Saint Mary's Church Uxbridge, MA

06/11/2026

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-06/pope-leo-at-the-sagrada-familia-underscores-need-to-work-peace.html

Pope Leo at the Sagrada Família underscores need to work for peace

Describing the Basilica as a catechesis made of stone, color, and light, the Pope emphasized that those who believe cannot kill innocent people nor abandon those who suffer, who weep, who flee from poverty.

Vatican News

Describing the Basilica as a catechesis made of stone, color, and light, the Pope emphasized that those who believe cannot kill innocent people nor ...

06/11/2026

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-06/cardinal-parolin-cardinal-farrell-letter-dicastery-meeting.html

Pope Leo XIV: 'The elderly can be life teachers'

Pope Leo XIV reaffirms the precious value of the elderly and their role as 'life teachers' and reiterates that old age is a time of grace in a letter sent to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life on the occasion of the Dicastery's Meeting dedicated to Pastoral Care of the Elderly.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Leo XIV reaffirms the precious value of the elderly and their role as 'life teachers' and reiterates that old age is a time of grace in a letter ...

06/11/2026

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-06/caritas-canary-islands-the-church-present-where-state-is-not.html

Caritas in the Canary Islands: ‘The Church is present where the state is not'

Pope Leo XIV is set to arrive in the Canary Islands—the landing place for thousands of migrants coming from one of the deadliest migratory routes in the world. The local Caritas works with volunteers to “be by the side of the most vulnerable” and help offer a new life to those who make it to shore.

By Kielce Gussie

Pope Leo XIV is set to arrive in the Canary Islands—the landing place for thousands of migrants coming from one of the deadliest migratory routes in ...

06/11/2026

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2026-06/why-pope-leos-visit-to-spain-s-parliament-was-historic.html

Why Pope Leo's visit to Spain’s Parliament was historic

Two days ago, Pope Leo XIV made an important stop at the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies, during his time in Madrid. Prof. Emilio Sáenz Francés, historian and professor of International Relations at Comillas Pontifical University, spoke to Vatican News afterwards about the significance of his speech.

By Kielce Gussie – Madrid

Two days ago, Pope Leo XIV made an important stop at the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies, during his time in Madrid. Prof. Emilio Sáenz ...

06/11/2026

Gospel Reading
Matthew 5:20-26
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Today's Gospel Reflection:

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus commands us to be reconciled with one another. I want to say something about the role of forgiveness in repairing our broken relationships.

When you are at worship and realize that you need to forgive someone (or be forgiven by someone), go and do it. Go get reconciled, then come back. It’s like a rule of physics. There is something hidden in the deep mystery of God, and I can’t fully explicate it. Somehow, if there is a lack of forgiveness in you, it blocks the movement of God in you. Perhaps it’s simply because God is love, and so whatever is opposed to love in us blocks the flow of God’s power and God’s life.

One reason we do not forgive is that we feel that some injustice has been done to us, and we resent it. A good cure for this feeling is to kneel before the cross of Jesus. What do you see there? The innocent Son of God nailed to the cross—the ultimate injustice. What does he do? He forgives his persecutors. Meditate on that, and your sense of being treated unjustly will fade away.

06/11/2026

Saint of the Day for June 11
(c. 75)
Saint Barnabas’ Story

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-barnabas/

Saint Barnabas, a Jew of Cyprus, comes as close as anyone outside the Twelve to being a full-fledged apostle. He was closely associated with Saint Paul—he introduced Paul to Peter and the other apostles—and served as a kind of mediator between the former persecutor and the still suspicious Jewish Christians.

When a Christian community developed at Antioch, Barnabas was sent as the official representative of the church of Jerusalem to incorporate them into the fold. He and Paul instructed in Antioch for a year, after which they took relief contributions to Jerusalem.

Later Paul and Barnabas, now clearly seen as charismatic leaders, were sent by Antioch officials to preach to the gentiles. Enormous success crowned their efforts. After a miracle at Lystra, the people wanted to offer sacrifice to them as gods—Barnabas being Zeus, and Paul, Hermes—but the two said, “We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God” (see Acts 14:8-18).

But all was not peaceful. They were expelled from one town, they had to go to Jerusalem to clear up the ever-recurring controversy about circumcision, and even the best of friends can have differences. When Paul wanted to revisit the places they had evangelized, Saint Barnabas wanted to take along his cousin John Mark, author of the Gospel, but Paul insisted that since Mark had deserted them once, he was not fit to take along now. The disagreement that followed was so sharp that Barnabas and Paul separated: Barnabas taking Mark to Cyprus, Paul taking Silas to Syria. Later they were reconciled—Paul, Barnabas and Mark.

