Hear the Good News

21/03/2026

March 22, 2026

Fifth Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 34

Reading I
Ezekiel 37:12-14

Thus says the Lord GOD:
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them,
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live,
and I will settle you upon your land;
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (7) With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.

R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Reading II
Romans 8:8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Verse Before the Gospel
John 11:25a, 26
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will never die.

Gospel
John 11:1-45

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany,
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil
and dried his feet with her hair;
it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
So the sisters sent word to him saying,
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death,
but is for the glory of God,
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill,
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples,
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples said to him,
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you,
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble,
because he sees the light of this world.
But if one walks at night, he stumbles,
because the light is not in him.”
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep,
but I am going to awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death,
while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died.
And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe.
Let us go to him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples,
“Let us also go to die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus
had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this,
she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying,
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this,
she rose quickly and went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village,
but was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her
saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her,
presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him,
she fell at his feet and said to him,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping,
he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said,
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said,
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him,
“Lord, by now there will be a stench;
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me;
but because of the crowd here I have said this,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands,
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

27/02/2026

✝️ DOES DRINKING WATER BREAK THE EUCHARISTIC FAST?
__________________
No.

Drinking water does not break the Eucharistic fast.

The Church’s law is clear: the one-hour fast before receiving Holy Communion excludes water and medicine.

So you may drink water, even right before Mass, without violating the fast.

✝️ WHAT IS THE RULE?

Catholics must abstain from food and drink for at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion.

But:

Water is allowed.

Medicine is allowed.

Everything else, coffee, juice, soda, milk, snacks, breaks the fast.

✝️ WHY DOES WATER NOT COUNT?

Because the Eucharistic fast is meant to create:

Physical preparation

Interior recollection

A small sacrifice before receiving
Jesus Christ in the Eucharist

Water sustains life. It does not nourish in the way food does. The Church does not want the law to become burdensome, especially for the elderly, the sick, or those who need hydration.

✝️ WHAT ABOUT COFFEE OR CHEWING GUM?

Yes, those break the fast.

If it has flavor or nutritional content, it counts.

The fast is simple: If it’s not water or medicine, wait.

✝️ THE POINT IS NOT LEGALISM

The Eucharistic fast is not about catching technical violations.

It is about reverence.

For centuries, Catholics fasted from midnight. Today, it is one hour.

The minimum is small. The meaning is large.

It is the body’s way of saying:

“I hunger for something greater.”

And that hunger prepares us to receive Christ with intention rather than habit.

So drink water if you need it.

But guard the spirit of the fast.

Because the One you are about to receive
is not ordinary food.

✝️

27/02/2026

✝️DAILY BREAD
(Catholics Online Class)
______________________
FIRST WEEK OF LENT

_(Psalter Week 1)_

FRIDAY - FEBRUARY 27, 2026

_Saint Gregory of Narek
(Abbot and Doctor of the Church)_

READINGS

- FIRST READING: Ezekiel 18:21–28
- GOSPEL: Matthew 5:20–26

REFLECTION
_____________________

Many people think God relates to us like a strict accountant. “I have sinned too much.” “My past has disqualified me.” “God cannot forget what I did.” Others think the opposite: “I’m not that bad.” “At least I’m better than most.” But today’s readings destroy both illusions. They reveal something both frightening and liberating: God judges the heart in the present, not your past reputation.

In the First Reading (Ezekiel 18:21–28), God speaks with stunning clarity. If the wicked turn away from their sins, they will live. If the righteous turn away from righteousness and commit sin, they will die. Read that again. Your past does not imprison you. Your past goodness does not protect you. Your past evil does not doom you. What matters is the direction of your heart now. God says, “Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? Rather, that he turn from his ways and live.” God is not eager to condemn. He is eager to restore. But restoration requires conversion.

In the Gospel (Matthew 5:20–26), Jesus raises the standard beyond external religion. “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom.” That must have shocked His listeners. The Pharisees were experts in law-keeping. But Jesus exposes something deeper: anger is the seed of murder. Insult is the embryo of violence. Contempt is a silent form of killing. You may never spill blood, but you can destroy someone in your heart. Heaven does not measure only actions. It measures interior fire.

