October 22, 2023 Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Last weekend we heard Jesus describing the conditions which must be met in order for a person to attend the heavenly banquet which awaits us in the kingdom of God (Mt. 22:1-14). When Jesus finishes the story, which is called “The Parable of the Wedding Feast,” he concludes by saying “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Mt. 22:14). The readings for today offer us a clue to the difference…..
October 15, 2023 Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) The readings for today give us a sample of the heavenly banquet of the Kingdom of God, an image which is frequently encountered throughout scripture. It is a sign of the splendid destiny which awaits those who have served the LORD. It was originally promised to Israel, God’s chosen nation, and eventually extended to all people through the Paschal Mystery – the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Isaiah describes…..
October 08, 2023 Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Sometimes it can be difficult to find a common theme between the readings for a particular week. It may require several hours of research, examining the passages and reading commentaries. And still the themes may be vague and elusive. For this weekend, however, the opposite is actually true. The common theme is readily apparent and plainly stated in the Responsorial Psalm: “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of…..
October 1, 2023 Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) The readings for today hold a common theme. They tell us about repentance and conversion and about the importance of doing things according to the will of God instead of our own selfish needs. In the First Reading (Ezek. 18:25-28), the prophet Ezekiel makes it quite clear. The people of Israel have rebelled against God and turned to idol worship. As punishment, they have been taken into exile by the…..
September 24, 2023 Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) In the Gospel from Matthew this week (Mt. 20:1-16a) we hear Jesus tell another of his kingdom of heaven parables. This parable called “The Workers in the Vineyard” is probably one of the most puzzling and difficult to understand. In fact, those who read or hear this parable may find it contrary to what they think about gaining access to the kingdom of heaven. The key to the meaning of…..
September 17, 2023 Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time The Gospel for today from Matthew (Mt. 18:21-35) is a continuation of the passage that we heard last Sunday (Mt. 18:15-20) and it follows the same theme of forgiveness. In last week’s Gospel Jesus gave the disciples instructions on how to proceed if a member of the Church should commit a grave sin. He also gave them a special authority saying, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth…..
July 9, 2023, Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) The readings today show how Jesus brings rest and peace to his followers. The First Reading (Zec 9:9-10) from Zechariah describes how a humble king comes to his people. Jerusalem is told to rejoice because the king comes meekly riding on a tame animal – a colt, the foal of an ass. This should bring to mind the way that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when all the…..
July 2, 2023, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) In the Gospel today (Mt.10:37-42) we hear Jesus describing the reward a person earns by loving him and putting him first and foremost in his or her life. Then we see a story about a person earning a reward for such behavior in the First Reading (2 Kngs. 4:8-11, 14-16A). Jesus lists several conditions that a person must display to win his favor. They should not love family members –…..
June 25, 2023, Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Jeremiah, who we see in the First Reading (Jer. 20:10-13), endures many trials and sufferings as a prophet. They are a perfect example of the stern warning that Jesus offers his disciples in the Gospel (Mt 10:26-33) to not be afraid in their duties for the Lord. Of all of the prophets that came before Jesus, Jeremiah was perhaps the most tortured and oppressed. The son of a priest, Jeremiah…..
June 18, 2023, Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) In today’s readings we see how the Israelites digressed from being a holy nation special to God to a nation of confused irreligious practices. Then we see how Jesus brought them back to being God’s chosen nation again. In the First Reading (Ex. 19:2-6a) the Israelites have just escaped slavery in Egypt and have arrived at Mount Sinai. Moses has gone up the mountain to speak with the Lord, which…..