Angela For Today

EZ 33:7-9ROM 13:8-10MT 18:15-20 Constructive Correction We are familiar with the gospel teaching that we are our brothers and sisters’ “keepers.” The gospel readings often remind and challenge us to be responsible for each other, to really care for each other. We should be attentive to the needs of others and assist them whenever possible….

Jer 20:7-9Rom 12:1-2Mt 16:21-27 Suffering I would venture to say that not one of us has escaped suffering. Whether that suffering was small such as pain in one’s tooth to immense suffering over the loss of a loved one. Suffering is part and parcel of being human. In the first reading for Sunday we find…

Is 22:19-23Mt 16:13-20Mt 16:13-20 Who Do You Say That I Am? In Sunday’s readings we are reminded that our wisdom is never the same as God’s wisdom. In the first reading, we hear that God has the power to remove the mighty from their positions of power. Paul tells us that we cannot know the…

Is 56:1, 6-7Rom 11:13-15, 29-32Mt 15:21-28 Inclusion The readings for this Sunday highlight that God wills that all the world to be saved. In the first reading from Isaiah, the Israelites learn that foreigners who follow the decrees of the Lord are also able to worship God. In the second reading from Romans, Paul speaks…

1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13aRom 9:1-5Mt 14:22-33 Presence In the first reading the prophet Elijah is told that God will be present to him. He is to stand outside his cave and wait. While he waits, he experiences a strong, damaging wind, an earthquake, and fire. It is only when he hears a tiny, whispering sound…

Dn 7:9-10, 13-14Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9Mt 17:1-9 In the gospel for the Feast of the Transfiguration we come to understand that transfiguration means to be transformed or changed. Peter, James and John experience Jesus in a transformed state because “He was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white…

1 Kings 3:5, 7-12.Romans 8:28-30.Matthew 13:44-52. Finding the Treasure The gospel readings for this Sunday add three more parables to the ones from the last two Sundays. Jesus gives us three more parables related to the Kingdom of God, including the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price. “The kingdom of heaven…

Wisdom 12:13, 16-19Romans 8:26-27Matthew 13:24-43 The Kingdom of Heaven This Sunday, we are reminded in the first reading that God desires justice and has shown us the way of kindness. The second reading tells us that the “Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we…

Is 55:10-11.Romans 8:18-23.Matthew 13:1-23. The Sower and the Seeds In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus tells the parable of the Sower and the Seeds. Jesus uses parables to teach because the meanings of parables are not always self-evident. The hearer must engage in some reflection in order to comprehend the message of the message. In the…

Zechariah 9:9-10Romans 8:9, 11-13Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30 Be Open I’m sure we all know people who are very smart and have an image of themselves that places their importance above others. They are reluctant to learn something new from someone they believe to be inferior in some way. Their way of living is the way everyone should…

Kgs 19:16b, 19-21 Gal 5:1, 13-18Lk 9:51-62 One of the themes in Sundays readings is that of call. In the first reading from the Book of Kings Elisha is called to be Elijah’s attendant. Later in the same book, following Elijah’s death, Elisha takes his place as a prophet. His call is difficult but he remains…

Jeremiah 20:10-13Romans 5:12-15Matthew 10:26-33 Do Not Be Afraid In the first reading for this Sunday, the prophet Jeremiah is attacted by those who were his so-called friends. In spite of this, he believes that God is with and cares for those in painful or difficult situations. In last week’s gospel Jesus sends out his disciples…

Ex 19:2-6aRomans 5:6-11Matthew 9:36—10:8 We are Sent In today’s Gospel, Jesus shares with his disciples (and us) his mission to proclaim the kingdom of heaven. The many signs Jesus performed with his teaching, preaching and healing made clear that the kingdom was already present on earth. In today’s gospel, a transition takes place when Jesus…

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14B-16A1 Corinthians 10:16-17John 6:51-58 Today’s feast, Corpus Christi, is about the Eucharist we share at every liturgy. We are taught that the Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. (Second Vatican Council, Lumen gentium, no. 11) It is the means whereby Jesus gives himself to us in Holy Communion. In the second reading, Paul…

Ex 34:4b-6, 8-92 Cor 13:11-13Jn 3:16-18 Each year we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. This feast is the greatest and most profound mystery of our faith. We are taught that there are three persons in one God. This is a mystery we cannot truly understand but believe as a matter of faith. Every…