Put the two readings together and the message becomes explosive. Ezekiel says: You can turn around today. Jesus says: But turn from the inside, not just the outside. Conversion is not image management. It is heart surgery. God is not impressed by religious performance while anger, bitterness, and pride grow unchecked within. Real righteousness is reconciliation. That is why Jesus says: if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember your brother has something against you, leave the altar and go reconcile first. Worship without forgiveness is noise.

Here is the mind-blowing truth: God would rather you fix a broken relationship than finish a religious ritual. That overturns everything. We think holiness is about perfect prayers. Jesus says holiness is about purified relationships. We think sin is about major crimes. Jesus says sin begins with interior hostility. The battlefield is not first in society. It is in the heart.

So this Lent, stop hiding behind your past, good or bad. If you were wicked, turn now. If you were righteous, remain vigilant. If you are angry, reconcile. If you are proud, humble yourself. God is not asking who you were yesterday. He is asking who you are becoming today. Conversion is possible. But it must be real. Clean hands are not enough. He wants a clean heart. God bless you.


________________

27/02/2026

27/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C5BWs55ok/

This year, the Church commemorates the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi (1226–2026), a special occasion to look back at the life and witness of the “Poverello.”

In Assisi, his mortal remains—normally kept in the crypt of the basilica—have been exceptionally displayed for the veneration of the faithful during this Jubilee Year, inviting pilgrims to deepen their understanding of his spiritual journey and his profoundly Christian way of facing death.

In this context, reflecting on how Saint Francis lived his Transitus—his “passage” to the House of the Father—is not merely a beautiful historical detail: it is a living catechesis on how a Christian can face death without fear and with total trust in God.

Here are 10 Inspiring Lessons From Saint Francis Assisi’s Final Hours: https://www.churchpop.com/facing-sister-death-fearlessly-10-inspiring-lessons-from-saint-francis-assisis-final-hours/

26/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18LHP7dz7g/

How A Nun Who Was Apparently A Saint Went To Hell 😭😭😭

The terrifying vision that Saint Alphonsus saw:

She had been a nun for 40 years.
After she died, Saint Alphonsus saw her burning in hell.

In the convent, a nun was dying. The other nuns around her bed fell down. They called her a saint.

"Mary, full of grace... Mother of God... now and at the hour of our death..."

But the dying nun cried out: "No... Oh God, good... help me..."

For 40 years she lived in the four corners of the room. 40 years of character, 40 years of fasting, 40 years of silence, obedience and visible devotion.

Others secretly say that she will go straight to heaven. Some even say that the Vatican should be asked to canonize her. They might hope for a future saint while they are still alive.

But they are wrong.

What happened was never intended to be public. It was an event recorded in private letters, kept safe in archives, and discussed secretly only among certain religious communities. But the truth comes out anyway.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori, one of the greatest theologians in Catholic history up to that point, saw her in a vision after her death.

He did not see her in heaven. Nor in purgatory. He saw her in hell.

Alphonsus found a miracle that would terrify anyone who thought that external religious practices alone were sufficient for salvation.

Before revealing what Alphonsus saw, you should know who he was.

This is not a legend or a folktale. This is the written testimony of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who is found in the Church. Born in Naples, Italy in 1696, he was a brilliant man who earned a doctorate in law at the age of 16. But he abandoned worldly pursuits and became a trustee, later becoming a doctor (doctor of the church). His teachings on confession and the spiritual life have guided millions.

Alphonsus appeared and saw this vision. He saw a soul being judged. It was a nun who had died in a convent and was considered a saint. There could be no angels present to welcome her to heaven. The demons were taking her and dragging her into the abyss. She did not cry for mercy. She did not repent. She cried out in anger.

"Lord, how can this be?" Alphonsus asked.

"She had been in the convent for 40 years. She had already done so. She fasted hard. Everyone believed she was a saint."

The answer came not in words, but in revelation. God showed him the truth that had been received by human eyes.

She was seen entering the convent at the age of 18. She did not want to do so out of love for God. It was because the young man she was going to marry rejected her and chose another woman.

Unable to bear the shame, she chose the convent to escape the world. From the first day, her calling was based not on God, but on wounded pride.

However, the problem was not the beginning. Even many saints were weak at the beginning and then God's grace changed, but the problem was that she never allowed grace to change.

Alphonsus saw her heart. She spent hours in church. But at that time she was not thinking about God. She was thinking about herself.

She compared her devotion to the other sisters.

"Am I already more pious than her? Am I holy?"

