There are possible persecutions every day. From our faith opponents,

and even from our own families.

The exhortation to hold on to God no matter what:

“By your patient endurance you will save your souls.”

For God’s promise never fails.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Revelation 15:1-4

Then, I saw another great

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

 The temple, the disciples see the external adornment, but fail to see the spiritual bankruptcy

behind the façade – the hypocrisy – the oppression the rejection of the Messiah.

No earthly kingdom can last, not even the temple will last forever.

The Temple of Jerusalem during Jesus’ time as the center of the southern kingdom’s spiritual life,

Yet Jesus correctly foretold its destruction.

That’s why we have to be on guard that our faith remains steady and strong through time.

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Revelation 14:14-19

Then, I had this vision.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Revelation 5:1-10

Then, I saw in the right hand

The widow gives everything she has to live off of that day.

She contributes all she has for the good of others.

The role models in Scripture are not the rich and the powerful, but those who, despite their humility and challenges, remain faithful to the Lord.

Jesus promises, “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:4).

St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin & martyr

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5

I was given another vision:

 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,

 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.

In God’s kingdom, no one is hungry, naked, sick, or alone.

Jesus is fully God and fully man. He is both the divine Lord and the man

who suffered and died on the Cross. Christ has power over all creatures.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Daniel 7:13-14

I continued watching

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

The Sadducees about levirate marriage, that made sure that men who died childless would still have heirs and leave a legacy.

For this group believes that there is no resurrection of the dead.

The resurrection is the firm assurance of our hope in the life to come.

The God of life, Jesus, consistently points to our “passing on “ from this life to the next.

Blessed Virgin Mary 

St. Clement I, pope & martyr

St. Columban, abbot

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Revelation 11:4-12

These are the two olive trees

 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