1st Reading: James 4:13-17 Avoiding arrogance and boasting Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that…
1st Reading: James 4:1-10 A call to sincerity, humility and fidelity, to shun all selfishness Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your ravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something…
Saint Brendan, abbot, optional memorial 1st Reading: James 3:13-18 A wise spirit is not characterized by envy but by innocence, leniency, sympathy and peace Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition…
A little offer, at Pentecost As a download resource for regular readers of this webpage, an edited version of the Readings and Homily notes for Sundays, Weekdays, Feasts and Memorials, which have appeared here over the past three years is now online in one folder, at www.biblical.ie. To view or download them, just click on…
1st Reading: Acts 1:15-17; 20-26 Matthias is selected to take the place of Judas Iscariot In those days Peter stood up among the believers(together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, “Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for…
or: Our Lady of Fatima, optional memorial 1st Reading: Acts 25:13-21 Paul, in prison at Caesarea, explains himself to king Agrippa After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. Since they were staying there several days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man…
Saints Nereus and Achilleus; St Pancras, martyrs, optional memorial 1st Reading: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Paul is cross-examined by the Jewish Council, in Jerusalem Since the Roman Tribune wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him the next day and ordered the chief priests and the entire council…
1st Reading: Acts 20:28-38 Paul’s final advice to the church leaders: shepherd the church [When the elders of the church of Ephesus came to meet him at Miletus, Paul said to them,] “Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of…
1st Reading: Acts 20:17-27 Paul’s testament to church leaders, on his way to Jerusalem From Miletus Paul sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. When they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day…
1st Reading: Acts 19:1-8 In Ephesus, followers of John the Baptist join the church of Jesus While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have…
1st Reading: Acts 1:1-11 Ascension concludes Jesus’ ministry and prepares for the Spirit at Pentecost In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had…
1st Reading: Acts 18:23-28 Aquila, a convert from Judaism, helps the church in southern Greece After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an…
1st Reading: Acts 18:9-18 Paul’s trial by Gallio the proconsul breaks down for lack of evidence One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for…
Irish Calendar: Edmund Ignatius Rice 1st Reading: Acts 18:1-8 Early days of Paul’s mission in Corinth, and the friends he found there. After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had…
1st Reading: Acts 17:15, 22-18:1 Paul’s clever sermon in the Areopagus, to lead the Greeks to the true God Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; an after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,…
1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Paul lists the original witnesses of the resurrection, including himself Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast – unless you believed in vain. For I…
Saint Athanasius, memorial 1st Reading: Acts 16:11-15 When Paul reaches Philippi, Lydia becomes his first European convert We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained…
Opening Comment The Ascension of Jesus will be celebrated next Sunday. As the Easter Season moves towards its second climax at Pentecost, we take heed of the Lord’s final words to his disciples, and look forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Penitential Rite As we prepare to listen to the…
1st Reading: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 At this Council, the leaders made decisions with the consent of the congregation Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate…
St Pius V, pope, optional memorial 1st Reading: Acts 16:1-10 Timothy, a half-Jew, joins Paul in the missionary work Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken…
