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 Seeing Our Lord in All Things Christ is all and in all. (Colossians 3:11) This concept of Christ being “in all” is a central aspect of Jesuit spirituality. The founder […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Genesis 18:20-32 2nd Reading: Colossians 2:12-14 Responsorial: Psalm 138:1-3,6-8 Gospel: Luke 11:1-13 Deepening Our Relationship with Our Heavenly Father through Prayer He will get up to give him whatever he needs. (Luke 11:8) Imagine the situation: you are traveling through ancient Palestine and […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Genesis 18:1-10 2nd Reading: Colossians 1:24-28 Responsorial: Psalm 15:2-5 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42 What Does it Mean to Have “Christ in You, the Hope for Glory” Christ in you, the hope for glory. (Colossians 1:27) There are three ways to look at these words: […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Deuteronomy 30:10-14 2nd Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 Responsorial: Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-377 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37 Loving God & Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself, The Heart of the Gospel Message You shall love . . . your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) Think […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14 2nd Reading: Galatians 6:14-18 Responsorial: Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20 Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 Signs That We Are Heaven Bound Rejoice because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20) Let’s take a moment right now to rejoice. We live in a […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 2nd Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Responsorial: Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 Gospel: Luke 9:51-62 Winning the Battle for Our Minds For freedom Christ set us free. (Galatians 5:1) Did you know that a battle is going on in your mind […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1 2nd Reading: Galatians 3:26-29 Responsorial: Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9 Gospel: Luke 9:18-24 Saying Yes to Jesus’ Call to Follow Him Follow me. (Luke 9:23) Did you ever go off on adventures when you were a child? Perhaps you journeyed into the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13 2nd Reading: Galatians 2:16, 19-21 Responsorial: Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11 Gospel: Luke 7:36–8:3 Receiving the Lord’s Overwhelming Mercy and Forgiveness I have sinned against the Lord. (2 Samuel 12:13) Sometimes our decision making is bad, and sometimes it’s […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: 1 Kings 17:17-24 2nd Reading: Galatians 1:11-19 Responsorial: Psalm 30:2; 4-6; 11-13 Gospel: Luke 7:11-17 Seeking and Experiencing Revelation from God It came through a revelation. (Galatians 1:12) One of the great joys in life is receiving what St. Paul called “revelation” from […]
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 9:11-175 The Transforming Power of Receiving Christ in the Eucharist They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. (Luke […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Proverbs 8:22-31 2nd Reading: Romans 5:1-5 Responsorial: Psalm 8:4-9 Gospel: John 16:12-15 Placing Our Trust in the Love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I have much more to tell you. (John 16:12) Imagine you’re deep in conversation with a close […]
As a teen, I thought the clergy were supposed to do everything. We laity were just called to pray, pay, and obey. Oh yes, and keep the commandments, of course. The original 10 seemed overwhelming enough. Then I discovered the Sermon on the Mount and nearly passed out. Perhaps this is why many inactive Catholics […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 2nd Reading: Colossians 3:12-21 Responsorial: Psalm 128:1-5 Gospel: Luke 2:41-52 The Holy Family, Our Model of Faith and Trust and Love and Unity He went down with them … and was obedient to them. (Luke 2:51) Today is not a […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Zephaniah 3:14-18 2nd Reading: Philippians 4:4-7 Responsorial: (Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6 Gospel: Luke 3: 10-18 Advent, A Time to Trust in Jesus and His Power and Strength I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. (Luke 3:16) If you’ve […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Baruch 5:1-9 2nd Reading: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Responsorial: Psalm 126:1-6 Gospel: Luke 3:1-6 Advent, A Time to Respond to God’s Good Work in Us The one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it. (Philippians 1:6) Every winter, the […]
1st Sunday of Advent “Advent” is simply the Latin word for “coming.” If we can manage to meditate on any “coming” in December besides the comings and goings of Christmas shopping, it would be Christ’s coming to Mary in a stable But the liturgy of the first three weeks of Advent speaks of another coming, […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Daniel 7:13-14 2nd Reading: Revelation 1:5-8 Responsorial: Psalm 93:1-2, 5 Gospel: John 18:33-37 Allowing Jesus Christ, Our King, To Feed Us with His Grace and Power Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of […]
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B Whenever I lead a trip to the Holy Land, the question inevitably comes, “Will we visit Armageddon?’ This refers, of course, to the battlefield surrounding the ancient city of Megiddo where some think the final confrontation will take place before the end of the world (Rev 16:16). Catholics […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Daniel 12:1-3 2nd Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 Responsorial: Psalm 16:5, 8-11 Gospel: Mark 13:24-32 Reflecting on Jesus’ Second Coming and Our Life in Heaven They will see “the Son of Man coming in the clouds” with great power and glory. (Mark 13:26) Most […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading 1 Kings 17:10-16 2nd Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28 Responsorial: Psalm 146:7-10 Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 Eagerly Awaiting the Second Coming of Christ Christ … will appear a second time … to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him. (Hebrews 9:28) November marks the final […]
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time The Blind Man Speaks Up There were hundreds in the crowd that day at Jericho. No doubt all of them had needs, many of them urgent. But this Sunday’s gospel tells us that apparently only one of them had the audacity to speak up and ask for help from the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Jeremiah 31:7-9 2nd Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 126:1-6 Gospel: Mark 10:46-52 Saying Yes to Jesus’ Call Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you. (Mark 10:49) Today’s readings all involve a call from God. In the first reading, the Lord makes a […]
It was time to make their move. Usually it was Peter who took the initiative, but now it was their turn. They cleared their throats and asked the master for the best seats in the house, the places of honor right next to the throne. Of course, in this conversation, recounted in Sunday’s gospel, John […]
What is the best social network for the New Evangelization? Is it Facebook or Twitter? Or perhaps Instagram and Pinterest better reflect our modern lives? Or are you a Snapchat aficionado? Forget it, Pope Francis just rebooted this conversation. At his Wednesday General Audience on October 7, 2015, he revealed his social network of choice […]
