DR Squared: Memorial Of Saint Benedict, Abbot

First Reading:  Proverbs 2:1-9

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee, That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:  For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:  If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God. Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge. He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity. Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints. Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 34 (33):9a; V. 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

R.  O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet:

V.  I will bless the Lord at all times,

     his praise shall be always in my mouth.

     In the Lord shall my soul be praised:

     let the meek hear and rejoice.

V.  O magnify the Lord with me;

     and let us extol his name together.

     I sought the Lord, and he heard me;

     and he delivered me from all my troubles.

V.  Come ye to him and be enlightened:

     and your faces shall not be confounded.

     This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him:

     and saved him out of all his troubles.

V.  The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him:

     and shall deliver them.

     O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet:

     blessed is the man that hopeth in him.

V.  Fear the Lord, all ye his saints:

     for there is no want to them that fear him.

     The rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger:

     but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 19:27-29

Then Peter answering, said to him: Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have? And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.

The readings form the USCCB can be found here.

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Originally posted 7/11/2025.

DR Squared: Saturday Of The Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time (Year II)

First Reading:  Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that king Ozias died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated: and his train filled the temple. Upon it stood the seraphims: the one had six wings, and the other had six wings: with two they covered his face, and with two they covered his feet, and with two they flew. And they cried one to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of his glory. And the lintels of the doors were moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: Woe is me, because I have held my peace; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people that hath unclean lips, and I have seen with my eyes the King the Lord of hosts. And one of the seraphims flew to me, and in his hand was a live coal, which he had taken with the tongs off the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: Behold this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be cleansed. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send? and who shall go for us? And I said: Lo, here am I, send me.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 93 (92):1a; V. 1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R.  The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty:

V.  The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty:

     the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself.

V.  For he hath established the world

     which shall not be moved.

     Thy throne is prepared from of old:

     thou art from everlasting.

V.  Thy testimonies are become exceedingly credible:

     holiness becometh thy house, O Lord,

     unto length of days.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 10:24-33

The disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the goodman of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household? Therefore fear them not. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed: nor hid, that shall not be known. That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops. And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows. Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Friday Of The Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time (Year II)

First Reading:  Hosea 14:2-10

Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity. Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him: Take away all iniquity, and receive the good: and we will render the calves of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: The works of our hands are our gods, for thou wilt have mercy on the fatherless that is in thee. I will heal their breaches, I will love them freely: for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be as the dew, Israel shall spring as the lily, and his root shall shoot forth as that of Libanus. His branches shall spread, and his glory shall be as the olive tree: and his smell as that of Libanus. They shall be converted that sit under his shadow: they shall live upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine: his memorial shall be as the wine of Libanus. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I will hear him, and I will make him flourish like a green fir tree: from me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know these things? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall in them.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14, 17

R.  (A)nd my mouth shall declare thy praise.

V.  Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

     And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.

     Wash me yet more from my iniquity,

     and cleanse me from my sin.

V.  For behold thou hast loved truth:

     the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.

     Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed:

     thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

V.  Create a clean heart in me, O God:

     and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

     Cast me not away from thy face;

     and take not thy holy spirit from me.

V.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation,

     and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

     O Lord, thou wilt open my lips:

     and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 10:16-23

Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles:  But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death. And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved. And when they shall persecute you in this city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you shall not finish all the cities of Israel, till the Son of man come.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Optional Memorial Of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, And Companions, Martyrs

First Reading:  1 John 5:1-5

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him. In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy. For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 126 (125):5; V. 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6-7

R.  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

V.  When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion,

     we became like men comforted.

     Then was our mouth filled with gladness;

     and our tongue with joy.

V.  Then shall they say among the Gentiles:

     The Lord hath done great things for them.

     The Lord hath done great things for us:

     we are become joyful.

V.  Turn again our captivity, O Lord,

     as a stream in the south.

     They that sow in tears 

     shall reap in joy.

V.  Going they went and wept,

     casting their seeds.

     But coming they shall come with joyfulness,

     carrying their sheaves.   

