21 May – Memorial for St. Bernadine of Siena, Priest Bernadine (1381-1444) was a Friar Minor, a priest, an itinerant preacher, and a theological writer. His preaching skills were so great, and the conversions so numerous, that he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc. Bernadine’s charismatic preaching filled the [...]
21 May _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing [...]
20 May – 7th Sunday of Easter; World Communications Sunday Christ Forgives Our Sins Today we say Yes to the Lord who comes to forgive us our sins, and we praise him who shows such mercy to the poor and the weak. – The Sunday Missal _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26 One day Peter [...]
19 May _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28 Paul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers. An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the [...]
18 May – Memorial for St. John I, Pope and Martyr John (d. 526) was a priest in Rome, and became the 53rd pope in 523. Italy’s ruler then, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian. For a while he left the Catholics alone, but in later life he became suspicious of everyone, imagining conspiracies and [...]
16 May _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1 Paul’s escort took him as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin Paul as soon as they could. So Paul stood before the whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech: ‘Men of Athens, I have seen for myself [...]
15 May _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 16:22-34 The crowd joined in and showed their hostility to Paul and Silas, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, [...]
13 May – Sixth Sunday of Easter Jesus, Friend Of Outcasts To bring help to outcasts, Jesus himself had to become an outcast and ‘stay outside in places where nobody lived’. – The Sunday Missal _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 10:25-26.34-35.44-48 As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his [...]
12 May – Memorial for Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs; Memorial for St. Pancras, Martyr Nereus and Achilleus (d. 98) were soldiers in the imperial Roman army, and members of the Praetorian Guard. They were converts to Christianity and baptized by St. Peter the Apostle. They were exiled for their faith, suffered with St. Flavia [...]
11 May _____________________ Acts of the Apostles 15:22-31 The apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them: ‘The apostles [...]
