Category: Reflections

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

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT (2019) Readings: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 11 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 Luke 13:1-9 When “bad things” happen to “good people” we often think as the Jewish people once thought, that God has to be punishing them for some sin committed by them or their ancestors. Good people are so… Continue reading THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT (2019)

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (2019)   Readings:   Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14 Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 9:28-36 An annoyingly frequent commercial on television has characters standing in a Choice Hotel lobby with a golden glow all around them, suggesting that booking the right hotel will cause people to desire a similar booking that… Continue reading Second Sunday of Lent 2019

EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2019) Readings: Sirach 27:4-7 Psalms 92:2-3, 13-16 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 Luke 6:39-45 It is worth asking, if I am not supposed to judge my brothers and sisters, then how can I discern what is good or bad? After all, it was only last week when we heard Jesus proclaim in… Continue reading EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2019)

SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2019) Readings: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 Luke 6:27-38 As much as people love the concept of mercy, we flawed human beings have a very difficult time exercising mercy. Humans seem to be hotwired for vengeance, for “getting even.” Our view… Continue reading SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2019)

SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2019) Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-8 Psalms 1:1-4, 6 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 Luke 6:17, 20-26 Someone once asked St. Teresa of Calcutta, "Why do you spend so much energy on the poor, the hungry, and the weeping of Calcutta?" Mother Teresa responded, “Jesus says the poor are the blessed ones. I… Continue reading SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2019)