Saturday, September 19, 2026
September 20, 2026
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Matthew20:1-16a
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
the holy Gospel according to Matthew20:1-16a
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Divine Office
Today's Divine Office Readings
Friday, September 18, 2026
The Circling Year
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Luke 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
the holy Gospel according to Luke 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Danny Boy: A Love Remembered in Prayer
Imagine an Irish doorway in the fading light, a young man leaving, and a woman watching until he disappears down the road. She might be his mother, his wife, or the sweetheart who had hoped to grow old beside him. “Danny Boy” leaves that tenderness unnamed, allowing us to hear the voice of someone we have loved.
We might picture Danny departing for the battlefields of the First World War, though the song appeared in 1913, before the war began, and names no particular conflict. Its farewell belongs to anyone who has watched a loved one go without knowing when—or whether—they will return.
The woman promises to wait through summer sunshine and winter snow. Then comes the thought she can scarcely bear: perhaps Danny will come home, but she will no longer be there to welcome him.
Her request is simple: visit my grave, kneel beside it, and say an Ave for me.
That little word gives the song its unmistakable Catholic flavor. An Ave is a Hail Mary—a prayer familiar from childhood, whispered at bedsides, counted on rosary beads, and offered for those who have died. She asks him to remember her with the same faith that has carried her through their separation.
Imagine him returning at last, walking through the quiet churchyard, his cap in his hands. He kneels, and the prayer comes slowly. Beneath his sorrow is the hope that she rests in God’s care, and that his love still reaches her.
Here the song becomes almost a prayer itself: a tender hope that death cannot silence love, and that those parted in this life may one day meet again.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
The First Appearance of Our Lady at Fatima
Tears to My Eyes
In the final scene of It’s a Date (1940), Deanna Durbin offers a beautiful rendition of Schubert’s “Ave Maria.” Dressed in a nun’s habit for a play within the film, she sings with a purity of tone and tenderness that give the moment a quiet, prayerful beauty. Her voice lets the music speak for itself—a lovely reminder of why this timeless prayer continues to touch so many hearts.
Morning Prayer
This morning I come to you with love and trust.
I place myself in your motherly care, and I give you my whole self—my body and my soul, my thoughts and my heart, and everything I will do today.
Dear Mother Mary, stay close beside me. Watch over me wherever I go.
Keep me from sin and from anything that might lead me away from your dear Son, Jesus.
Help me to be good and gentle today. Guide my thoughts, my words, and everything I do, so that my life may be pleasing to God.
When something is difficult, help me to be patient. When I am afraid, help me to trust.
And when I forget to think of God, gently lead my heart back to Him.
Blessed Mother, keep me beneath your loving protection all through this day.
And when my life on earth is finished, please lead me safely home to Jesus, where I may be with Him forever.
Amen.
This beautiful Morning Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary comes from an old handwritten German Catholic prayer book. Written in the traditional script of an earlier time, it reflects a simple and deeply trusting devotion to Our Lady.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
The Circling Year
September 18, 2026
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Luke 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
The Gospel of the Lord.
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Luke 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Evening Prayer
When my heart feels tired, you draw me close and let me rest near you, as a child rests safely beside her mother.
You are so pure and so beautiful, living now with God in Heaven, high above the angels—and still you remember me.
Dear Mother,
please ask your Son Jesus to forgive me for anything I did wrong today, and make my heart clean and peaceful again.
Stay near me through the night. Watch over me while I sleep.
Keep me safe, and lead me always closer to Jesus.
And if I wake in the quiet darkness, help me remember that Heaven is near, and you are watching over me.
Help me to love God more tomorrow, and one day to praise Him with the angels, forever in Heaven.
Good night, dear Mother. Stay with me.
Amen.
This beautiful Evening Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary comes from an old handwritten German Catholic prayer book. Written in the traditional script of an earlier time, it reflects a simple and deeply trusting devotion to Our Lady.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Just Right Night
Evening Prayer
When my heart feels tired, you draw me close and let me rest near you, as a child rests safely beside her mother.
You are so pure and so beautiful, living now with God in Heaven, high above the angels—and still you remember me.
Dear Mother,
please ask your Son Jesus to forgive me for anything I did wrong today, and make my heart clean and peaceful again.
Stay near me through the night. Watch over me while I sleep.
Keep me safe, and lead me always closer to Jesus.
And if I wake in the quiet darkness, help me remember that Heaven is near, and you are watching over me.
Help me to love God more tomorrow, and one day to praise Him with the angels, forever in Heaven.
Good night, dear Mother. Stay with me.
Amen.
This beautiful Evening Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary comes from an old handwritten German Catholic prayer book. Written in the traditional script of an earlier time, it reflects a simple and deeply trusting devotion to Our Lady.
The Circling Year
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Luke 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Someone Worthy of Our Love
Saint Bernard said that love is the life of the soul. God made our hearts to love, and without love they cannot be truly happy.
But we must choose carefully what we love.
Riches, honor, and pleasure all pass away. They cannot give us lasting happiness. What we love helps to shape the person we become.
When we love only earthly things, our hearts remain close to the earth. But when we love God, our hearts are lifted toward Heaven.
After God, no one is more worthy of our love than the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary is the Mother of God and our loving Mother. She is filled with goodness, purity, wisdom, and love. She cares for us and gently leads us to Jesus.
The more we know Mary, the more we love her.
Saint Bernard described her as a sea of sweetness and an ocean of goodness and love. Mary gently wins our hearts and leads them to her Divine Son.
By loving Mary, we learn to love Jesus more faithfully and remain close to Him.
No words could ever praise Mary as she deserves. Only God fully knows the beauty and holiness of her heart.
Let us ask Him to give us a tender and faithful love for our Blessed Mother.
Blessed Mother Mary,
help me to know and love you more each day.
Take me gently by the hand
and lead me always to Jesus.
Teach me to love Him faithfully,
and keep my love for you
bright and true
all the days of my life.
Amen.
About the Author
This meditation comes from The Love of Mary by Dom Roberto, a Camaldolese hermit of Monte Corona in the beautiful hills of Umbria, Italy. He is believed to have lived during the seventeenth century, although his exact dates are unknown. His treasured book was later said to have been a favorite of Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The Circling Year
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to John 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
the holy Gospel according to John 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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