She was always thinking. Your health had nothing to do with God, it had to do with other people.

She fasted severely. But it was not to subdue the body for God.

"See if I am already spiritual" to show others.

She collected praises about herself. All of this was fueled not by love for God, but by her "spiritual pride" (spiritual pride).

But Alphonsus saw something more dangerous.

Her mind was restored.

Behind the humble appearance, she was the Abbess who corrected her. She envied the happiness of the young sisters.

The most terrible secret of all was, It happened to God.

She was angry with God, saying that God had not given her visions or miraculous gifts for 40 years of sacrifice. "I did my part, but not God's part," she thought.

Even at the moment of her death, Avartu thought, "I earned heaven. God owes me heaven because of my 40 years of sacrifice."

Even when she made her last confession, she did not mention her veiled sin of pride, image, or resentment towards God. She only said the usual little things.

Pride does not see that it is proud. It thinks it is right.

As soon as she died, she realized that she was not a saint. What was dragging her to hell was what the Church Fathers called the deadliest sin **"Pride"**.

Not ordinary pride, but "spiritual pride" disguised as religious devotion. She worshipped herself. Religious rituals were only tools to worship herself.

God gave her many graces. Through sermons, she answered the questions of others.

25/02/2026

February 26, 2027

Thursday of the First Week in Lent
Lectionary: 227

Reading I
Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25

Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish,
had recourse to the LORD.
She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids,
from morning until evening, and said:
“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers
that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.
Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you,
O LORD, my God.

“And now, come to help me, an orphan.
Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion
and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy,
so that he and those who are in league with him may perish.
Save us from the hand of our enemies;
turn our mourning into gladness
and our sorrows into wholeness.”

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
R. (3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.


Verse Before the Gospel
Psalm 51:12a, 14a
A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation.

Gospel
Matthew 7:7-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things
to those who ask him.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets.”

25/02/2026

25/02/2026

Miyerkules, Pebrero 25, 2026

Miyerkules sa Unang Linggo
ng Apatnapung Araw na Paghahanda

Jonas 3, 1-10
Salmo 50, 3-4. 12-13. 18-19

D’yos ko, iyong tinatanggap
pakumbaba’t pusong tapat.

Lucas 11, 29-32

UNANG PAGBASA
Jonas 3, 1-10

Pagbasa mula sa aklat ni propeta Jonas

Sinabi uli ng Panginoon kay Jonas: “Pumunta ka sa Lungsod ng Ninive at ipahayag mo ang mga ipinasasabi ko sa iyo.” Nagpunta nga si Jonas sa Ninive. Malaki ang lungsod na ito. Aabutin ng tatlong araw kung lalakaring pabagtas. Siya’y pumasok sa lungsod.

Pagkaraan ng maghapong paglalakad, malakas niyang ipinahayag, “Gugunawin ang Ninive pagkaraan ng apatnapung araw!” Naniwala ang mga tagaroon sa pahayag na ito mula sa Diyos. Kaya, nag-ayuno sila at nagdamit ng sako bilang tanda ng lubos na pagsisisi at pagtalikod sa kanilang mga kasalanan.

Nang mabalitaan ito ng hari ng Ninive, bumaba siya sa kanyang trono, naghubad ng balabal, nagdamit din ng sako, at naupo sa abo. At ipinasabi niya sa mga taga-Ninive: “Ito’y utos ng hari at ng kanyang mga pinuno. Walang kakain isa man. Wala ring iinom, maging tao o hayop. Lahat ng tao at hayop ay magdamit ng sako. Taimtim na manalangin sa Diyos ang bawat isa. Pagsisihan ng lahat ang nagawa nilang kasalanan at talikdan ang masamang pamumuhay. Baka sa paraang ito’y mapawi ang galit ng Diyos, magbago siya ng kanyang pasiya at hindi na ituloy ang balak na paglipol sa atin.”

Nakita ng Diyos ang kanilang pagtalikod sa kasamaan kaya hindi na itinuloy ang paggunaw sa Ninive.

Ang Salita ng Diyos.

SALMONG TUGUNAN
Salmo 50, 3-4. 12-13. 18-19

D’yos ko, iyong tinatanggap
pakumbaba’t pusong tapat.