Gospel Reading:  John 12:24-26

Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, Itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal. If any man minister to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

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Originally posted 7/9/2025.

DR Squared: Thursday Of The Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time (Year II)

First Reading:  Hosea 11:1-4, 8e-9

As the morning passeth, so hath the king of Israel passed away. Because Israel was a child, and I loved him: and I called my son out of Egypt. As they called them, they went away from before their face: they offered victims to Baalim, and sacrificed to idols. And I was like a foster father to Ephraim, I carried them in my arms: and they knew not that I healed them. I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love: and I will be to them as one that taketh off the yoke on their jaws: and I put his meat to him that he might eat. (M)y heart is turned within me, my repentance is stirred up. I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath: I will not return to destroy Ephraim: because I am God, and not man: the holy one in the midst of thee, and I will not enter into the city.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 80 (79):4b; V. 2ac, 3b, 15-16

R.  (A)nd shew us thy face, and we shall be saved.

V.  Give ear, O thou that rulest Israel:

     Thou that sittest upon the cherubims, shine forth

     Stir up thy might,

V.  Turn again, O God of hosts,

     look down from heaven, and see,

     and visit this vineyard:

     And perfect the same which thy right hand hath planted:

     and upon the son of man whom thou hast confirmed for thyself. 

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 10:7-15

And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely have you received, freely give. Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses:  Nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff; for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till you go thence. And when you come into the house, salute it, saying: Peace be to this house. And if that house be worthy, your peace shall come upon it; but if it be not worthy, your peace shall return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words: going forth out of that house or city shake off the dust from your feet. Amen I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Wednesday Of The Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time (Year II)

First Reading:  Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12

Israel a vine full of branches, the fruit is agreeable to it: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath multiplied altars, according to the plenty of his land he hath abounded with idols. Their heart is divided: now they shall perish: he shall break down their idols, he shall destroy their altars. For now they shall say: We have no king: because we fear not the Lord: and what shall a king do to us? Samaria hath made her king to pass as froth upon the face of the water. And the high places of the idol, the sin of Israel shall be destroyed: the bur and the thistle shall grow up over their altars: and they shall say to the mountains: Cover us; and to the hills: Fall upon us. Sow for yourselves in justice, and reap in the mouth of mercy, break up your fallow ground: but the time to seek the Lord is, when he shall come that shall teach you justice.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 105 (104):4b; V. 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R.  (S)eek his face evermore.

V.  Sing to him, yea sing praises to him:

     relate all his wondrous works.

     Glory ye in his holy name:

     let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

V.  Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened:

     seek his face evermore.

     Remember his marvellous works which he hath done;

     his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.

V.  O ye seed of Abraham his servant;

     ye sons of Jacob his chosen.

     He is the Lord our God:

     his judgments are in all the earth.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 10:1-7

And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The readings from the USCCB can be found

DR Squared: Tuesday Of The Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time (Year II)

First Reading:  Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13

They have reigned, but not by me: they have been princes, and I knew not: of their silver, and their gold they have made idols to themselves, that they might perish. Thy calf, O Samaria, is cast off, my wrath is kindled against them. How long will they be incapable of being cleansed? For itself also is the invention of Israel: a workman made it, and it is no god: for the calf of Samaria shall be turned to spiders' webs. For they shall sow wind, and reap a whirlwind, there is no standing stalk in it, the bud shall yield no meal; and if it should yield, strangers shall eat it. Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin: altars are become to him unto sin. I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign. They shall offer victims, they shall sacrifice flesh, and shall eat it, and the Lord will not receive them: now will he remember their iniquity, and will visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 115:9a; V. 3-4, 5-6, 7ab-8  (DR--113:17a; V. 11-12, 13-14, 15ab-16)

R.  The house of Israel hath hoped in the Lord:

V.  But our God is in heaven:

     he hath done all things whatsoever he would.

     The idols of the gentiles are silver and gold,

     the works of the hands of men.

V.  They have mouths and speak not:

     they have eyes and see not.

     They have ears and hear not:

     they have noses and smell not.

