Beads of Joy Blog II (2025 - 2026)

🌿 Sunday, March 8, 2026 Living Water at the Well If You Only Knew the Gift of God Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Third Sunday of Lent • Year A • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Exodus 17:3-7 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 Second Reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 Gospel: John 4:5-42 📖 The Gospel - John 4:5-42 Jesus sits down at Jacob's Well in Samaria, tired, thirsty, and a woman comes to draw water alone in the heat of the day. What begins as a simple request for a drink becomes one of the most extraordinary conversations in all of Scripture. Jesus offers her living water. And she becomes one of the first evangelists in the Gospels, running back to her village crying: come see a man who told me everything I ever did. 🙏 Gospel Reflection She came to the well alone at midday. In that culture, women drew water in the cool of the morning, in groups, together. She came alone at noon. Which tells us...

  🌿 Saturday, March 7, 2026 The Prodigal Son His Father Sees Him and Runs To Him Photo created by James Dacey, Jr using Co-Pilot. Saturday of the Second Week of Lent • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 📖 The Gospel - Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 The prodigal son. The younger son takes his inheritance, wastes it, hits rock bottom, comes to his senses, and starts the long walk home, not expecting to be welcomed as a son but hoping to be taken on as a servant. And while he is still a long way off, his father sees him and runs. He throws his arms around him. He puts a ring on his finger and calls for a feast. 🙏 Gospel Reflection This is a deeply emotional parable that most of us can relate to. Because every single person who has ever lived has been a child. Some of us have taken our share of our parents' gifts and wasted them in one w...

🌿 Friday, March 6, 2026 The Rejected Stone Became the Cornerstone Photo created by James Dacey, Jr using Co-Pilot. Friday of the Second Week of Lent • Day of Abstinence • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21 Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 📖 The Gospel - Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard tenants, a landowner who plants everything, leases it out, and sends servants to collect the fruit. The tenants beat one servant, kill another, and stone a third. Finally, the owner sends his own son. They kill him, too. And Jesus asks: What will the owner do? Then He quotes the Psalm, the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 🙏 Gospel Reflection Joseph and Jesus. Two stories, centuries apart, played in the same key. Joseph, the beloved son, wrapped in his father's coat of many colors, was thrown into a pit by ...

🌿 Thursday, March 5, 2026 The Rich Man and Lazarus And The Chasm That Separates Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Thursday of the Second Week of Lent • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6 Gospel: Luke 16:19-31 📖 The Gospel - Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells the story of a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen who feasts every day while poor Lazarus lies at his gate covered in sores. Both die. Lazarus is carried to Abraham's bosom. The rich man finds himself in torment. And across the great chasm, he begs for mercy and then asks that his brothers be warned. Abraham says, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them. 🙏 Gospel Reflection This parable is one of the most powerful things Jesus ever said, and it is told without a single villain. The rich man is not described as cruel or hateful. Even though he knows Lazarus is there, he simply d...

🌿 Wednesday, March 4, 2026 James & John Come Forward Seeking Their Reward Photo created by James Dacey, Jr. using Co-Pilot. Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent • Lent 2026 • Year A • Beads of Joy Blog II ✝️ Today's Mass Readings First Reading: Jeremiah 18:18-20 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:5-6, 14, 15-16 Gospel: Matthew 20:17-28 📖 The Gospel - Matthew 20:17-28 Jesus pulls His disciples aside on the road to Jerusalem and tells them plainly that He is going to be handed over, mocked, scourged, and crucified, and on the third day He will be raised. And before He even finishes, the mother of James and John comes forward and asks, can my sons sit at Your right and left in the kingdom? Jesus looks at them gently and says, you don't know what you're asking. 🙏 Gospel Reflection I have always found something deeply human and almost tender in this moment. Jesus has just described His coming Passion, the most serious thing He has ever said to them, and the disciples...

🌿 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...