Maurice Blumberg is a Jewish convert to the Catholicism, and the father of five children. He is currently the Director of Partner Relations for The Word Among Us Partners, a ministry of The Word Among Us to the Military, Prisoners, and women with crisis pregnancies or who have had abortions. Maurice was also the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men and was Chairman of the Board of The Word Among Us, a Catholic devotional magazine.
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 50:5-9 Responsorial: Psalm 116:1-6, 8-9 2nd Reading: James 2:14-18 Gospel: Mark 8:27-35 Get behind me, Satan. (Mark 8:33) Try to imagine the look on Peter’s face when Jesus rebuked him. He must have gone from a beaming smile to a forlorn frown in […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7 Responsorial: Psalm 146:7-10 2nd Reading: James 2:1-5 Gospel: Mark 7:31-37 The burning sands will become pools. (Isaiah 35:7) Isaiah’s promises seem extravagant, don’t they? If we look at them literally, they are quite marvelous. God will permanently alter the Holy Land […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 Responsorial: Psalm 15:2-5 2nd Reading: James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Be doers of the word. (James 1:22) In today’s second reading, James compares the Scriptures to a mirror. When we read the word of God, or […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 2nd Reading: Ephesians 5:21-32 Responsorial: Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21 Gospel: John 6:60-69 Master, to whom shall we go? (John 6:68) Preparing the Israelites to recommit themselves to their covenant with God, Joshua recounted the many ways God had delivered them from […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Proverbs 9:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 34:2-7 2nd Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20 Gospel: John 6: 51-58 Be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) Today is exam day. And to make it a little easier, we have reprinted today’s second reading: 15Watch carefully how you live, not […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Responsorial: Psalm 34:2-9 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:30–5:2 Gospel: John 6:41-51 Get up and eat! (1 Kings 19:5) Elijah was downcast. Queen Jezebel had just ordered his death. Just a few days earlier, Elijah had found himself in a moment of […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Responsorial: Psalm 78:3-4, 23-25, 54 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 Gospel: John 6:24-35 Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self. (Ephesians 4:23-24) There are usually two sections to an epistle by St. Paul. […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: 2 Kings 4:42-44 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 145:10-11, 15-18 Gospel: John 6:1-15 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing. (John 6:2) If you want a key to understanding the Gospel of John, you could probably […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 23:1-6 2nd Reading: Ephesians 2:13-18 Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 He . . . broke down the dividing wall of enmity. (Ephesians 2:14) In almost poetic language, St. Paul invites the Ephesians to marvel at the unity they are experiencing. Many […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Amos 7:12-15 Responsorial: Psalm 85:9-14 2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 Gospel: Mark 6:7-13 He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) In June of last year, the United Nations estimated that there were 7.6 billion people living on Earth. […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24 Responsorial: Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 If I but touch his clothes . . . (Mark 5:28) If you could use only one word to describe today’s story of the woman’s […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6 Responsorial Psalm: 139:1-3, 13-15 2nd Reading: Acts 13:22-26 Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80 Being Filled with the Holy Spirit and the Joy of the Lord All were amazed. (Luke 1:63) What do you think is the most amazing thing about John the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Ezekiel 17:22-24 Responsorial: Psalm 92:2-3, 13-168 2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 Without parables he did not speak to them. (Mark 4:34) Did you know that you are quirky? It’s true. The fact that you are taking time out to read […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Genesis 3:9-15 Responsorial: Psalm 130:1-8 2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13–5:1 Gospel: Mark 3:20-35 We are not discouraged. (2 Corinthians 4:16) If anybody had a right to be discouraged, it was St. Paul. During the course of his ministry, he was beaten, shipwrecked, betrayed, […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Exodus 24:3-8 2nd Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15 Responsorial: Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18 Gospel: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 This is my body. (Mark 14:22) It’s a well-known saying: We are what we eat. But what happens when we take that saying and apply it to our spiritual […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 2nd Reading: Romans 8:14-17 Responsorial: Psalm 33:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22 Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20 Knowing and Experiencing More Deeply the Great Love and Mercy of the Trinity In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Acts 2:1-11 Responsorial: Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 Gospel: John 20:19-23 Pentecost, A Time to Say Yes to the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ Call for your Life Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22) Imagine being one of […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Acts 1:1-11 2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23 Responsorial: Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20 The Ascension of Jesus Christ, A Day of Great Joy and Celebration This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven . . . (Acts 1:11) When we […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 2nd Reading: 1 John 4:7-10 Responsorial: Psalm 98:1-4 Gospel: John 15:9-17 Allowing God, through the Holy Spirit, to Stretch the Way We Think and Act They were astounded. (Acts 10:45) Today, the Sacrament of Confirmation follows Baptism and Eucharist. […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 9:26-31 Responsorial: Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32 2nd Reading: 1 John 3:18-24 Gospel: John 15:1-8 Opening Ourselves More to the Work of the Holy Spirit in Our Hearts Let us love . . . in deed and truth. (1 John 3:18) In today’s second reading, John […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 2nd Reading: 1 John 2:1-5 Responsorial: Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48 Opening Our Minds and Hearts to God’s Glorious Plan The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead. (Acts 3:15) Let’s […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 4:32-35 2nd Reading: 1 John 5:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 Gospel: John 20:19-31 Letting the “Peace of Christ Control Your Hearts” (Colossians 3:15) Peace be with you. (John 20:19) It’s tempting to stay shortsighted when we think about these words of […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 10:34, 37-43 2nd Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 Responsorial: Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Gospel: John 20:1-9 Receiving the Good News of Jesus Christ and Sharing It with Others Not to all the people, but to us. (Acts 10:41) Happy Easter! On behalf of everyone […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: Procession Gospel: Mark 11:1-10 1st Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7 2nd Reading Philippians 2:6-11 Responsorial: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 Gospel: Mark 14:1-15:47 Palm Sunday, A Day to Fix our Eyes on Jesus and His Death on the Cross Not . . . something to be grasped. (Philippians […]
