Category: Reflections

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD (2019)   Readings:   Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 Psalms 47;2-3, 6-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 Luke 24:46-53 We celebrate today, at the virtual end of the Easter season, an important mystery of Jesus’ earthly sojourn, His Ascension into heaven. Luke, at the end of his gospel, and at the… Continue reading Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord 2019

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (2019) Readings: Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2, 22-29 Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 John 14:23-29 The author of the Acts of the Apostles could have won an award for understatement with his phrase from our first reading: “because there arose no little dissension and debate.” No little dissension and… Continue reading SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (2019)

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (2019)   Readings:   Acts of the Apostles 14:21-27 Psalms 145:8-13 Revelation 21:1-5a John 13:33-35a, 34-35 Whether we are in the Advent season or Ordinary time, Lent or the Easter season, the message is always going to be about love. The history of our world and the history of our Church… Continue reading Fifth Sunday of Easter

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (2019) - GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY Readings: Acts of the Apostles 13:14, 43-52 Psalms 100:1–3, 5 Revelation 7:9, 14b-17 John 10:27-30 The mere mention of the phrase “Good Shepherd” blessedly conjures up all of the thoughts written by the evangelist John in the beautiful tenth chapter of his gospel, a chapter divided… Continue reading FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (2019) – GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER (2019) Readings: Acts of the Apostles 5:27-32 Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 Scholars are in agreement that the twenty-first chapter of John’s gospel is a later addition to the original. You will recall the ending of last Sunday’s gospel which sounded very much like a conclusion… Continue reading THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER (2019)

Readings: Acts 10:34, 37-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-9 Today the Church celebrates our Lord and Savior’s rising from the dead, and our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy at what God has done for us in paying the price of our salvation. At no point in this most solemn week… Continue reading Easter Sunday

PALM SUNDAY (2019) Readings: Luke 19:28-40 Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalms 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 Philippians 2:6-11 Luke 22:14-23:56 With Palm Sunday we come to the threshold of the holiest week of the church’s year and to the virtual end of the Lenten season. There are no palms in Luke’s version of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but… Continue reading PALM SUNDAY (2019)

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT (2019) Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalm 126:1-6 Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11 If the woman “caught in adultery” in today’s gospel reading from John had the foresight to write a screenplay, she might have entitled it “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to My Stoning.” The nameless woman of the gospel had… Continue reading FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT (2019)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT/LAETARE (Rejoice) SUNDAY (2019)   Readings:   Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 34:2-7 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 The opening prayer (Collect) for today’s liturgy draws our attention to what is most important: “O God, who through your Word reconcilethe human race to yourself in a wonderful way, grant, we pray, that with… Continue reading Fourth Sunday of Lent