On Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter, a reading from the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council. Lumen Gentium, or Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is a document written by Pope Paul VI that was first published in 1965. The document's purpose is to clarify the church's nature and mission, and to help the human r…

Today, May 14, as our church celebrates the Feast of Matthias, Apostle, a reading from a homily on the Acts of the Apostles by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop. Matthias was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, chosen by God through the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death. His calling…

Today, May 13, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, a reading from the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council. Our Lady of Fátima is a Catholic title of Mary, Mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portugal. The th…

On the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, a reading from a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop. Saint Augustine was a late fourth century, theologian and philosopher, and Bishop of Hippo, Roman North Africa. He is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church. His writings influenced the development of western philosophy and western Christiani…

On Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, a reading from a homily on the Song of Songs by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop. The Song of Songs is a poem—or, rather, a collection of poems—attributed to Solomon, but probably actually dating from some time after the end of the Babylonian exile (538 BC). It is a dramatic poem, in which different voices are…

On Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter, from a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop. Saint Augustine was a late fourth century, theologian and philosopher, and Bishop of Hippo, Roman North Africa. He is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church. His writings influenced the development of western philosophy and western Christianity, and he is view…

On Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope. Saint Leo became pope in the year 440. Saint Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called “the Great”. Saint Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church . His work branched into many areas of the ch…

On Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope. Saint Leo became pope in the year 440. Saint Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called “the Great”. Saint Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church .His work branched into many areas of the ch…

On Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, a reading from a commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop. The Gospel according to John is quite different in character from the three synoptic gospels. It is highly literary and symbolic. It does not follow the same order or reproduce the same stories as the synoptic gospels. To …

On Monday of the Sixth week of Easter, a reading from a treatise On the Trinity by Didymus of Alexandria. On the Trinity is a Latin book written by St. Augustine of Hippo to discuss the Trinity in the context of the Logos (the Word Of God). Didymus the Blind was a fourth century Christian theologian in the church of Alexandria where he taught for a…

On Sunday of the Sixth Week of Easter, a reading from the commentary on the second letter to the Corinthians by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop. The Second Letter to the Corithians is the most personal of all of Paul's extant writings, and it reveals much about his character. in it he deals with one or more crisis that have arisen in the Corinthi…

On Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter, a reading on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop. Saint Augustine was a late fourth century, theologian and philosopher, and Bishop of Hippo, Roman North Africa. He is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church. His writings influenced the development of western philosophy and western Christianity, an…

Philip was born in Bethsaida in Galilee and was one of the 12 Apostles that Jesus called. Immediately, Philip began to convert others, finding his friend Nathaniel and telling him that Jesus was the one whom Moses and the other prophets had foretold. James the Lesser is called “Lesser” because he was younger than the other Apostle by the same name,…

On May 2 as our Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Athanasius, a reading from a discourse by Saint Athanasius, bishop. Saint Athanasius was born at Alexandria in 295. He accompanied Alexander to the Council of Nicaea and succeeded him as Bishop of Alexandria. He fought courageously against the Arian heresy. The Arian heresy taught that Jesus w…

Today, May 1, as our Chrch celebrates the Memorial of Joseph the Worker, a reading from the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council. Today's Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker was added to our Church's liturgical calendar in 1955 in response to the rising threat of Communism with its false vision of huma…

On Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, a reading from the commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop. Saint Cyril was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He was enthroned when the city was at the height of its influence and power within the Roman Empire. Saint Cyril wrote extensively and was a major player in th…

On Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop. Saint Gregory of Nyssa was a fourth century archbishop of Constantinople and theologian. He is numbered among the Doctors of the Church . He was a contemporary and close friend of Saint Basil the Great. Saint Gregory is widely considered the most accom…

On the Fifth Sunday of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Maximus of Turin, bishop. Saint Maximus was a fifth century bishop of Turin, a city in northwest Italy famous for the shroud of Turin being kept in the cathedral there. Saint Maximus was a theological writer “who made a great contribution to the spread and consolidation of Christianity…

