Did you know that there is a religious tradition that the Star of Bethlehem was actually an angel, a Messenger of God who led the Magi to Jesus? For 2025, we can be a Star of Bethlehem for someone. Let us pray to be a messenger to bring someone closer to Jesus. We can be an angel for a family member or co-worker or others. We can also be a co-partner with a person's Guardian Angel to help bring them closer to God this year.

Catholic Mass readings for the Epiphany of the Lord Solemnity, January 5, 2025

First Reading: Isaiah 60: 1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
Second Reading: Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6
Alleluia: Matthew 2: 2
Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12

Listen now to hear and learn a blessing for this new year. Receive it as a prayer for you from our pastor, Fr. Charles "Chuck" Wood. Then, pivot and pass it on as a blessing from yourself to others.

Catholic Mass readings for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, January 1, 2025

First Reading: Numbers 6: 22-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8
Second Reading: Galatians 4: 4-7
Gospel: Luke 2: 16-21

"In Christ, be blessed and thrive in 2025!"

Today we listen to Archbishop Sample's homily from our archdiocese's Mass for the Opening of the Jubilee Year. The Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year every 25 years as a special grace-filled time of prayer, pilgrimage, and reconcilation. This year's theme is "Pilgrims of Hope".

You can learn about the archdiocese's Jubilee 2025 plans and find a link to the official Jubilee Year website at https://www.archdpdx.org/jubilee-year-of-hope-2025.

You are invited to fulfill the archbishop's homework of finding and reading Pope Francis' latest encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, "He Loves Us," by using this link: https://tinyurl.com/yw9ndkev.

Catholic Mass Readings The readings are those for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

First Reading: First Samuel 1: 20-22, 24-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5
Second Reading: First John 3: 1-2, 21-24
Gospel: Luke 2: 41-52

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once named the one gift from God that she would choose for others to receive. Listen now to learn what that gift is. Then hear how Fr. Chuck applies it to the last lines of each of the scripture readings for Christmas Mass during the Night, which our parish proclaimed at all Christmas Masses.

Catholic Mass readings for the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass during the Night, proclaimed at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church December 24 & 25, 2024

First Reading: Isaiah 9: 1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13
Second Reading: Titus 2: 11-14
Alleluia: Luke 2: 10-11
Gospel: Luke 2: 1-14

Episode artwork: Detail of a tiled wall depicting the Nativity of Jesus in All Saints' Anglo-Catholic Church, London; photo by Fr. Lawrence, OP on Flickr; license for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Have you ever received a Christmas gift that made you leap for joy? In today's gospel reading from Luke, the Holy Spirit helps Elizabeth and John recognize the Messiah. God's gift of the Holy Spirit is constantly pouring out for us. May we be open to receiving God's gift, and be filled with the Holy Spirit to recognize the presence of Jesus with joy.

Catholic Mass Readings for the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 22, 2024

First Reading: Micah 5: 1-4a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Second Reading: Hebrews 10: 5-10
Alleluia: Luke 1: 38
Gospel: Luke 1: 39-45

What kind of rejoicing do you usually think of in connection with today's Gaudete Sunday? We rejoice because God is near, and can also rejoice in St. John the Baptist's message that "the chaff He will burn...". What does this mean for us in our lives today? The chaff is anything that keeps us from growing in holiness and becoming closer to God. It is also the loneliness or sadness of others that God might work through us to burn away. It is another one of God's gifts this Advent season.

Catholic Mass Readings for the Third Sunday in Advent, December 15, 2024

First Reading: Zephaniah 3: 14-18a
Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6
Second Reading: Philippians 4: 4-7
Alleluia: Isaiah 61: 1
Gospel: Luke 3: 10-18

The Reitrement Fund for Religious in the U.S. Catholic Church took up a national collection at Masses Dec. 7–8. This collection gains a fresh perspective in Fr. Chuck's homily. Listen today to hear how he connects this collection with the Second Reading from Philippians 1. Namely, he echoes Paul's confidence in Phil 1:6, that God "who began a good work . . . will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." Learn now how we engage in this "Divine Good-Work-Completion" in support of the 24,000-some U.S. men and women Religious now in retirement (or semi-retirement).

Catholic Mass Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, December 8, 2024

First Reading: Baruch 5: 1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Second Reading: Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11
Alleluia: Luke 3: 4, 6
Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6

Have you ever had something inconvenient happen to you that you later realized was actually an opportunity? God's guidance and timing may not always be what we would like, as Father Chuck points out in today's homily. Psalm 25 asks us to surrender to God's timing,"To You, Oh Lord, I lift my soul ... and for You I wait all the day."

Catholic Mass Readings for the First Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2024

First Reading: Jeremiah 33: 14-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25: 4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
Second Reading: First Thessalonians 3: 12 – 4: 2
Alleluia: Psalms 85: 8
Gospel: Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36