VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians should read Scripture often, every day if possible, and look to the Spirit if reading the Gospel ever feels dry, Pope Francis said. Even when one has repeatedly read a Scripture passage “without particular emotion,” at the right time and in an atmosphere of faith and prayer ,”that text suddenly…
ROME (CNS) — Pope Francis encouraged priests to seek out those who are “invisible” in society and he warned against “ideologies” in the church. According to Italian news reports, one of the ideologies he specified was a gay culture, referring to it, however, by using the same derogatory slang term in Italian that he reportedly…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Sitting in the Vatican Gardens with the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica as a backdrop, Pope Francis told cardinals and diplomats, including the ambassadors of Israel and Palestine, “Every day I pray that this war will finally end.” With a representative of Rome’s Jewish community and a representative of the city’s…
Readings for the Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle Reading 1 ACTS 11:21B-26; 13:1-3 In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he…
Reading 1 1 Kgs 17:1-6 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”The LORD then said to Elijah:“Leave here, go eastand hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.You…
ROME (CNS) — Rome is unique and has a vocation as a universal city, Pope Francis said. Rome has “a universal spirit” that aims to be at the service of charity, hospitality and welcome, he told the city’s mayor and government officials in Rome’s City Hall. Pope Francis delivers his speech in the Julius Caesar…