The Friar Podcasts - preaching prayer and spiritual reflections

A document for the entire list of daily intentions.

The Liturgical Guide for the Celebrations.

To pray the rosary live (11am central, 17h00 GMT). Look for the Upcoming Events Column on the right side of the page.  You can also pray an audio version using one of the audio versions at the end of this post.

For a guide on how to pray the rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Dominican Rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Lasallian Rosary, click here.

Today's Reflection:

It is an absolute shame to see the war and violence raging in the world. The conflict between Israel and Palestine is sad indeed. It is so sad to see the loss of life caused from war, particularly when it involves the loss of innocent civilians. How tragic is the hardening of attitudes that can result when children are killed or injured? How much hatred will be created by the bitterness that comes from war?

In so many ways every violent conflict impacts the poor most severely. It is the poor that is often in desperate need of the basic materials needed to live that are first to have to go without them. Currently in Gaza, consider the situation of little or no power, no sewage processing, and limited water. As bombs and rockets are launched, consider the fear that arises at the sound of the sirens that play when rockets are detected.

The prophet Isaiah longs for the day when we will train for war no more. The images of the Kingdom of God are unbelievable metaphors of wolf and lamb being guests, babies and cobras playing together and such harmony and peace that it exceeds our understanding.  It can only be the case that we experience such peace if we pray for conversion and seek conversion in our own hearts. We so desperately need peace. We need desperately to seek the harmony that existed before sin entered the world. The Blessed Mother is referred to as the Queen of Peace, for her life was one of constant peace even in spite of the suffering she experienced in her life. In the Hail, Holy Queen, we seek the peace that she found in completely following God in everything. Mary is our life, our sweetness, and our peace. As we continue this Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all people at war and for world peace.

Today's Intention: For all people at war and for world peace.

Readings for Today

This week is filled with lessons about the Holy Spirit and lessons about the Trinity. We learn the Holy Spirit leads us sometimes in directions in which we do not want to go. Jesus teaches us that eternal life is a relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

A document for the entire list of daily intentions.

The Liturgical Guide for the Celebrations.

To pray the rosary live (11am central, 17h00 GMT). Look for the Upcoming Events Column on the right side of the page. You can also pray an audio version using one of the audio versions at the end of this post.

For a guide on how to pray the rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Dominican Rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Lasallian Rosary, click here.

Today's Reflection:

It is hard to imagine any gifts or talents that are more needed in our world than the talents of doctors and nurses who work (often selflessly) to keep us in good health. In more than a year of pandemic the men and women with these gifts have used them tirelessly, often at great sacrifice. Moreover, in many instances, what began as a profession with great honor and recognition soon became unappreciated and underappreciated as each of us became more and more tired with the ways in which the pandemic forced changes in our life.

With dedicated professionalism and unbelievable circumstances, doctors and nurses deal with humans who are often at the worst since they feel sick and miserable. They deal with humans who are scared and worried about themselves and the ones they love. And in much of the world the needs they seek to heal are outweighed by a lack of resources they can give.

And yet we know that Jesus is the divine healer who makes all healthy and holy. We know that Jesus is the giver of the talents developed by doctors and nurses. We know that God can never be outdone in generosity. We know very much that God is the one who is the giver of life, and the one who calls us to live life fully in his presence. And so as we continue this Rosary Marathon we ask God to help us to show our gratitude for all that doctors and nurses do for the health and well-being of so many. And as we seek the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us pray for all doctors and nurses.

Today's Intention: For all doctors and nurses.

A document for the entire list of daily intentions.

The Liturgical Guide for the Celebrations.

To pray the rosary live (11am central, 17h00 GMT). Look for the Upcoming Events Column on the right side of the page. You can also pray an audio version using one of the audio versions at the end of this post.

For a guide on how to pray the rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Dominican Rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Lasallian Rosary, click here.

Today's Reflection:

There are so many warnings about power, riches, entitlement and other ways we describe people who have a lot. While we seek after these things, more often those with wisdom suggest prudence about these matters, for they can often be destructive. Moreover, if we seek them only for their own sake, then we discover they never seem to satisfy without seeking more power, riches or entitlement.

What is the right way? I remember being told about a religious sister who had been superior of her community for quite some time. At one point, she was asked how it was that she was able to deal with having all of that power. Her answer, which was a bit harshly stated was that it was not about power but about service.

Every type of leadership involves a certain amount of responsibility. Obviously there are levels of leadership as well. The leaders in countries were there is a great deal of wealth and power bear a special responsibility to use this power in a way that reflects a responsibility to others.

To be sure, high levels of leadership are not easy. Problems are complex, and often decisions need to be made quickly. It remains important, however, in all decisions to focus on those without power. How is it we make sure that we consider the needs of the weakest members of the world wide community, the poor, marginalized and the outcast. For in moments of crisis and difficulty, it is almost always the poor, the marginalized and the outcast that suffer the most. Each new crisis serves as a reminder of the great inequality that exists in the world. As we continue this Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all world leaders and for all heads of international organizations.

Today's Intention: For all world leaders and for all heads of international organizations.

