Acts 6:1-71 Pt 2:4-9Jn 14:1-12 The Way, the Truth and the Life The gospel for this Sunday provides us with a very hopeful and positive message. Jesus states, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Later in the same gospel reading he tells us, “In my Father’s…

Acts 2:14A, 36-411 Peter 2:20B-25.John 10:1-10. The Good Shepherd This Sunday is called Good Shepherd Sunday. It reminds us that we are lead to the gate of salvation by Jesus, our Good Shepherd. In the first reading, Peter calls all to conversion and in the second reading we are told that when we stray, we…

Acts 2:14, 22-331 Peter 1:17-21Luke 24:13-35 Scripture and Eucharist This Sunday we hear the famous story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They know Jesus was crucified and buried. But, they even heard rumors that some of the women had found the tomb empty. Despondent over Jesus’ death, they are walking home…

Acts 10:34A, 37-43Colossians 3:1-4John 20:1-9 Easter Do you believe this? If yes, live your life as one who believes. If no, pray for belief.

Isaiah 50:4-7Philippians 2:6-11Matthew 26:14-27:66 In most churches prior to the beginning of the Palm Sunday mass, the congregation will hear the reading of Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem. He is welcomed with joy, exaltation and acclaim as the crowd spreads their cloaks and branches on the road. The crowds cry out: “Hosanna to the…

Ezekiel 37:12-14.Romans 8:8-11.John 11:1-45. Death and New Life All three readings for this Sunday speak of death. As I write this, death is very real to me since three of my Ursuline sisters died recently, including one this morning. I can not even begin to imagine what new life in Christ means for them. What…

1 Samuel 16:1B, 6-7, 10-13AEphesians 5:8-14John 9:1-41 Light and Darkness The readings for the fourth Sunday of Lent are about light and darkness, sight and blindness. The first reading is the story of the choice of David as God’s anointed one. Samuel is told that God does not see us as we do since the…

Exodus 17:3-7Romans 5:1-2, 5-8John 4:5-42 Samaritan Woman The gospel for this Sunday is about the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, sometimes called the Woman at the Well, but someone who has no personal name. I would like to reflect on this unnamed woman from three perspectives: her sense of self, her theological astuteness,…

Genesis 12:1-4A2 Timothy 1:8B-10   Matthew 17:1-9 Encounter Reflecting on these readings brought to mind the word encounter. In the first reading, Abraham encounters God in a call to move to a new and unknown land. He places his trust in God and follows God’s command. That encounter changed his life and those who came after him….

Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7Rom 5:12-19Mt 4:1-11 Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving Ash Wednesday was the beginning of Lent. Every liturgical year the church sets aside forty days of preparation for the most important feast of the year – Easter. Reading scripture, the Word of God for this Sunday, tells us that Jesus, following his baptism goes into the…

Lv 19:1-2, 17-181 Cor 3:16-23Mt 5:38-48 Holiness Most of us are familiar with the primary command of scripture – to love God, neighbor and self. We also know that faithfully living that command is not always easy. In Sunday’s gospel, Jesus adds some additional injunctions that make the great command even more difficult to practice in…

Sir 15:15-201 Cor 2:6-10Mt 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37 Law and Virtue Picture a school hallway many years ago. Suddenly a small child starts running down the hall, trips and starts crying because she hurt herself. The next day there is a new rule: No running in the halls. Rules and law are most…

Is 58:7-101 Cor 2:1-5Mt 5:13-16 Salt and Light  Salt and light are important to life in many ways. In Jesus’ time, salt was used for cooking, as a preservative and a healing agent. Think how bland much of our food would be today without some salt as flavoring. Since the beginning of time, light has…

Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13.1 Corinthians 1:26-31.Matthew 5:1-12A. The Beatitudes Our vocation as Christians is not to be first in this world, but rather to be first in the eyes of God. In the Gospel of Matthew for Sunday’s liturgy, we find a description of people who strive to be first in the eyes of God. They…

Isaiah 8:23-9:31 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17Matthew 4:12-23 Committed Followers Today Matthew’s Gospel describes the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. After Jesus heard about John the Baptist’s arrest, he moves to the northern region of Galilee. “He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what…