July 31, 2022, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) There is no doubt that people who work hard for a living or struggle to make ends meet often wish for wealth and the leisure of not having to work. It is a common dream to have more money than one knows what to do with and to spend it however or whenever one would like. But today’s readings offer sage advice on the fruitlessness of living such a decadent…..
July 24, 2022, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) The readings from Genesis and the Gospel for today offer us sage advice on the workings of prayer in our lives. The First Reading (Gen. 18:20-32) is a continuation from last week where Abraham had met and served three visitors, one of whom promised to send him a son in one year. Now Abraham is walking along with the three men who have set their sights on Sodom and Gomorrah……
July 17, 2022, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) In the readings from the book of Genesis (Gen. 18:1-10a) and the Gospel from Luke (Lk 10:38-42) for today we find similar themes on what it means to serve the LORD. In the First Reading we find Abraham and Sarah, the couple chosen by God to be the progenitors of the chosen people of Israel. At this point God has made a three-fold promise to Abraham consisting of land, a…..
July 10, 2022, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) In today’s Gospel from Luke (Lk. 10:25-37) we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan. It’s a familiar story for most of us. In fact, we have even gotten to the point where we use the title “Good Samaritan” in our routine conversations. As with all of Jesus’ parables we can get a hint of its true meaning if we look at the characters in the story. The passage begins…..
July 3, 2022, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) At first glance there doesn’t seem to be much in common between the passage from Isaiah and the Gospel of Luke for today. But these readings do share one theme which demonstrates to us the preparations that God has made in the world as a part of His plan of salvation. The theme of the First Reading (Isaiah 66:10-14c) seems complex because of the level of symbolism it contains. This…..
June 26, 2022, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) One cannot help but notice the similarity of the Gospel and the First Reading for today. They are both about the call to service to the Lord. Yet, at the same time, the two passages contain some significant differences, especially in the response of those called or chosen. In the First Reading (1 Kgs. 19:16b, 19-21), God has instructed the prophet Elijah to appoint Elisha as his successor, for Elijah’s…..
June 19, 2022, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Year C) Today we celebrate the feast known as The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Of course, the title of this feast and the mention of the body and blood of Christ bring to mind the topic for which they stand, the Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus offered as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. But there is…..
June 12, 2022, The Most Holy Trinity (Year C) Today is the celebration of the Holy Trinity, the central mystery of our faith – one God in three persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We hear mention of the Trinity quite frequently, probably most of us on a daily basis when we make the sign of the cross, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”…..
June 5, 2022, Pentecost Sunday (Year C) Today we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit by Jesus on his disciples as the conclusion of the Paschal Mystery and the beginning of the Church. When looking at the lectionary, one can see that this is a unique feast because of the options of readings to choose from. In fact, Pentecost has a set of readings that serve as a vigil for the Saturday evening Mass, similar…..
May 29, 2022, The Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year C) For the most part the readings for Mass in the lectionary follow a standard format with a First Reading from the Old Testament containing a theme related to the Gospel. However, during the Easter season the First Reading comes from the Acts of the Apostles with narratives concerning the early Church. Today’s readings are quite unique in that the First Reading from the book of Acts (Acts 1:10-11) is a…..