The Temple of God , the place of prayer, degenerated into a sort of marketplace.

Jesus needed to challenge the drift and reassert its holiness.

From the house churches of the early Church to the basilicas of Rome,

from grand cathedrals to simple structures made by the worshippers themselves.

No matter how ornate or simple the structure, these spaces were made holy

by the sacrifice of praise offered there and the presence of Christ that abides.

St. Cecilla, virgin & martyr

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

Revelation 10:8-11

And the voice

We will one day die, we will experience the judgment of God,

and the actions of our lives will determine our experience of eternity.

If we have repented and sought to return to God, we will, finally, be blessed with the vision of his glory.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Daniel 12:1-3

At that time,

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Revelation 5:1-10

Then, I saw in the right hand

If even the most unjust of judges will relent to the pleas of a defenseless widow.

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (LK 11:13).

Blessed Virgin Mary

St. Gertrude, virgin

St. Margaret of Scotland

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

3 John 5-8

Beloved,

 Jesus telling this parable to warn His listeners.

He would depart but would return again before the kingdom came in full glory.

They must conduct themselves accordingly as trustworthy servants in His absence.

Teaching his audience the importance of faithfulness and trustworthiness as servants.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Revelation 4:1-11

After this,

The gospel today assures us that the end time will come.

Although no one knows the time or the hour, still it will come.

If we have merely been going with the flow of the world,

We could end up destroyed instead of being saved. 

St. Albert the Great, bishop and doctor

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

2 John 4-9

I rejoiced greatly

We find Jesus interacting with an unexpected person --- Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus, a tax collector known for collecting more than his due, is an outcast,

After encountering Jesus, Zacchaeus changes his life and decides to live justly, giving back more than he has taken.

God’s forgiveness can change our lives.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22*

Write this to the angel

Jesus tells the Pharisees that the kingdom of God is among them.

The kingdom of God is a kingdom of justice and peace,

We proclaim the kingdom when we show mercy to our brothers and sisters in need.

Lord, may your kingdom come.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Philemon 7-20

I had great satisfaction

 The blind man in today’s Gospel reading. The crowd is the barrier to his prayer.

Despite these formidable obstacles, the blind man perseveres.

God eventually hears the prayer of a person who perseveres.

Jesus cures him without hesitation. 

 The Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome, apostles 

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5

God gave it to him

 Of the ten leprosy patients healed, only, a Samaritan returns to thank Jesus.

“If the only prayer you ever make in your life is ‘thank you, Lord’, that is enough!”

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Titus 3:1-7

Remind the believer,