May 5, 2024 Sixth Sunday of Easter The Gospel for this Sixth Sunday of Easter (Jn 15:9-17) is a continuation of the reading from last week where Jesus gave his followers a lesson on discipleship with the parable of the Vines and the Branches. With this metaphor, their key to success consisted of remaining close to Jesus, and thereby the Father, and to remember everything that he had taught them. As the passage continues today, Jesus adds another element for…..
April 28, 2024 Fifth Sunday of Easter Last Sunday we read about the Good Shepherd, an image that Jesus borrowed from the Old Testament to describe his relationship to his disciples. This weekend we see Jesus borrows another metaphor to instruct his disciples. It is known as the Vine and the Branches. This image was used quite often in the Old Testament to refer to the people of Israel who symbolized a vine, or vineyard, with God as the vine…..
April 21, 2024 Fourth Sunday of Easter At first glance there does not seem to be much in common between the readings for today. In his speech to the people in the book of Acts, Peter talks about a cornerstone that has been rejected by the builders. And in the Gospel from John, Jesus compares himself to a shepherd guarding and leading his sheep. One might wonder what a cornerstone, or foundational stone of the Temple, might have in common…..
April 14, 2024 Third Sunday of Easter Both the First Reading and the Gospel for today describe an event following the Resurrection of Jesus. One of the things they have in common is a reference to the scriptures from the Old Testament which were fulfilled by Christ. In particular, they describe Christ’s suffering before his death as something that had been revealed in the prophets and the psalms. This aspect of Christ’s passion, in fact, has a firm basis in…..
April 7, 2024 Second Sunday of Easter They say, “Life changes in an instant.” This is a cliché. But it is exactly what we see in the readings for today. In the chronological sequence of the New Testament, it happens first in the Gospel of John (Jn. 20:19-31) and then later in the First Reading from the book of Acts (Acts 4:32-35). Both shed light on the Christian response to life-changing situations. It is Sunday evening, and the disciples are…..
March 31, 2024 Easter Sunday There is something unusual about the selection of the Gospel to be read on Easter Sunday. On every other Sunday throughout the Liturgical Year, the Gospel readings are based on the three-year cycle of the Lectionary. In Year A, we read from Matthew, in Year B, we read from Mark, and in Year C, we read from Luke. However, the Gospel reading for Easter Sunday for all three years – A, B, and C –…..
March 24, 2024 Palm Sunday (Year B) The readings for Palm Sunday are very familiar to most of us. We tend to consider them as the culmination of Christ’ s mission and the precursor to his resurrection, as well as the climax of the New Testament. However, few may know or consider how many parts of the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures of Jesus, are an integral part of these readings. It starts with the passage that is read at…..
March 17, 2024 Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year B) The readings for this Fifth Sunday of Lent contain a theme which is key for understanding our observance of Lent and, more so, vital to our understanding of God’s plan of salvation. At the very beginning of God’s revelation to us in the Bible we find God making a pact with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-25). They are promised an existence of blessings and joy with the only restriction being they…..
March 10, 2024 Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year B) There is a saying that goes, “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.” This may be useful to consider as we delve into the readings for this Fourth Sunday for Lent. In these readings, we see Jesus continuing to complete the creation first begun by God way back in the book of Genesis. This is where we find the creation narrative which states, “In the beginning, when God…..
March 3, 2024 Third Sunday of Lent (Year B) The First Reading and the Gospel for this Third Sunday of Lent hold a common theme, one that has been a longstanding teaching of the Catholic Church inherited directly from the tradition of our Jewish ancestors. However, although both readings are very familiar to us, at first glance the commonality between the two may not be readily apparent. When we get to the reading from the book of Exodus (Exod. 20:1-17),…..