All Saints
1 November 2026
Sometimes the Beatitudes seem like ideals which are just too hard, or we may think we know better. But today’s feast calls to mind men and women – some who are known to us perhaps – who really embody these ideals, and who are taught by the Spirit to learn from the Wisdom of Christ.
This great multitude of Christians are strengthened each day to seek the face of Christ; strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Some do so despite persecution, and great tribulation.
Many of our brothers and sisters in various parts of the world are still being killed and unjustly treated for their faith. And the witness of these saints gives us hope, and courage.
But there are also the little sacrifices offered each day for Christ; for truth, goodness, and love. Think, for example, of how often you might have had to be a peacemaker, or be merciful at home, or at work.
The path to holiness begins with an acknowledgement that we are sinners, and a longing for God’s mercy and salvation. But the path winds through our kitchens and gardens, across our cars and schools, by our offices and homes, and into our hearts.
For it is ordinarily in these places that we hunger and thirst for righteousness… that we can seek God with a pure and undivided heart. And God’s response is always to fill us with his blessing, giving us a share in the very life of the Blessed One, so that – if we persevere in friendship with God – we might ourselves become Blessed, and join the company of his saints.
Lawrence Lew OP, Dominican Friars
English.op.org
* * *
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
8 November 2026
In today’s Gospel, Jesus draws from this revelation about the future the practical moral that a Christian needs to be on the watch, living each day as if it were his last.
The important thing is not to speculate about when these events will happen and what form they will take, but to live in such a way that they find us in the state of grace.
Living each day as if it were your last is a powerful concept that can help us to live more fully and with greater purpose. It reminds us that our time on this earth is limited and that we should make the most of every moment. It also encourages us to focus on what is truly important in life, such as our relationships with others and our relationship with God.
Keeping watch is another important aspect of this passage. It reminds us to be vigilant and to stay alert to the signs of the times. We should be aware of the world around us and the events that are unfolding, so that we can respond appropriately. This means being informed about what is happening in our communities, our nation, and the world, and taking action when necessary.
Today’s Gospel, then, is a powerful reminder to Christians to live each day as if it were their last and to keep watch for the signs of the times. By doing so, we can live more fully and with greater purpose, and we can be prepared for whatever the future may hold for us.
Mount St Joseph Abbey
msjrocrea.ie
* * *
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
15 November 2026 • World Day of the Poor
The Gospel tells us clearly that God distributes his gifts among us as he wills and entrusts each of us with a mission. He gives us what we need to produce fruits for his kingdom and expects us to use those gifts responsibly and diligently.
No two people are exactly alike, and God treats each one individually as a unique person made in his image. We need to live before God and respond to him sincerely by using the talents he has given us to the maximum.
The servants who invest their talents and make a return on them have understood the purpose of their lives and the time they have at their disposal. These servants were generous with everything their master had given them, making it bear fruit, and they received from him the reward of greater intimacy and more responsibility.
How often are we paralysed by fear or false prudence into doing nothing, into trying to preserve ourselves!
Sometimes, we don’t take God’s gifts seriously or think we have been given very little, and we use that as a rationalisation for making no effort or producing little for God. We blame circumstances or others, but the fact is we are neglecting to produce the fruits God wants.
The master didn’t expect a return of five talents from the servant to whom he gave only one. He would have been happy with a return of one more, but the lazy servant closed in on his egoism, self-love, and laziness. We must resolve to use our God-given talents wisely to net him a significant return.
epriest.com
* * *
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
22 November 2026
What is the Kingdom of God? What is the Kingdom of Christ the King?
The Kingdom of God is a space. It exists in every home where parents and children love each other. It exists in every region and country that cares for its weak and vulnerable. It exists in every parish that reaches out to the needy.
The Kingdom of God is a time. It happens whenever someone feeds a hungry person, or shelters a homeless person, or shows care to a neglected person. It happens whenever we overturn an unjust law, or correct an injustice, or avert a war. It happens whenever people join in the struggle to overcome poverty, to erase ignorance, to pass on the Faith. T
he Kingdom of God is in the past (in the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth); it is in the present (in the work of the Church and in the efforts of many others to create a world of goodness and justice); it is in the future (reaching its completion in the age to come).
The Kingdom of God is a condition. Its symptoms are love, justice, and peace. Jesus Christ is king! We pray today that God may free all the world to rejoice in his peace, to glory in his justice, to live in his love.
Gerald Darring,
St Louis University: Center for Liturgy
* * *
First Sunday of Advent
29 November 2026
As we begin a new liturgical year, the Gospel reminds us that our time on earth is not permanent, and we are told three times that we must ‘Stay awake’! No sleeping on the job! As members of the household of God, left in charge of the Church, each with our own task, we are called to take up our task and be ready to give an accounting when the Son returns.
During Advent, we are joyfully preparing and contemplating the ‘three comings’ of Christ: the first is the Incarnation and Nativity, the second is His coming to each of us at the end of our earthly life, and the third is His Final Coming at the end of time. While we know that He came to earth 2000 years ago, we do not know when He will call us from this life, or when He will return in glory.
Amidst the responsibilities, distractions, joys, and sorrows of life, we can lose sight of the goal and live in a way that seems to disregard the Master of our lives. Jesus doesn’t want us to forget WHY we are here and what we are supposed to be about: loving and serving God and others in faith and humility, taking up our daily cross in this world with our eyes on the Kingdom that will never end. So He gently says to each of us: Stay awake!
Kathryn Mulderink
Catholic Mom Holy Cross Family Ministries
* * *