23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18 Responsorial: Psalm 90:3-6, 12-17 2nd Reading: Philemon 9-10, 12-17 Gospel: Luke 14:25-33 He cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26) Hate your parents? Hate your own life? Carry a cross? That seems awfully harsh! Luke tells us […]
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 Responsorial: Psalm 68:4-7, 10-11 2nd Reading: Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24 Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14 Opening Our Doors to Others, Beyond Our Comfort Zone When you hold a banquet . . . (Luke 14:13) Doesn’t it […]
St. John the Baptist was called by God to be the forerunner of His divine Son. In order to preserve his innocence spotless, and to improve the extraordinary graces which he had received, he was directed by the Holy Ghost to lead an austere and contemplative life in the wilderness, in the continual exercises of […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 2nd Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4 Responsorial: Psalm 40:2-4, 18 Gospel: Luke 12:49-53 Saying Yes to God’s Call to Be an Instrument of His Peace and Reconciliation Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? (Luke 12:51) […]
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9 Responsorial: Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-22 2nd Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 Gospel: Luke 12:32-48 Experiencing the Presence of the Lord in Our Day-to-Day Lives Be . . . ready. (Luke 12:36) Are you ready? The servants in […]
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 2nd Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 Responsorial: Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21 Experiencing the Presence of the Lord in Our Day-to-Day Lives Vanity of vanities! (Ecclesiastes 1:2) Ecclesiastes is one of the most puzzling […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Genesis 18:20-32 Responsorial: Psalm 138:1-3,6-8 2nd Reading: Colossians 2:12-14 Gospel: Luke 11:1-13 Confidently Approaching Our Heavenly Father, Who Loves Us Teach us to pray. (Luke 11:1) We human beings are big on “how to,” aren’t we? Search on the Internet, and you will […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Genesis 18:1-10 Responsorial: Psalm 15:2-5 2nd Reading: Colossians 1:24-28 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42 Spending Quality Time with the Lord at His Feet Listening to Him Speak (Luke 10:49) Martha, Martha . . .(Luke 10:41) Have you ever been so absorbed in a task that […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Deuteronomy 30:10-14 Responsorial: Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37 2nd Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37 What Does It Mean to “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” Who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29) As much as we might fault this scribe for trying to […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14 Responsorial: Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20 2nd Reading: Galatians 6:14-18 Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on the Lord and His Call — Not Our Past May I never boast except in the cross. (Galatians 6:14) The church in Galatia […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 Responsorial: Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 2nd Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Gospel: Luke 9:51-62 Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on the Lord and His Call — Not Our Past No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Genesis 14:18-20 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Responsorial: Psalm 110:1-4 Gospel: Luke 9:11-17 Experiencing the Lord’s Blessings and Presence More Deeply in the Eucharist As the day was drawing to a close . . . (Luke 9:12) Why did Jesus keep the people […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Proverbs 8:22-31 Responsorial: Psalm 8:4-9 2nd Reading: Romans 5:1-5 Gospel: John 16:12-15 Deepening Your Relationship with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit Everything that the Father has is mine. (John 16:15) What if someone asked you to explain the doctrine of the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Acts 2:1-11 Responsorial: Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 Gospel: John 20:19-23 Pentecost, Celebrating the Gift of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ Call for Our Lives As the Father has sent me, so I send you. (John 20:21) […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 Responsorial: Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 2nd Reading: Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 Gospel: John 14:23-29 Receiving Jesus’ Gift of Peace and Giving it to Others My peace I give to you. (John 14:27) Wouldn’t you like a little more peace in your […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 14:21-27 2nd Reading: Revelation 21:1-5 Responsorial: Psalm 145:8-13 Gospel: John 13:31-35 What Does It Mean to Love One Another as Jesus Has Loved Us? Love . . . one another. (John 13:34) That seems pretty easy, doesn’t it? Be nice, take care […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 5:27-32, 40-41 Responsorial: Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 2nd Reading: Revelation 5:11-14 Gospel: John 21:1-19 Sharing in the Victory of Jesus’ Resurrection They left . . . rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor. (Acts 5:41) That’s rather odd! Wouldn’t […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 10:34, 37-43 Responsorial: Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 2nd Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 Gospel: John 20:1-9 Running to Jesus, The Risen Lord They both ran. (John 20:4) When we are sick, we run to the doctor’s. When there is a big sale at a […]
On this day we mark the Last Supper and our Lord’s institution of the Holy Eucharist. It was also the night when Judas betrayed Christ, and the eve of our Savior’s passion. Reflection. With what respect, love and ardor ought we to receive this divine food, “which maketh to live forever”!
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7 Responsorial: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 2nd Reading: Philippians 2:6-11 Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:56 Journeying with Jesus in His Passion When the hour came . . . (Luke 22:14) One of the best ways to read the story of Jesus’ passion is to […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Isaiah 43:16-21 Responsorial: Psalm 126:1-6 2nd Reading: Philippians 3:8-14 Gospel: John 8:1-11 Encountering God’s Mercy and Giving It to Others Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more. (John 8:11) Wouldn’t you love to know what […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 Responsorial: Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 11 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 Our God is “Gracious and Merciful, Slow to Anger and Abounding in Love and Fidelity” (Exodus 34:6) I have witnessed the affliction of my people. (Exodus […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 Responsorial: Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14 2nd Reading: Philippians 3:17–4:1 Gospel: Luke 9:28-36 Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus and His Promises Look up. (Genesis 15:5) All three readings today urge us to do one thing: fix our eyes on heaven. In […]
IF the virtue of children reflects an honor on their parents, much more justly is the name of St. Patrick rendered illustrious by the innumerable lights of sanctity with which the Church of Ireland shone during many ages, and by the colonies of Saints with which it peopled many foreign countries; for, under God, its […]
