Intro to the day:  “And if some day it happens, as with everybody, that you do something stupid… don’t get discouraged; pull yourself together at once and get on with your work without getting upset. Only Proud and unbalanced people allow themselves to be disturbed by their faults, because they will not face up to their own fragility. Never forget that your safest refuge is always the Sacred Heart of Jesus…” –Blessed Jacques Désiré Laval 

Today is Tuesday, the Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of St. Therese Catholic School in Portland, OR.

In the Gospel, crowds of people seek out Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

Saint of the Day: Blessed Jacques Désiré Laval 

Marian prayer for the day: Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. 

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. 

Amen

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To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day: “Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed and prepared for her role as Mother of God, … Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for Him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator.” –Saint Andrew of Crete

Today is Monday, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of Holy Family Catholic Academy in Niceville, FL.

In the Gospel, we hear the genealogy of Jesus.

Gospel: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Saint of the Day: Nativity of Mary–Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI, Saturday, 8 September 2012

Marian prayer for the day: Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

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To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day: “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

Today is Friday of the Twenty-second  Week of Ordinary Time. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of Little Flower Catholic School in Pensacola, FL

In the Gospel, the Pharisees question Jesus and his apostles. 

Gospel: Luke 5:33-39

Saint of the Day: Saint Teresa of Calcutta 

Marian prayer for the day:  O Mother of my God, and my Lady Mary - St. Alphonsus de Liguori

O, Mother of my God, and my Lady Mary; as a beggar, all wounded and sore, presents himself before a great Queen, so do I present myself before you, who are Queen of heaven and earth. 

From the lofty throne on which you sit, disdain not, I implore you, to cast your eyes on me, a poor sinner. 

God has made you so rich that you might assist the poor, and has made you Queen of Mercy in order that you might relieve the miserable. 

Behold me then, and pity me: behold me and abandon me not, until you see me changed from a sinner into a saint.

Amen.

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To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day: “Jesus is my hope!” –Blessed Catherine of Racconigi 

Today is Thursday of the Twenty-second  Week of Ordinary Time. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of the Diocese of Cheyenne Catholic Schools

In the Gospel, James, John, and Simon become apostles.

Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

Saint of the Day: Blessed Catherine of Racconigi 

Marian prayer for the day: The Depths of the Love of Your Heart – St. Therese

Virgin full of grace, I know that at Nazareth you lived modestly, without requesting anything more.

Neither ecstasies, nor miracles, nor other extraordinary deeds enhanced your life, O Queen of the elect.

The number of the lowly, “the little ones,” is very great on earth.

They can raise their eyes to you without any fear.

You are the incomparable Mother who walks with them along the common way to guide them to heaven.

Beloved Mother, in this harsh exile, I want to live always with you and follow you every day.

I am enraptured by the contemplation of you, and I discover the depths of the love of your heart.

All my fears vanish under your motherly gaze, which teaches me to weep and to rejoice!

Amen.

To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day: “Confidence, Confidence! A large heart! God is a Father and He will never abandon us!” –Bl. Brigida Morello Zancano

Today is Wednesday, the Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in Anchorage, AK

In the Gospel, Jesus performs many miracles.

Gospel: Luke 4:38-44

Saint of the Day: Blessed Brigida Morello Zancano 

Marian prayer for the day: Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Lead: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

Response: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day:  “As for us, we hold to what we believed ten and twenty years ago; to what our forefathers believed one hundred years ago, and one thousand years ago, and to that which the whole Catholic world has always believed.” - Saint Solomon Le Leclercq

Today is Tuesday of the Twenty-second  Week of Ordinary Time. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of St. Mary's Catholic School in Fort Walton, FL

In the Gospel, Jesus drives out an unclean spirit

Opening: God come to our assistance, Lord make haste to help us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.

