I try to do good things every day, even the small ones, because they make life better for me and the people around me. When I help someone or choose the right thing instead of the easy one, I feel happier and more at peace. I know I’m not perfect, but I want to keep trying to be kind, honest, and useful. Doing good isn’t just about big actions; it’s about how I treat others and how I live each day. I hope that by choosing the good, I can leave a better mark on the world and feel proud of the person I’m becoming.

Ave Maria!

“Keep the crucified Jesus in your heart and all the crosses of the world will seem like roses to you.” Saint Padre Pio

Saint of the Day – October 26 Today we remember St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, also called the Great Martyr and Myrrh-gusher. He lived in the late 3rd and early 4th century in what is now Greece. He came from a noble family, served as a Roman officer, and openly shared his Christian faith. Around the year 306 he was arrested and killed by being pierced with spears under Emperor Galerius. People especially love him in the Eastern Churches, where he is seen as a protector of the city of Thessaloniki and is often pictured as a soldier. He is called the Myrrh-gusher because fragrant oil has traditionally flowed from his relics. One thing attributed to him before his death is that he told his servant to give all his money and belongings to the poor, saying something like: “Give away my earthly riches, because we are looking for heavenly ones.” It shows how he was ready to let go of everything in this life for the sake of his faith.

O blessed Archangel Gabriel, we beseech thee, do thou intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy in our present necessities, that as thou didst announce to Mary the mystery of the Incarnation, so through thy prayers and patronage in heaven we may obtain the benefits of the same, and sing the praise of God forever in the land of the living. Amen.

Gospel of the Day Monday, October 26, 2026 Luke 13:10-17 Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.” The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him. Reflection I keep thinking about that woman who had been bent over for eighteen years. She was still there in the synagogue on the sabbath, still trying to listen even though she could barely look up. Jesus saw her, called her, and set her free with a word and a touch. She stood straight and praised God right away. The leader got upset because it happened on the sabbath, more concerned about the rule than about this daughter of Abraham finally being free. Jesus reminded them they would untie their animals to water them on the sabbath, so of course she should be set free too. The crowd was happy, but the ones stuck on the rules looked foolish. It makes me ask myself how often I put my own habits or “the proper way” ahead of really helping someone who has been stuck for a long time. Lord, help me notice the people around me who are bent over by whatever binds them and give me the heart to help set them free.

Catholics ask the saints to pray for us because we believe the people in heaven are still connected with us. They’re not really gone. We’re all one family in the Church, the people on earth and the ones already in heaven. So the saints can still pray for us, just like when you ask a friend or family member to pray for you. We don’t worship the saints, we only ask them to pray. Worship is for God alone. The saints lived good lives and now they’re close to God, so their prayers are strong. When we say “saint, pray for me,” we’re just asking them to talk to God for us. We still pray to God ourselves. Asking the saints is just extra help, not instead of God. It’s like having more people praying for you at the same time. Catholics do this because we believe the saints already finished their lives well and they still care about us and want to help us get to heaven too. For me it’s a way to stay close to them and get their help while we’re still here.

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

Saint Jude is one of the twelve apostles and he is the patron of hopeless causes and desperate situations. People turn to him when they feel like nothing can help anymore and they ask him to pray for them. Tradition says he was a relative of Jesus and he preached the gospel with great courage until he was martyred. Many Catholics keep a devotion to him because they believe he brings help in the hardest times. A beautiful quote of Saint Jude is: “With a firm faith in the heart and with a humble and contrite spirit, I ask you, O most holy apostle, to intercede for me before the throne of God.”

It’s interesting to see these new Vatican appointments under Pope Leo. Montse Alvarado will become the first laywoman prefect of a dicastery when she starts November 1 at the Dicastery for Communication. She is Mexican-American, worked at EWTN as a host and later as president and COO, and before that at the Becket Fund. At 39 she is the youngest in a long time for this kind of role, taking over from Paolo Ruffini. At the same time Leo named mostly new members to the International Theological Commission for 2026-2031, with eight women and more lay people than before, plus better representation from Asia, Africa and South America. Most are solid scholars, but a few have drawn notice for past positions that sit uncomfortably with settled teaching, such as on women’s ordination, same-sex blessings, or the uniqueness of Christ. It feels like a mix of continuity, more inclusion, and some tension.