When Paul stood up to Peter for not eating with gentiles for fear of his Jewish friends, we learn that “even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy” (see Galatians 2:1-13).

Reflection
Saint Barnabas is spoken of simply as one who dedicated his life to the Lord. He was a man “filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Thereby, large numbers were added to the Lord.” Even when he and Paul were expelled from Antioch in Pisidia—modern-day Turkey—they were “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”

Saint Barnabas is the Patron Saint of:
Cyprus

What little we know about Saint Barnabas comes to us from Acts of the Apostles, where he plays a fairly big role in the expansion of the early Church. Closely associated with Saint Paul, he shared in several of Paul’s trips and difficulties.

06/11/2026

Thursday, June 11, 2026
Memorial of St. Barnabus, Apostle
1st Reading: Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3
Psalm: 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061126.cfm

Daily Meditation: Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3
"He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith." (Acts 11:24)

St. Barnabas, whose feast we celebrate today, had an impressive résumé. He was a pioneering missionary, evangelist, and teacher. He also had a gift for relating to people. He’s the one who convinced the apostles to welcome Paul, the former persecutor, as a brother in the Lord (Acts 9:26-28). When the apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch, where Jewish and Gentile believers had come together to form a new church, he encouraged them all to persevere in love for one another (Acts 11:23).

How did Barnabas accomplish all of this? He was, of course, a dedicated disciple. But as today’s first reading tells us, he was also “filled with the Holy Spirit and faith” (Acts 11:24).

Today’s reading gives us one example of how the Holy Spirit took Barnabas’ natural gift of encouragement and filled it with divine grace. But there are others. When he sought to ease the apostles’ concerns about Paul’s sincerity, it wasn’t just his words that convinced them. The Spirit, working through him, helped calm their fears. And at Antioch, Barnabas’ humility and openness to the Spirit made it easier for the believers there to receive his encouragement to remain united in Christ.

Today the Church honors Barnabas, not just as a great hero of the faith, but also as a model for us to follow. We can all become like Barnabas because every one of us who has been baptized has received the same Holy Spirit that he did. Like Barnabas, each of us can invite the Spirit to can take our natural gifts and fill them with his grace and power.

It’s good to remind yourself every now and then that you are “filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.” Whether you are working, studying, or parenting, he is with you to increase your patience and your faithfulness to your calling. When you are in the midst of a difficult conversation with someone, he is with you to help you choose your words wisely and to give you his compassion and peace. The Spirit is always ready to fill you and empower you to share your gifts with everyone around you.

“Lord, help me to remain open to your Spirit today.”
Daily Meditation and prayer from, "The Word Among Us.")

Daily Bible Readings, Podcast Audio and Videos and Prayers brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

06/10/2026

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-06/pope-leo-no-situation-could-make-god-turn-his-gaze-from-us.html

Pope Leo: 'No situation could make God turn His gaze from us'

During his visit to the "Brians 1 Penitential Center," Pope Leo XIV reminds prisoners that life's mistakes do not define a person's identity, stressing that the Lord will never cease to show them His love, which outweighs any good or bad we have done.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

During his visit to the "Brians 1 Penitential Center," Pope Leo XIV reminds prisoners that life's mistakes do not define a person's identity, ...

06/10/2026

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-06/day-four-in-spain-from-madrid-to-barcelona.html

Day four in Spain: From Madrid to Barcelona

On the fourth day of his Apostolic Journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV closed his time in Madrid meeting volunteers before taking a short flight to the northeast part of the country: Barcelona.

Kielce Gussie – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

On the fourth day of his Apostolic Journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV closed his time in Madrid meeting volunteers before taking a short flight to the ...

06/10/2026

Gospel Reading
Matthew 5:17-19
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Today's Gospel Reflection:

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus promises that he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Matthew says that Jesus went up a mountain, sat down, and commenced to teach, calling to mind Moses, who went up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God.

Therefore, Jesus is being presented here as the new Moses who will promulgate from this Galilean mountain the definitive law. I realize that this immediately poses a problem for contemporary readers, who are put off by a religion that leads with laws, rules, and prohibitions. An Irish wag once summed up the Catholicism that he was taught with this phrase: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was no!”

Since the Ten Commandments have been honored mostly in the breach, why should anyone think it a good idea to introduce new and even more stringent laws? But then we attend to the first word out of the mouth of the lawgiver: “blessed,” “happy.” The law that the new Moses offers is a pattern of life that promises to make us happy.

The clear implication is that, without vibrant Christians, the world is a much worse place.