Daily Psalm: Psalm 43

Gospel: Luke 4:31-37

Saint of the Day: Saint Solomon Le Leclercq 

Saint Solomon Le Leclercq was one of the 191 “Martyrs of September” during the French Revolution. Born in 1745 to a merchant family, he was educated by the Brothers of the Christian Schools and eventually entered the order himself in 1767. After taking his vows, he was sent to be a mathematics teacher and was known for his gentle but engaging demeanor. Br. Solomon also served as secretary to the superior general and as director of novices for the order. With the onset of the French Revolution, the Brothers of the Christian Schools were forced to shut down all operations because they would not take an oath that would renounce the papacy. Although he was forced to live as a regular civilian, he still remained hopeful for his vocation. In 1792, however, he and other priests and religious were arrested and taken to a Carmelite convent in Paris. They were martyred in the garden, and he was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.

Reflection: This is the first Gospel of this school year where we see Jesus casting out demons. He is doing something so extraordinary. He has power not just over nature, but over the supernatural. He is the Lord of everything, including the Lord of our hearts. Are there places in us that we don’t invite Him to heal us because we don’t believe that He will? Are there pains, crosses, addictions that we are too ashamed to show Him? Here He stands in the Gospel today, freeing a man from an evil spirit. He is showing us that His desire for us is to be truly free. Free from those things outside of us, and free from those things that we hold on to that we don’t want to give to Him. Sometimes we place Him back in the stories of the Gospel as if He is still not active today. Yet, the Gospel which is for each of us today tells us of His power. The power of freedom. It is also important to share these stories with children, not to frighten them about demons and the supernatural, but simply to let them know that there is evil that wants our destruction, but it has no power whatsoever in relation to our God. Jesus does not fight with the evil spirits; He simply casts them out. He is all-powerful.

Today, let us look into our lives, our relationships, our hurts, and ask ourselves if we truly believe that Jesus wants to help and heal us, our friends, our family members. Let Him know where your unbelief is, ask Him to help your unbelief. You may also reach out to someone that you know is in need of healing, go to them, pray with them, and let them know that Jesus desires them to be whole as well.

Marian prayer for the day: Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. 

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. 

Amen

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To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day: “Pray to God, ‘You are the Spirit, and I am only the trumpet, and without your breath I can give no sound.’ –Saint Joseph of Cupertino

Today is Monday of the Twenty-second Week of Ordinary Time. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage, AK

In the Gospel, Jesus returns to Nazareth.

Opening: God come to our assistance, Lord make haste to help us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.

Daily Psalm Psalm 42

Gospel: Luke 4:16-30

Saint of the Day: Anna the Prophetess

Anna the Prophetess appears in the Gospel of Luke (2:36-38) when the Holy Family is at the Temple for the Presentation of Christ.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

In Genesis 32:30, Jacob names the place he encountered God face-to-face “Phanuel”, which is where Anna’s father received his name. In Fr. Cornelius à Lapide’s commentary on the Gospel of Luke, he notes this:  “Phanuel in Hebrew signifies ‘the face of God’ –his daughter is ‘Anna’ –[meaning] grace; for grace proceeds from the face and from the mouth of God, and is breathed into the faithful.” Anna came forth from the Temple to speak of the Christ Child to all who were there, proclaiming the Good News of Christ’s coming. Fr. Lapide continues:

“Allegorically, Christ, when born, appeared to three groups of persons in three ways [...] the shepherds saw Christ, the magi adored Him, but Simeon and Anna embraced Him. So first we recognise Christ, then we adore Him, and then, when we are no longer children in virtue, but old men, embrace Him with arms of love.”

Reflection: The opening quote today is from St. Joseph of Cupertino, the patron saint of test takers and students. His love for God was so strong that he would levitate when thinking of Him, so much so that they tied a string around his body when they walked through the town. In the humor of the Church, that is why he is also the patron Saint of blimps. He struggled in his studies as a student, but the fact that he became a Saint tells us what we really need to know about him. Yes, he had heroic virtue, but he was madly in love with God. In an increasingly complicated world, we sometimes can forget about simplicity, that we really are called to love and serve the Lord. Some students have higher aptitudes than others. Some are faster, stronger, have innate musical abilities that others do not, but for all of them, St. Joseph shows them the most important thing: to love and serve God. What I didn’t say earlier about St. Joseph is that he would levitate when adoring the Blessed Sacrament. His love for Jesus in the Eucharist was so profound that he would begin to rise off the earth. Do we have that same belief? More importantly, do we do everything we can to foster this level of belief in the hearts of our children and the students in our care? Or do we sometimes, because of our hardness of heart, not inspire others to love Him more deeply?

