Sundays Readings: Zep 2:3; 3:12-13; Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:12a; Mt 5:1-12a THE PEOPLE OF GOD’S KINGDOM In our Gospel reading from Matthew, we hear the Beatitudes, the stirring opening to the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God, and begins by considering what…

Sunday’s Readings: Is 8:23—9:3; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17 GOD’S LOVING CARE Two readings today refer to the northeast region of ancient Israel: “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.” Upon hearing these names, some of us might consult maps and determine exactly where these regions lie.…

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; Psalms 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34 OUR STRATEGIC GOAL As a Church, we now move into Ordinary Time. “Ordinary” comes from the Latin root for “order,” which is why we line the Sundays up on the calendar and count them—with “ordinal” numbers—one by one. The…

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 ALL SHARE IN THE PROMISE Picture a nativity scene in your mind’s eye. The scene likely includes figures arriving on camels, some elaborately dressed, with jeweled boxes containing precious gifts. These magi arrived from distant lands to pay homage to the…