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:

Some of the most satisfying ministry I have done has involved celebrating Mass, hearing confessions and praying with those in prison. Why was this so satisfying? Simply put, I have found time and again that God can do amazing things in a prison, even in the lives of those who have committed some pretty awful crimes.

We can cast prisoners out of our minds because we can simply suggest they are getting what they deserve. But even the worst criminal is still a human made in God’s image and likeness. Also, while we may be quick to think of the crime, and the victim, we can be less quick to recognize we live in a world where people, who through no choice of their own are born into such strikingly different circumstances where committing crime can be more possible.

Pope Francis said this when he spoke to Italian prison chaplains: “When I would receive a letter from one of the inmates in Buenos Aires I would go to visit him; now when those from Buenos Aires write to me I sometimes phone them for a chat, especially on Sunday. When I finish, I think: why is he there and not I who have so many and different reasons to be there? Thinking about this does me good: seeing that we share the same weaknesses, why did he fall and I did not? This is a mystery that makes me pray and makes me draw close to inmates.” While there is a punitive aspect to prison, it is better thought as the chance for conversion and redemption. And we can provide that opportunity if we think of the goal to be conversion and redemption. To be sure, those in prison will not always convert. At the same time, those outside of prison do not always convert either. As we continue to pray this Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all prisoners.

Today's Intention:  For all prisoners.

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 can be really, really hard to be alone. We can find ourselves, or hear from others, about how hard it is. Consider Elijah, who despite being the vehicle for many miracles for the people, fails to convince them of God’s supremacy. He prays for death. He has lost hope. Even Jesus had moments where he was alone, such as when he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion.

But these two events are strikingly different in one important aspect. Elijah receives comfort from an angel sent from God. Jesus is comforted because he is assured he is not really alone, but is with the Father. When it is the case we feel alone, there are times we can be like Elijah, worn out, tired, ready to give up.

The invitation is to see ourselves more in the situation of Jesus. His agony was real, but his faith that he was in the presence of the Father helped him to bear it.

So too can it be for us. When we are aware we are always in the holy presence of God in every aspect of our lives, even though being alone is tough, it can be endured with God’s grace.

Of course, it is not the case that the only recourse should be the awareness of God’s grace, as powerful and magnificent as that is. Rather, it should be the case that we can count on others too. Even Jesus brought his closest disciples with him, even though they did not prove to be much help. Our visits to people that are alone can be quite powerful indeed. The pandemic, however, has made this much harder in some cases, or even impossible. People have suffered alone, and even if they receive a phone call we all know that is not the same as being physically present to others. We know this suffering is continuing in too many parts of the world. As we continue this Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all people who live alone and those who have lost hope.

Today's Intention: For all people who live alone and those who have lost hope.

What must I do to be saved?" This is an interesting question that depending upon one's type of Christianity can yield a variety of answers. The answer of course, is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. For Catholics, this is a constant process of growing in faith, seeking forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession, and recognizing that we must pray to discern just what it means to believe in Jesus and to be active in the Church.

The readings for today.

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:

While maybe in someway we have always blamed the poor simply for being poor, it seems to me, that like everything, it has become more vitriolic these days. The hardships of being poor are not enough. We blame the poor for being poor. We characterize them as lazy. We see them as persons who simply want to mooch from the rest of us.

But is this the attitude of God? Did the Son of God treat the poor in this way? No. In the Old Testament, the rules of worship were different for the poor, rules for reaping the harvest had to show special consideration to the poor, had to willingly help them, and pay them promptly for work, to name a few laws. In the New Testament, we are to see all people as Jesus himself, but specifically mentioned are the poor, the sick and the imprisoned. In the story of the widow’s mite, it is not the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart.

In fact, what is most important is that if we have much, much will be expected from us. It can be quite easy to look at our situation and be ignorant of what others are facing. We can think, especially when we live in a country like the United States, that we help too much or give too much away. But it seems to me that sometimes we become so focused on what we have, and what we want, we do not take the time to realize how blessed we are. So when it comes to the poor, what is God asking of you? How can you reach out to help? What is it you can do? As we continue this rosary marathon, take a moment to pray about what you can do, and to pray for all the poor, the homeless, and the economically distressed.

Today's Intention: For all the poor, the homeless, and the economically distressed.

