Sunday’s Readings: Acts 2:42-47; Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31 A SEASON OF JOY “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42). This first line of today’s first reading sets the tone as this fifty-day celebration…
Sunday’s Readings: Acts 10:34, 37-43; Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9 REJOICE AND BE GLAD “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad” (Psalm 118:24). Let us remember that these words of today’s responsorial psalm are not only sung from the hearts of those gathered in our parish. They are also sung…
Sunday’s Readings: Matthew 21:1-11; Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalms 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14—27:66 SEEING CHRIST CLEARLY We start today looking through the portals of Jerusalem, seeing crowds of people, cheering and waving palm branches in the air. The whole atmosphere is one of joy, triumph, and celebration. We can get distracted or enthralled by the scene, and not see…
Sunday’s Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45 JESUS’ MINISTRY SUMMARIZED The story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead is the single longest story (apart from the Passion) in the Gospel of John. In it we find a summary of most of Jesus’ ministry. We see his very human nature as he…
Sunday’s Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1B, 6-7, 10-13A; Psalms 23: 1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT The future king, David, in today’s first reading, is an example of a type of character present throughout the Hebrew scriptures. He is the child born out of place (not the eldest or most favored) who ends up…
Sunday’s Readings: Exodus 17:3-7; Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42 THIRSTING FOR LIFE-GIVING WATERS Especially during the Lenten, Holy Week, and Easter seasons, the prayer texts of the Eastern Church revel in paradoxical images of Christ: the eternal life who is put to death, the host of the supper who is also its meal, the thirsty crucified…
Sunday’s Readings: Genesis 12:1-4A; Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; 2 Timothy 1:8B-10; Matthew 17:1-9 THE JOURNEY OF TRANSFIGURATION “We used to be such good friends. How is it that you’ve moved so far away?” one man asked another. “Perhaps,” the other replied, “you have moved away. By standing still.” This exchange very well could have happened between Peter and Jesus,…
Sunday’s Readings: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 STRENGTH AGAINST TEMPTATION The first Sunday of the season of Lent always includes a Gospel account of the temptation of the Lord Jesus in the desert by the devil. This year, the story is set against the backdrop of the first reading from Genesis, which…