Beads of Joy Blog II (2025 - 2026)

  October 19 This Night Your Soul is Required of You   Image created using Google AI Image Creator. Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:13-21 (The Rich Fool) “One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the th...

  October 18 Give To God What Is God’s Image created by Google AI Image Creator. Today’s Gospel: Matthew 22:15-21 (Give to God What Is God's) Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”   Reflection: Isaiah tells us something astonishin...

October 17   Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch Bishop and Martyr Image created using Google AI Image Creator. Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:8-12 (Here I am Lord) “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."   Reflection: Paul prays something so beautiful in Ephesians: that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened, so that we would see the hope of His calling and the riches of His glorious inheritance. Think about this: Jesus Christ is above every...

October 16   Nothing is Covered Up Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:1-7 (Nothing Is Covered Up) “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trod upon one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Reflec...

  October 15   Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus Virgin and Doctor of the Church Image created using Google AI Image Creator. Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:47-54 (The Key of Knowledge) “Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So, you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore, also the Wisdom of God said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering." As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press hi...

  October 14 Saint Callistus I Pope and Martyr Created using Google AI Image Creator. Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:42-46 (Justice and the Love of God) “But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places. Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it." One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also." And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” Reflection: My friends, look at this list from Paul: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! That’s the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and there is no law agai...

  October 13 Clean & Pure On The Inside Image created using Google AI Image Creator. Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:37-41 (Clean on the Inside) “While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so, he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.”   Reflection: Which matters more: clean hands or a clean heart? Both matter. But the inside matters most. Inside each of us is a mind, a heart, and a soul. If those are dirty, that offends more than unwashed hands ever could. Jesus knew what He was doing with the Pharisees. His lesson was well taught, and it’s meant for anyone who reads it. Greed, pride, bitte...

October 12 The Sign of Jonah Original Image created by Google AI Image Creator. Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 (The Sign of Jonah) When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. Reflection: Why do we keep asking for a sign? Jesus has given us sign after sign after sign. The prophets foretold Him. Gabriel announced Him to Mary. The wise men followed a star to...

  October 12 Lectio Divina: Listening to God's Heart   Image created by Google AI Image Creator. Today I want to share a way to pray for you. I've prayed this way since 1983. It's called Lectio Divina. That's Latin for "divine reading." Think of it as holy listening. You read a few lines of scripture. Slowly, several times, then you stop talking and let God speak. That's it; it's that simple, and it is also life-changing. Where It Comes From This prayer is ancient. Christians were praying this way around 300 A.D. The goal was never to cram in more information. The goal was to let the Word sink in. To get close to God. Saint Gregory put it this way: "…to know the heart of God through the Word of God." And he asked: "Would you enter into the very heart of God? Listen to His words." Read that again. The door to God's heart is His Word. And it's open. You've Already Seen It Look at any day of my older bl...