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:

Every human being is broken, but each in different ways. Some people’s brokenness is quite visible. For others, their brokenness is hidden. You may have heard that we need to be kind because we do not always see the brokenness of others. At the same time, we also need to be kind when we see brokenness as well.

The same principle is true with disabilities. Every human has things they can do and things they can not do. Regardless, we need to treat every person with dignity and respect, since every single person is made in God’s image and likeness. And the way we treat every single person is how we treat Christ himself.

We can mistakenly think that humans are supposed to all have the “ideal talents”, or the “perfect looks”. We can turn away from those who do not fit our description of what it means to be human. Worse still, we can fall into the trap of thinking we are perfect, and others are not. We can think that we are physically perfect, and others are not. When we do this, we miss opportunities to encounter God. We can learn so much from every other person if we are open to encountering God. Every person is an invitation to see a little more clearly what it means to be made in God’s image and likeness. When we fail to acknowledge this basic truth, we reject God’s invitation to know him more fully. As we continue this Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all people with disabilities.

Today's Intention: For all people with disabilities.

What do you expect from God? To protect you from all harm? To keep you safe? To love you? To save you? Today we explore these questions. What do we expect from God? What does God expect from us?

The readings for today.

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 cultures that value tremendously the elderly. The elderly represent wisdom in their lives and were often the most revered figures in society. While that is still true in many places, there are times where it is hard to see that dignity and respect. How many of the elderly died in Italy in the Spring of 2020? How many of the elderly died in the United States when the wave hit here later?

We need to make sure that those who have lived long are also treated well. While facts and knowledge may change, wisdom is timeless, and many of the elderly are full of wisdom. And if in our fast-paced world we could slow down a little and listen, just imagine how much better we could be.

COVID only magnified the suffering that was already present for many in other diseases. In the Bible, Simeon and Anna are presented as those wisdom figures and prayerful witnesses. They become those persons of wisdom we remember in the joyful mysteries. Who are the wisdom figures in your life? Who is it you look up to in your life to seek guidance? Today, as we continue the Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all seniors everywhere around the world, that we may always appreciate the lessons they have learned and can pass on to us from the vast experiences.

Today's Intention: For all seniors.

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:

As a little kid, I remember my grandmother’s phone on the wall. It was the type where you had to ring the operator to make a call. And when the phone rang, you had to make sure it was your ring, and not someone else’s, as she had what was called a “party line,” because lifting the receiver on a call that was not intended for you made you a party to the other call.

It was not all that long ago when we still marveled at the telephone, could only watch the TV news in the evening, and papers were delivered not only in the morning, but in the evening as well. How fast has communication technology moved! We can know speak to someone all the way around the world and hear them clearly.

Yet with all this new technology there has been a greater dependence on those who work to make sure it works. When a storm hits, it is communication workers who receive the call to fix downed power lines, telephone lines, and more. In fact, a few days ago there was a story in the New York Times that described how social media was helping in ways  in India that other technologies could not.

Today we pray for all those who help facilitate communication all over the globe. May they use their skills to help all people, especially those who are most vulnerable and poor. And as we continue the Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all communication workers.

Today's Intention: For all those who have not been able to say goodbye to their deceased loved ones.

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 such a powerful image that it is often used for a parish, or religious communities. It is the notion of family. Bulletin announcements at the end of Mass might reference the parish family. I know in the Dominican Order we speak of the Dominican family to describes the various membership groups.

But just as the word family conjures up positive and warm feelings, so too thinking about some families has the opposite effect. In families where there has been physical or sexual abuse, for example. Homes marked by domestic violence. Families that are broken by disfunction or addiction. Families that suffer because of divorce or extramarital affairs. All of these examples do not bring the warm, fuzzy feeling to mind. And often those who come from such families do not feel the freedom to discuss the abuse, and so they suffer alone.

Yet the Second Vatican Council referenced the family as a domestic church. In Lumen Gentium, we read this: “The family is, so to speak, the domestic church.” (paragraph 11). It remains important for us to strive for this ideal. And for that to occur ever more frequently, we need to pray for the family. In so many ways the family is under attack by outside forces that cause deep suffering and hardship. As we continue the Rosary Marathon, let us pray for all families.

Today's Intention: For all expectant women and their unborn babies. And, we pray for all those infected with the coronavirus and all the sick.

What do you do when the actions of the Holy Spirit are causing you to seriously question what you believe? You look to see where the Holy Spirit is active. What is God doing in your life?