Ako’y kaawaan, O mahal kong Diyos,
sang-ayon sa iyong kagandahang-loob
mga kasalanan ko’y iyong pawiin,
ayon din sa iyong pag-ibig sa akin!
Hugasan mo sana ang aking karumhan
dalisayin mo ang aking kasalanan!

D’yos ko, iyong tinatanggap
pakumbaba’t pusong tapat.

Isang pusong tapat sa aki’y likhain,
bigyan mo, O Diyos, ng bagong damdamin.
Sa iyong harapa’y h’wag akong alisin;
ang Espiritu mo ang papaghariin.

D’yos ko, iyong tinatanggap
pakumbaba’t pusong tapat.

Hindi mo na nais ang mga panghandog;
sa haing sinunog di ka nalulugod.
Ang handog ko, O Diyos, na karapat-dapat
ay ang pakumbaba’t pusong mapagtapat.

D’yos ko, iyong tinatanggap
pakumbaba’t pusong tapat.

AWIT-PAMBUNGAD SA MABUTING BALITA
Joel 2, 12-13

Magsisi tayong mataos,
halinang magbalik-loob
sa mapagpatawad na D’yos;
sa kanya tayo’y dumulog
at manumbalik na lubos.

MABUTING BALITA
Lucas 11, 29-32

Ang Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Lucas

Noong panahong iyon, samantalang dumaragsa ang mga tao, sinabi ni Hesus, “Napakasama ng lahing ito! Naghahanap sila ng palatandaan mula sa langit, subalit walang ipapakita sa kanila maliban sa palatandaang inilalarawan ng nangyari kay Jonas. Kung paanong naging isang palatandaan si Jonas sa mga taga-Ninive, gayun din naman, magiging isang palatandaan sa lahing ito ang Anak ng Tao. Sa Araw ng Paghuhukom, titindig ang Reyna ng Timog laban sa lahing ito at sila’y hahatulan niya ng kaparusahan. Sapagkat nanggaling siya sa dulo ng daigdig upang pakinggan ang karunungan ni Solomon; ngunit higit na di-hamak kay Solomon ang naririto! Sa Araw ng Paghuhukom ay titindig ang mga taga-Ninive laban sa lahing ito at hahatulan ng kaparusahan, sapagkat nagsisi sila dahil sa pangangaral ni Jonas; ngunit higit na di-hamak kay Jonas ang naririto!”

Ang Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon.

25/02/2026

✝️ IS HOLY WATER A SYMBOL, OR A SPIRITUAL WEAPON?
________________

It is both.

But not in the way people often imagine.

Holy water is a sacramental, not a sacrament.

That distinction matters.

✝️ WHAT HOLY WATER IS

Holy water is ordinary water that has been blessed by a priest.

Through the Church’s prayer, it becomes a sign that:

Reminds us of Baptism

Invokes God’s protection

Disposes the soul to receive grace

It does not work mechanically.

It works through faith and the prayer of the Church.

✝️ MORE THAN A SYMBOL

A symbol in Christianity is not “just a reminder.”

Biblical symbols actually participate in what they signify.

Water in Scripture cleanses. Water gives life. Water drowns evil (the Flood). Water opens freedom (the Red Sea).

When holy water is used with faith, it calls upon the victory of
Jesus Christ.

And evil does not ignore that.

✝️ IS IT A SPIRITUAL WEAPON?

Yes, but not magic.

Holy water is powerful because:

It invokes Christ’s authority

It reminds demons of Baptism

It is accompanied by the Church’s blessing

The power is not in the chemical composition.

It is in God’s action.

Throughout Christian history, holy water has been used:

In exorcisms

To bless homes

To repel temptation

To sanctify spaces

But its “weapon” quality depends on faith and disposition.

It is not a charm. It is a prayer made visible.

✝️ WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU USE IT?

When you make the sign of the cross with holy water:

You recall your Baptism.

You renounce sin again.

You place yourself under Christ’s protection.

That is not superstition.

It is spiritual alignment.

✝️ THE REAL POWER

If someone sprinkles holy water but lives in deliberate sin, the effect is limited.

Sacramentals dispose. They do not replace conversion.

Holy water is powerful because Christ is powerful.

It is a sign that points to a deeper reality:

You belong to God.

And when that truth is claimed in faith, darkness loses ground.

So is it a symbol?

Yes.

Is it a spiritual weapon?

Yes.

But only because it connects you to the victory of Christ,
not because it has power on its own.