sustained the Saints in their trials, so God will also walk with us. They inspire us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we encounter the obstacles of life…so that one day we will join their ranks in Heaven.
Mass Readings – The Solemnity of All Saints
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The Last Judgment, Michelangelo, 1536-1541, Sistine Chapel, Rome.
The Lord reminds us of a sobering fact: the path that leads to eternal life flows through a narrow gate, and every day we make choices that either lead us closer or farther away.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 30th Week of the Year
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John’s death vividly reveals the potential price tag for our faith. Yet we can find new strength to face the injustices of life through our conviction that we are made for more…in this life and in the life to come.
Mass Readings – The death of John the Baptist
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Sometimes we might be tempted to downplay the presence of evil and final judgment…no so, today, in the Gospel of Matthew! The Lord explains a parable with grim consequences for those who choose to follow the path that leads to death and eternal damnation.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 17th Week of the Year (St. Ignatius of Loyola)
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Sometimes we can take for granted the time we have on earth, delaying important and even crucial tasks until it is too late. The Lord reminds us that in the end there will be a harvest…and the crop we grow will determine our destination in eternal life.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 16th Week of the Year
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This feast day fosters both personal piety and a communal connection within the Church to Jesus Christ, our savior, redeemer, brother and friend. The Lord offers his heart for the salvation of the world as he gives his life on the Cross. May the love in his heart fill up what is lacking in ours!
Mass Readings – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
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