Marian prayer for the day: Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

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To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” –St. John the Baptist (John 3:30)

Today is Friday, the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of St. Joseph's Catholic School in Lucinda, PA

In the Gospel, we hear an account of St. John the Baptist’s martyrdom. 

Daily Psalm: Psalm 51

Gospel: Mark 6:17-29

Saint of the Day: Beheading of Saint John the Baptist - from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable on the death of John the Baptist

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: "I am the truth"? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ. Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed that Christ also would suffer. Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men. He was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. To endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather is was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward. Since death was ever at hand, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ's name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: "You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake." He tells us why it is Christ's gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us." 

Reflection: St. John the Baptist was willing to give up his life to defend the sanctity of marriage. Most people forget this really important part of his story. They know that he was in jail, they know he was beheaded, but what was it for? Defending marriage. Isn’t amazing that Jesus first miracle is at the Wedding Feast of Cana, and that the first martyr, other than the Holy Innocents, gave his life to defend marriage. What are we being told here? In the beginning, God instituted marriage between man and woman. In the beginning the foundation of our lives with God rested on this. Marriage is the building block of any culture. In order for us to truly inspire the children in our care, we need to spend more time talking about marriage the way it was intended by God. God designed marriage to help us know His love for us. He designed it to let us know that He does not want us to be alone, that He trusts us in creation, and that He loves us so much that He wants to be united to us. In Heaven, we are perfectly united to Christ. It is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Instead of avoiding what can be a difficult topic as our culture shifts, we should lean more and more into the nature of what God is doing and how holy marriages help provide a reflection of the Trinitarian love of God. 

Let’s take time in our prayers today to pray for holy marriages. If in these prayers you feel compelled to reach out to a couple in need, do so. If in these prayers you feel compelled to thank a couple you know for their witness, do so.

Marian prayer for the day:  O Mother of my God, and my Lady Mary - St. Alphonsus de Liguori

To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

“Now is not the time to muse or fret over the happenings of life but rather to be conformed entirely to the will of God, striving to prepare [...] for that happy death which of all the things of life is our principal concern." –Saint Junípero Serra

Today is Thursday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time and Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of Catholic Central High School in Steubenville, OH

Gospel: Matthew 24:42-51

Saint of the Day: Saint Junípero Serra 

Saint Junípero Serra was born in Spain in 1713. He worked in the fields as a child and became interested in the Franciscans, as he loved learning from them at the local friary. He particularly enjoyed learning Gregorian chant. At age 16 he entered the novitiate and continued his studies, eventually being ordained to the priesthood seven years later. Fr. Serra was an academically excellent teacher, but even more so shone his love for his students and care for their spiritual life. However, despite the prestigious teaching prospects in Spain for him, Fr. Serra desired missionary work, and in 1749 arrived in the New World. After traveling on foot to Mexico City to stay with Franciscans there, he learned the native languages and customs of the people whom he would serve. Fr. Serra worked beside and befriended many native peoples and founded numerous missions where he taught and converted many through his courageous love and unfailing faith. He also defended them against the many abuses from the Spanish military.

Reflection: Blessed the servant who is faithful. The Gospel today talks about the end times. Each of us will have our own. The Lord is right here, and we do not know the day or the hour. But the blessing comes from faithfulness. Imagine, if after all that you did in this life, after all of your work, your toil, your sacrifices, you finished the race and went to see Our Lord, and His words were simply, “Well done, my faithful servant, enter into My kingdom.” This is what we need to strive for. We were created by God, Who is love itself, to be in perfect union with Him in eternity. There is nothing more important than this. We easily can justify that our work, our scores, our salary, our accomplishments are most important. In schools, we communicate this with our students, placing precedence on test scores, aptitude, skill attainment, starting positions on whatever sports team, 1st chair in the orchestra. These are good. We are there to help students discover their talents and uncover the good they can do, but eternity, sanctity, union with God is the ultimate goal of our work. Not just in our schools. Salvation in Jesus Christ is the ultimate goal of marriage, of family life, of ministry with whomever the Lord entrusts into your care each and every day. We need to spend more time storing up these treasures in our hearts. Not to the detriment of all else, but to allow all things to be directed to union with God.