Just a note about the homily and the readings for today. In the Archdiocese where I live, the readings are taken from the Solemnity of the Ascension, as the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord is moved to Sunday, May 16.

Christmas, Easter, the Ascension and Pentecost provide us with revelations of the Triune God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are each revealed in a marvelous way. The Solemnity of the Ascension fills us with hope as we see that with God's grace we can follow where Jesus leads.

A document for the entire list of daily intentions.

The Liturgical Guide for the Celebrations.

To pray the rosary live (11am central, 17h00 GMT). Look for the Upcoming Events Column on the right side of the page. You can also pray an audio version using one of the audio versions at the end of this post.

For a guide on how to pray the rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Dominican Rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Lasallian Rosary, click here.

Today's Reflection:

Property. It is amazing that another human being could be viewed as property. Yet humans have treated other humans as property for a long time. It can be thought that the notion that another human being could be seen as property is something that is no longer true. But is it?

Consider these stories from the Trafficking in Persons Report from the United States Department of State.

Veronica left her indigenous community in Colombia for a domestic service position in the capital city, Bogotá. After arriving, her employer told her she would need to work for two months without a salary to repay her relocation expenses. Later, her employer forced Veronica to work for two years without pay as punishment for breaking a decorative vase in the home. She had to work 12-hour days and her movements were constantly restricted. After she escaped and a prosecutor brought charges against Veronica’s employer, the court ruled that Veronica was a victim of domestic servitude and a survivor of human trafficking.

Sofia was optimistic as she landed in Italy with her new fiancé, excited for the luxuries her rural Romanian village did not afford her. Soon after arriving, Sofia’s fiancé handed her an itemized bill for every meal, trip, and gift he had ever purchased for her. He told her she needed to reimburse him by engaging in co

Every now and then we need a "critical friend" to let us know when we have gone astray. The readings for today provide us the formula for holiness: praying for people to keep us from going astray, and asking God to help us grow in holiness.

A document for the entire list of daily intentions.

The Liturgical Guide for the Celebrations.

To pray the rosary live (11am central, 17h00 GMT). Look for the Upcoming Events Column on the right side of the page. You can also pray an audio version using one of the audio versions at the end of this post.

For a guide on how to pray the rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Dominican Rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Lasallian Rosary, click here.

Today's Reflection:

The story in the Gospel of Luke about the Good Samaritan starts with a question: Who is my neighbor?” The bible is filled with admonitions and invitations to be kind to strangers. The Gospel of Matthew tells us to welcome Jesus in the stranger. The book of Exodus warns Israel not to oppress foreigners. The book of Leviticus encourages us to make no distinction between the foreigner and the native-born.

And yet today the situation concerning refugees, migrants and displaced persons is still serious. According to the UN Refugee Agency, almost 27 million people are refugees, over 4 million are seeking asylum, and over 45 million people are consider internally displaced, which means they have left their homes but not their country. They often suffer just as much as refugees who leave their country. More than two out of three refugees came from just five countries. More than a third of these refugees are hosted in just five countries.

The bible implies that our obligations to the poor, suffering and outcasts are high. Those of us who have will be judged on how generous we were to those who have not. We will be asked at judgement about how well we treated Jesus in the stranger, the poor, the hungry and imprisoned. And yet we know that it is rarely the case the poor are treated well. Moreover, the pandemic has only heightened the differences between those who have and those who do not. We see it in the level of care and treatment, we see it in vaccine distribution, and we see it in economic impact. As we continue the Rosary Marathon, let us seek for conversion of our hearts, that we may be more generous and let us pray for all migrants.

A document for the entire list of daily intentions.

The Liturgical Guide for the Celebrations.

To pray the rosary live (11am central, 17h00 GMT). Look for the Upcoming Events Column on the right side of the page. You can also pray an audio version using one of the audio versions at the end of this post.

For a guide on how to pray the rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Dominican Rosary, click here.

For a guide on how to pray the Lasallian Rosary, click here.

Today's Reflection:

There is an oft-stated belief that faith and science are in tremendous conflict and simply are not compatible. While evangelical Christians claim creationism as a belief system often gives rise to this idea, the reality is that for the Catholic Church, there is no conflict between faith and science. It is more than possible to hold beliefs in both faith and in science. Each has an important and particular area of expertise.

In fact, many Catholics are surprised that as early as 1950 in the encyclical Humani Generis Pope Pius XII said this: “For these reasons the Teaching Authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions, on the part of men experienced in both fields, take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter - for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God.” Put simply, rational exploration into the theories of evolution is a good endeavor, provided it recognizes the rational soul was created by God in a deliberate act. This teaching has been reinforced by Saint Pope John XXIII, Saint

Just a note about the homily and the readings for today. In the Archdiocese where I live, the readings are taken from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, as the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord is moved to Sunday, May 16.

Sometimes Saint Paul would use a common example and preach gently to help people to understand. At other times he would speak so boldly that some people wanted to kill him. Lord, give us the grace to know when we should speak gently and when we should speak boldly.