A younger friend told me about a life crossroads, which felt weighted by conundrum. I asked, “So what’s next?” She replied, “I’m just waiting for God to show me what he wants from me.” “OK,” I said to her. “But in the meantime, until you have your life and self figured out and straightened out, […]

Image: Saint Cecilia | photo by Jill Watson | flickr Saint Cecilia Saint of the Day for November 22 (d. 230?) https://wp.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODNov22.mp3  Saint Cecilia’s Story Although Cecilia is one of the most famous of the Roman martyrs, the familiar stories about her are apparently not founded on authentic material. There is no trace of honor being paid her in early times. A fragmentary inscription of the late fourth century refers to a church named after her, and her feast was celebrated at least in 545. According to legend, Cecilia was a young Christian of high rank betrothed to a Roman named Valerian. Through her influence, Valerian was converted, and was martyred along with his brother. The legend about Cecilia’s death says that after being struck three times on the neck with a sword, she lived for three days, and asked the pope to convert her home into a church. Since the time of the Renaissance she has usually been portrayed […]

Reading 1 1 Mc 4:36-37, 52-59 Judas and his brothers said,"Now that our enemies have been crushed,let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it."So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,that is, the month of […]

Old TestamentEzekiel 41, Ezekiel 42New Testament1 Peter 1, 1 Peter 2:1-3Psalms & ProverbsPsalm 131:1-3 […]