Saturday, June 23, 2012

Happy Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist!

The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is a Solemnity (the most solemn class of feast day) and is celebrated on June 24 - six months before Christmas ("In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God..." Lk 1:26). It is traditional to begin praying a novena in honor of a saint so that the it ends the day before his or her feast day, or by beginning the novena on the feast day itself. In light of St. John the Baptist's upcoming feast day, here is a list of nine gospel passages which may be daily prayerfully read, or meditated upon, in his honor. They follow the life and ministry, from beginning to end, of this great saint, of whom our Lord said "among those born of women, none is greater than John" (Luke 7:28). At the core of his message is how to receive Christ in a spirit of repentance and poverty of spirit, that we may be forgiven and become children of God through "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (Jn. 1:29, cf. 36).

First Day - Luke 1:5-25

Second Day - Luke 1:39-56

Third Day - Luke 3:1-18

Fourth Day - Matthew 3:13-17

Fifth Day - John 1:19-34

Sixth Day - John 3:22-30

Seventh Day - Luke 7:18-35

Eighth Day - Mark 6:14-29

Ninth Day - Luke 1:57-80

The voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3)

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart!


For tomorrow's Feast of the Sacred Heart, here is a novena of meditations on God's love:

First Day - Deuteronomy 7:6-13

Second Day - Hosea 11:1-9

Third Day - Luke 15:1-10

Fourth Day - Luke 15:11-32

Fifth Day - John 3:13-21

Sixth Day - John 14:18-24

Seventh Day - John 19:28-37

Eighth Day - Romans 5:1-11

Ninth Day - 1 John 4:7-21


For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Happy Trinity Sunday!

I thought I might republish this post on the Holy Trinity for today.

May meditation on the central mystery of our faith, that of the Holy Trinity, strengthen your own faith.

First Day  - Matthew 28:16-20

Second Day - Mark 1:9-11

Third Day - Mark 12:35-37

Fourth Day - John 14:15-24

Fifth Day - John 15:18-27

Sixth Day - John 16:12-15

Seventh Day - 1 Corinthians 12:1-6

Eighth Day - Ephesians 2:11-22

Ninth Day - Ephesians 4:1-6


The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Saturday, June 2, 2012

A Novena of Meditations on Living Water

First Day - Exodus 17:1-7

Second Day - Isaiah 44:1-5

Third Day - Ezekiel 47:1-12

Fourth Day - John 4:1-30

Fifth Day - John 7:37-39

Sixth Day - John 19:31-37

Seventh Day - 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Eighth Day - Revelation 21:1-7

Ninth Day - Revelation 22:1-17

On that day living waters shall flow from Jerusalem.  (Zech. 14:8)