Today is Sunday, so please make some time to go to Holy Mass and pray for the whole world and for yourself too. 🙏🏻❤️ Offer your prayers to Jesus for everyone who is suffering, for those who are sick, lonely, heartbroken, struggling with problems, or going through difficult situations in their lives. Pray for peace in the world, for an end to wars and violence, and for all the people who have lost their hope and faith. Remember the poor, the needy, the homeless, and those who have no one to care for them. Pray for all families, for parents, children, and for those who are facing difficulties in their relationships. Ask Jesus to protect our Church, guide our priests and religious sisters, and give strength to everyone who is working to spread His love. And please, don't forget to pray for yourself too. Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about our problems and thinking about our future that we forget to give our worries to Jesus. Never forget that the same Jesus who listens to the prayers of the whole world is also listening to your prayers. Keep trusting Him, keep praying, and never lose hope, because God's timing is always beautiful, even when we don't understand His plans. May Jesus bless you, your family, and every person in this world, and may His peace fill every heart today and always. Jesus, I trust in You. ❤️🙏🏻✝

Today we remember Saints Crispin and Crispinian, two brothers who lived a long time ago in the third century. They came from a good Roman family but left everything to go share the faith in what we now call France. People say they worked as shoemakers during the day just to get by, and then spent their evenings telling others about Jesus and building up a little group of believers. When the big persecution under Diocletian hit, the local governor came after them hard. They got arrested, beaten, and put through some really rough torture, but they never gave up their faith. In the end they were beheaded around the year 286 for staying true to Christ. Their story always gets to me because it shows that you don’t have to do something big and flashy to be a saint you can just live your regular life with a lot of faith and courage, even when things get tough. It makes me want to be a little braver about what I believe too.

Lord, please welcome Philadelphia police officer Shane Seiber, a Catholic husband and father, into your loving arms and grant him eternal rest. He gave his life in the line of duty on October 10 while serving and protecting others, living his faith through sacrifice and duty. Comfort his wife and two young children in their grief, and let them feel your peace knowing he is now at home with you. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

Pray the Rosary Everyday 📿

K. Chesterton was an English writer and Christian apologist who didn’t join the Catholic Church until 1922, when he was already in his late forties. He had grown up with a fairly loose religious background his family was more Unitarian in practice even though he was baptized Anglican and it took him years of thinking, reading, and arguing with himself before he finally made the move. By the time he entered the Church he had already become one of the most well-known defenders of traditional Christian ideas, and many people who read his books later ended up converting themselves, partly because of the way he wrote about the faith.

Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us!

I’ve been thinking about what Jonathan Roumie said about going to Mass, and it stuck with me. He plays Jesus in The Chosen, so you might think the role would just make him feel more spiritual or something, but he talks about how he actually needed the Eucharist just to get through the hard parts of filming, especially the crucifixion scenes. He said Confession, Adoration, and receiving Communion became his food and drink, and that without them he probably wouldn’t have made it. He even called the Eucharist his express train to heaven, which I thought was a cool way of putting it. From what he’s shared, going to Mass as often as he can isn’t just something he does because he’s playing Jesus it’s what keeps him grounded and gives him the strength he doesn’t have on his own. After filming the Passion he also started receiving on his knees and on the tongue because he felt he needed to show more reverence, and he stuck with it even when a priest told him to stand up. It just seems like for him, Mass isn’t optional or something he fits in when it’s convenient. It’s the thing that actually carries him.

INRI is the short Latin title that was written on the sign above Jesus’ head on the cross. It stands for Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum, which simply means “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” According to the Gospels, Pilate had that sign put up so everyone who passed by could see the charge against him. It was written in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek) so more people could read it. Over time, artists shortened the Latin version to the four letters INRI and started putting it on almost every depiction of the crucifixion.

So a bunch of US bishops went over to the White House and sat down with Trump. They prayed together in the Oval Office. They talked about stuff like religious freedom, school choice, visas for religious people, and life issues. It happened right before the midterm elections. Later the White House put out the names of the twelve bishops who showed up. A photo and video of them praying with the president got shared all over the place. Some folks thought it was a good thing. Others were like, why are the bishops going there right now? The bishops said they just wanted to talk about things that matter to Catholics and pray for the country. A lot of people are still talking about it.

Today’s Gospel (Luke 13:1-9) Some people told Jesus about the Galileans. Pilate had killed them. Their blood mixed with the blood of the animals they were offering. Jesus said, “Do you think these people were worse sinners than other Galileans? No. But if you do not change your ways, you will also die like them.” He also spoke about eighteen people. A tower fell on them and killed them. “Do you think they were more guilty than the other people in Jerusalem? No. But if you do not repent, you will all die like them.” Then Jesus told a story. A man had a fig tree in his garden. He looked for fruit for three years. He found none. He said to the gardener, “Cut it down. It is just using up the soil.” The gardener said, “Sir, leave it for one more year. I will dig around it and put manure on it. If it gives fruit next year, good. If not, then cut it down.” My reflection Bad things happen to people. We should not quickly say they suffered because they were worse sinners. Jesus says that is not true. The real message is for us. We all need to change. If we keep living the same way, we can also lose everything. In the story, the fig tree gave no fruit for three years. The owner wanted to cut it down. That makes sense. But the gardener asked for one more year. He said he would take care of the tree. He would dig around it and feed it. This shows God is patient with us. He gives us more time. He also wants to help us change. I need to look at the parts of my life that give no fruit. God is giving me more time. I should not waste it. I should let Him help me grow.