On Saturday of the Third Week of Easter, a reading from the commentary on the letter to the Romans by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop. Saint Cyril was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He was enthroned when the city was at the height of its influence and power within the Roman Empire. Saint Cyril wrote extensively and was a major playe…

On Friday of the Fourth week of Easter, a reading from a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement, pope. Saint Clement was Bishop of Rome, holding the office from 88 AD until his death in 99 AD. He is considered to be the first Apostolic Father of the Church, one of the three chief ones together with Polycarp and Ignatius of Antioch. Few details …

On April 25, as our church celebrates the Feast of Mark, Evangelist, a reading from the treaties Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop. Saint Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, accompanied Saint Paul on his first missionary, journey and later went with him to Rome. He was a disciple of Saint Peter whose teaching was the basis for Mark‘s gospel. Mark …

On Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter, a reading from the treatise On the Trinity by Saint Hilary, bishop. Saint Hilary was a fourth century bishop of Poitiers, France and a Doctor of the Church. His name comes from the Latin word for happy or cheerful. Saint Hilary is best known as the leading opponent of Arianism during his time. Arianism was…

On Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter, a reading by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop. Saint Peter was a fourth century Bishop of Ravenna, Italy. He was a Doctor of the Church, which means “of golden words “. He is known as the “Doctor of Homilies” for the concise but theologically rich reflections he delivered during his time.…

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, a reading from a homily on the Gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope. Saint Gregory was the pope from 590 to 604, a reformer and excellent administrator, “founder” of the medieval papacy which exercised both secular and spiritual power. His papacy is considered one of the most consequential in history. His title “…

On Saturday of the Third Week of Easter, a reading from a commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop. Saint Cyril was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He was enthroned when the city was at the height of its influence and power within the Roman Empire. Saint Cyril wrote extensively and was a major player in the…

On Friday of the Third Week of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Ephrem, deacon. Saint Ephrem, also known as Ephrem of Syria, was born around the year 306 in the city of Nisibis (modern day Nusaybin, Turkey). In those days religious culture in the region, included polytheism, Judaism, and several varieties of early Christianity. Saint Ephrai…

On Thursday of the Third Week of Easter, a reading from the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop. Saint Irenaeus was a late second century Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology. Saint Iren…

On Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter, a reading from the first apology in defense of the Christians by Saint Justin, martyr. Saint Justin, known posthumously as Justin Martyr was a theologian, apologist, and martyr in the second century. He was born around A.D. 90–100 into a Greek family, in the city known today as Nablus near the ancient bibli…

On Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop. Saint Augustine was a late fourth century, theologian and philosopher, and Bishop of Hippo, Roman North Africa. He is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church. His writings influenced the development of western philosophy and western Christianity, and…

On Monday of the Third Week of Easter, a reading from the commentary on the first letter of Peter, by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest. Saint Bede was an eighth century English monk and an author and scholar. Saint Bede is one of the few saints honored as such during his lifetime. His writings were filled with such faith and learning that, even whi…

On the Third Sunday of Easter, a reading from the first apology in defense of the Christians by Saint Justin, martyr. Saint Justin, known posthumously as Justin Martyr was a theologian, apologist, and martyr in the second century. He was born around A.D. 90–100 into a Greek family, in the city known today as Nablus near the ancient biblical city of…

On Saturday of the Second Week of Easter, a reading from the constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council. The “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” establishes the principle of greater participation by the laity in the celebration of mass and authorizes significant changes in the texts, forms, and language used in the celebratio…

On Friday of the Second Week of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Theodore the Studite. Saint Theodore of Studite, was an eight century Byzantine Greek monk and abbot of the Stoudios Monastery in Constantinople. He played a major role in the revivals both of Byzantine monasticism and of classical literary genres in Byzantium. Saint Theodore …

On Thursday of the Second Week of Easter, a reading by Saint Gaudentius of Brescia, bishop. Saint Gaudentius was Bishop of Brescia, in northern Italy, from 387 until 410, and was a theologian and author of many letters and sermons. Saint Gaudentius was consecrated by Saint Ambrose in 387. A record of the discourse given by Gaudentius on the occasio…

On Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter, a reading by Saint Leo the Great, pope. Saint Leo became pope in the year 440. Saint Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called “the Great”. Saint Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church . SAit Leo's work branched into many areas of the church,…

On Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter, a reading from a book addressed to Monimus by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop. Saint Fulgentius was a follower of Saint Augustine‘s ideal of life and a student of Saint Augustine’s theological teachings. Saint Fulgentius was a north African Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Ruspe and was a theologi…

On the Solemnity of the Annuciation, a reading by Saint Leo the Great, pope. Saint Leo became pope in the year 440. Saint Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called “the Great”. Saint Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church . His work branched into many areas of the church, indicative o…

On Monday of the second week of Easter, a reading from an ancient Easter homily by Pseudo-Chrysostom. Pseudo-Chrysostom is the designation used for the anonymous authors of text falsely or erroneously attributed to Saint John Chrysostom. Saint John Chrysostom was an important, fourth century, Early Church Father who served as Archbishop of Constant…

On Sunday within the Octave of Easter, a reading from a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop. Saint Augustine was a late fourth century, theologian and philosopher and Bishop of Hippo, Roman North Africa. he is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church. His writings influenced the development of western philosophy and western Christianity, and h…

On Saturday within the Octave of Easter, a reading from the Jerusalem Catecheses. The Jerusalem Catecheses is a series of 18 lectures preliminary to baptism by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, the grandfather of catechisms, written about the year 350. It was Saint Cyril who fostered the development of Jerusalem as the “holy city“, a pilgrimage center for …

On Friday within the Octave of Easter, a reading from the Jerusalem Catecheses. The Jerusalem Catecheses is a series of 18 lectures preliminary to baptism by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, the grandfather of catechisms, written about the year 350. It was Saint Cyril who fostered the development of Jerusalem as the “holy city“, a pilgrimage center for al…

On Thursday within the Octave of Easter, a reading from the Jerusalem Catecheses. The Jerusalem Catecheses is a series of 18 lectures preliminary to baptism by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, the grandfather of catechisms, written about the year 350. It was Saint Cyril who fostered the development of Jerusalem as the “holy city“, a pilgrimage center for …

On Wednesday within the Octave of Easter, a reading from an ancient author (unknown). Some scholars believe that this homily was composed by Saint Melito, bishop of Sardis, who died around 180 A.D., because it is similar to Saint Melito’s renowned “Homily on the Passover.” But in fact, we don’t know who the author is.…

On Tuesday within the Octave of Easter, a reading by Saint Anastasius of Antioch. Saint Anastasius was the patriarch of Antioch twice. The church of Antioch is held to be the first church of Christianity and is said to have been established on February 22nd of the year 37. Antioch was then the capital of the east and where the faith so clearly took…

On Monday within the Octave of Easter, a reading from an Easter homily by Saint Melito of Sardis, bishop. Sardis was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia (in modern-day Turkey), which continued as an important trade, administrative, and cultural center for over 2000 years. Saint Melito of Sardis was a late second-century bishop of Sardis near Smyrna…

On Easter Sunday, a reading from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans.

On Holy Saturday, a reading from an ancient homily (author unknown). Some scholars believe that this homily was composed by Saint Melito, bishop of Sardis, who died around 180 A.D., because it is similar to Saint Melito’s renowned “Homily on the Passover.” But in fact, we don’t know who the author is.…

On Good Friday, a reading from the Catechesis by St. John Chrysostom. Saint John Chrysostom was an important, fourth century, Early Church Father who served as Archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, and for his denunciation of abuse of authority of both ecclesiastical and political leaders. He was among the…

On Holy Thursday, a reading from an Easter homily by Saint Melito of Sardis, bishop. Sardis was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia (in modern-day Turkey), which continued as an important trade, administrative, and cultural center for over 2000 years. Saint Melito of Sardis was a late second-century bishop of Sardis near Smyrna in western Anatolia,…