V.  They have hands and feel not:

     they have feet and walk not: 

     Let them that make them become like unto them:

     and all such as trust in them.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 9:32-38

And when they were gone out, behold they brought him a dumb man, possessed with a devil. And after the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke, and the multitudes wondered, saying, Never was the like seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, By the prince of devils he casteth out devils. And Jesus went about all the cities, and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease, and every infirmity. And seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them: because they were distressed, and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. Then he saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Monday Of The Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time (Year II)

First Reading:  Hosea 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22 (DR  14, 15c-16, 19-20

Therefore, behold I will allure her, and will lead her into the wilderness: and I will speak to her heart.  and she shall sing there according to the days of her youth, and according to the days of her coming up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be in that day, saith the Lord, That she shall call me: My husband, and she shall call me no more Baali. And I will espouse thee to me for ever: and I will espouse thee to me in justice, and judgment, and in mercy, and in commiserations. And I will espouse thee to me in faith: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 145 (144):8a; V. 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R.  The Lord is gracious and merciful:

V.  Every day I will bless thee:

     and I will praise thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.

     Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised:

     and of his greatness there is no end.

V.  Generation and generation shall praise thy works:

     and they shall declare thy power.

     They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of thy holiness:

     and shall tell thy wondrous works.

V.  And they shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts:

     and shall declare thy greatness.

     They shall publish the memory of the abundance of thy sweetness:

     and shall rejoice in thy justice.

V.  The Lord is gracious and merciful:

     patient and plenteous in mercy.

     The Lord is sweet to all:

     and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 9:18-26

As he was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus rising up followed him, with his disciples. And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout, He said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. And when the multitude was put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country. 

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Optional Memorial Of Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin And Martyr

First Reading:  1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20

(B)ut the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Now God hath both raised up the Lord, and will raise us up also by his power. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? But he who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit. Fly fornication. Every sin that a man doth, is without the body; but he that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body. Or know you not, that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God; and you are not your own? For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 31 (30):6a; V. 3cd-4, 6 and 8a, 16bc and 17

R.  Into thy hands I commend my spirit:

V.  Be thou unto me a God, a protector,

     and a house of refuge, to save me.

     For thou art my strength and my refuge;

     and for thy name's sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.

V.  Into thy hands I commend my spirit:

     thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.

     I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy.

V.  Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me.

     Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;

     save me in thy mercy.

Gospel Reading:  John 12:24-26

Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, Itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal. If any man minister to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

2^6 Years

Yes, it is that time of the year again. God has allowed me to celebrate another birthday. It's not as significant as the one celebrated yesterday, but it's significant to me.

I have hopefully become more grateful of the gift of life I have been given as I advance in years. I don't know how many I have remaining, but taking into account some of my relatives, I still have some years ahead. My maternal grandparents live into their late 80's and early 90's. I have paternal aunts and uncles who also lived into their 80's; in fact, one of my paternal aunts passed away last April at 95. Here's to genetics.

Despite "all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams," I am still in the process of becoming the version of me God wants me to be. I am working on "Go Forward". I have been the second worst enemy I have; I need to become the second best friend I have. (If you can't determine who has the first spots in those two categories, you don't know me well enough.)

I thank God for the past twelve months. Little by little I am more aware of His grace in my life. A grateful attitude is quietly but continually blooming. More of a willingness to trust, while it waxes and wanes, is the focal point of "Be Bold". Surrender is a hard thing to do, but it is necessary for growth.

So what will the next 365 days bring? I don't know; discernment has always been a challenge. I still want to "Reclaim Me", an authentic version of who I am, one I have never really known, accepted, and appreciated. I am heartened and encourage by the words by the words of Revelation 21:5, "See, I make all things new."

Ecce nova facio omnia.

Last Sunday I assisted at Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. The priest in his homily made a point which resonated with me. He said, "Do not trade your present hope for the promise of the future." God will keep His promises; I just have to do my part.

Believe and receive; doubt and do without.

Quite the challenge. Here's a wish to accept it.

But I have a question for you, dear reader?

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm...?

Still here.

Next year.