Marian prayer for the day: The Depths of the Love of Your Heart – St. Therese

Virgin full of grace, I know that at Nazareth you lived modestly, without requesting anything more.

Neither ecstasies, nor miracles, nor other extraordinary deeds enhanced your life, O Queen of the elect.

The number of the lowly, “the little ones,” is very great on earth.

They can raise their eyes to you without any fear.

You are the incomparable Mother who walks with them along the common way to guide them to heaven.

Beloved Mother, in this harsh exile, I want to live always with you and follow you every day.

I am enraptured by the contemplation of you and I discover the depths of the love of your heart.

All my fears vanish under your motherly gaze, which teaches me to weep and to rejoice!

Amen.

__________________

To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.

Intro to the day: “Nothing is far from God.” –Saint Monica

Today is Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time and Memorial of St. Monica. We are praying for the faculty, staff, and families of Bishop Mussio Elementary in Steubenville, OH.

In the Gospel, Jesus continues to admonish the Pharisees for their hypocrisies. 

Opening: God come to our assistance, Lord make haste to help us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.

Daily Psalm: Psalm 36

Gospel: Matthew 23:27-32

Saint of the Day: Blessed Dominic Barberi

Blessed Dominic Barberi was born in 179 to a poor Italian farming family. Although he received no regular education, he was taught to read by an elderly Capuchin priest who lived nearby. Dominic befriended some Passionists who were in exile due to Napoleonic suppression and felt called to join them in 1814. He was later ordained to the priesthood and taught theology and philosophy to students of the congregation, lecturing for ten years. In 1830, he began missionary work in Belgium and then England. While in England, he faced harsh anti-catholic sentiment from protestant ministers and residents. Young people would throw rocks at him, but he responded simply by kissing the stones and putting them in his pocket. Fr. Barberi was known for his sense of humor, as well as his strength and persevering love, which led many to conversion. On one occasion, a protestant minister shouted at him from the streets, denying transubstantiation, to which Dominic replied: "Jesus Christ said over the consecrated elements, 'This is my body.'" You say, "No. It is not his body!" Who then am I to believe? I prefer to believe Jesus Christ." Fr. Dominic also played a key role in converting John Henry Newman, whom he personally received into the Church only four years before his death in 1849.

Reflection: Maybe this is a bit of a tangent, but I do think it is connected to the Gospel today. Jesus is talking about the external and internal still. He calls the Pharisees and Scribes whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but rotting on the inside. There is a real danger that continues to get worse and worse in our lives and in the lives of many young people. There was a time we called it, keeping up with the Joneses. The filtered world that we once just saw through commercials, advertisements, and magazines has come knocking on each one of our doorsteps through Social Media. The perfect pose, the filter that makes us look different, the videos where all of the kids are smiling and happy, and perfect sets expectations that are not real. They appear beautiful and perfect on the outside, and this is how our young people are weighing their dignity, their value, their worth. As a result, we have increasing numbers of depression, anxiety, and even despair. What is the response? We have to train ourselves to look within, to the places that the Lord draws out what is truly beautiful in us. We need to take time to ask if we are advancing in virtue. We need to draw children’s attention to those things within them that express their true value. We have to celebrate their dignity in order to change the narrative. We need to show in some way, through a smile, a kind word, our presence, that they are beautifully and wonderfully made.

Today, let us take a few moments in silence to ask ourselves what lies we have sold ourselves. Do we feel we are not beautiful enough, funny enough, good enough? Remember, these are lies. Let’s ask the Lord in this silence to help us see ourselves as He sees us, with tremendous pride in the dignity and beauty that exists within us. Then, if we can, let’s find the person who needs to hear the same and reach out to them.

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To add intentions, get more resources and support, or if you would like to make a donation to support this podcast, visit us at missiondrivencatholic.com.