Beads of Joy Blog II (2025 - 2026)

🌿 Tuesday, March 3, 2026 The Greatest Among You Shall Be Your Servant Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23 Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12 📖 The Gospel - Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus warns the crowds about religious leaders who say the right things but don't do them, who love the best seats and the public greetings and the impressive titles. And then He turns it completely upside down: the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 🙏 Gospel Reflection Isaiah doesn't mince words in the first reading today. God says to His people, stop bringing me your empty offerings. Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Stop doing wrong, learn to do good. He's not attacking religious practice itself; He's att...

🌿 Monday, March 2, 2026 Be Merciful to Others Just As Your Father Is Merciful Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Monday of the Second Week of Lent • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Daniel 9:4b-10 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, 13 Gospel: Luke 6:36-38 📖 The Gospel - Luke 6:36-38 Jesus gives us one of the most breathtaking and challenging commands in all the Gospels: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And then He unpacks what that looks like in daily life: stop judging, stop condemning, forgive, and watch what God pours back into your life. 🙏 Gospel Reflection There is a beautiful symmetry in today's readings that I don't want you to miss. Daniel opens the first reading with one of the most honest prayers in all of Scripture. He kneels before God and says, on behalf of his whole people, we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have not listened. No excuses. No explanations. Just a cl...

🌿 Sunday, March 1, 2026 The Transfiguration Fully Rejuvenating Our Soul Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Second Sunday of Lent • Year A • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4a Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:8b-10 Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9 📖 The Gospel - Matthew 17:1-9 Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, and right before their eyes, He is transfigured. His face shines like the sun, His clothes become dazzling white, Moses and Elijah appear, and the voice of the Father speaks from a cloud: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him. And then it is over. And Jesus touches them and says, get up, don't be afraid. 🙏 Gospel Reflection The Transfiguration is given to us on the Second Sunday of Lent every year, and it is a gift placed perfectly in the middle of the hard work of these forty days. You've been prayin...

🌿 Saturday, February 28, 2026 Love Your Enemies An Example For Us To Follow Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Saturday of the First Week of Lent • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:16-19 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8 Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48 📖 The Gospel - Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus saves what may be His most demanding teaching for the end of the week, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Do not simply "tolerate" them. Don't ignore them. Love them. And then He gives the reason that makes it both possible and unavoidable: because that is what your Father in heaven does. 🙏 Gospel Reflection I want to be honest with you this morning. This Gospel is challenging. It is probably the hardest thing Jesus asks of us in the entire Sermon on the Mount. Because loving people who love us back is really easy. But loving the person who has hurt you deeply, betrayed you,...

🌿 Friday, February 27, 2026 Leave Your Gift at the Altar Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Friday of the First Week of Lent • Day of Abstinence • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Ezekiel 18:21-28 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 7-8 Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26 📖 The Gospel - Matthew 5:20-26 Jesus takes the commandment thou shalt not kill and digs all the way down beneath it. He says, it's not just the act of murder that breaks the law. Anger. Contempt. The word you muttered under your breath. The cold silence you've been giving someone for weeks. That's where it starts, then He says, before you bring your gift to the altar, go make it right first. 🙏 Gospel Reflection This Gospel is one of the most challenging things Jesus ever said, precisely because it is so impossible to hide from. Most of us can honestly say we've never committed murder. But anger? Contempt? The relationship we'...

🌿 Thursday, February 26, 2026 Ask, Seek, Knock Jesus Is Already at the Door Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Thursday of the First Week of Lent • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 7-8 Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12 📖 The Gospel - Matthew 7:7-12 Jesus makes one of the most breathtaking promises in all of the Gospels: ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened. Not maybe. Not if you're good enough. Will be. Every time. 🙏 Gospel Reflection Queen Esther understood desperate prayer. In today's first reading, she is alone before God, no crown, no royal robes, covered in ashes, fasting for three days, terrified, and she pours out her heart in one of the most raw and honest prayers in all of Scripture. She wasn't performing. She was begging. And God heard her. That is the kind of prayer Jesus ...