VATICAN – A bishop must be "blameless" and at the service of God, not of cliques, assets and power, especially if he is ever to "set right" what needs to be done for the church, Pope Francis said.

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Nov. 11 (Year B) 1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

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32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Nov. 11 (Year B) 1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

VATICAN – The sacraments are gifts from God that are given freely and are not a way for the church to fill up its coffers to cover expenses, Pope Francis said.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 4 (Year B) Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 18; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Oct. 28 (Year B) Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

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VATICAN – Hypocrisy is the leaven that causes men and women to be self-centered and indifferent to the world around them, Pope Francis said.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Oct. 14 (Year B) Wisdom 7:7-11; Psalm 90; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30

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VATICAN – The devil is more dangerous when he is polite and friendly, persuading people to be "lukewarm" and worldly, than when he shows his true face and blatantly pushes people to sin, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN – Christians have guardian angels to encourage and guide them so they won't become sluggish on their journey in life, Pope Francis said.

WASHINGTON – To be a voice for victims of clerical sexual abuse, Fr. Brendan McGuire realized he had to come to terms with the abuse he suffered at the hands of a priest when he was 18. It was a secret he had held for 35 years.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sept. 16 (Year B) Isaiah 50:5-9; Psalm 116; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35

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23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sept. 9 (Year B) Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm 146; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37

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Starlight, star bright

Re: Forgiveness is the greatest miracle (July 22-29):

Fr. Rolheiser states that “the miracle” of a starlit night sky “goes mostly unnoticed; we watch television instead.”

Deeper reasons for this may be involved. Humans spill so much light into the sky that few of our present generation have ever experienced what the natural night sky looks like. Most of the lighting industry displays a stunning indifference to this issue. And the amount of  “light-pollution” continues to increase by about six per cent annually in most places.

Sleeping in insufficient darkness suppresses our immune systems. Artificial light disrupts the life-cycles of insects, birds, amphibians and other animals. Many people think responsibility for our environment is a religious issue and light-pollution is certainly included in this. Does your porchlight shine upward?

James LaFramboise,

Thornhill, Ont.

VANCOUVER – By the time Fr. Justin Huang stands before St. Anthony of Padua Church on a Sunday morning, he has done 10 hours of preparation and written about seven drafts of what he’ll say.