THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Year A)
As you may have noticed, I usually begin our Bible Study/Faith Sharing with the first reading and then review the Gospel; if there is time, I then reflect on the second reading. I do this because the first reading is usually selected to prepare us for the principal message for the week which is found in the gospel. This week, however, I would like to start with the second reading because it is through the lens of this reading that the other two readings make most sense. As we approach [...]
THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Year A)
Wisdom 6:12 - 16 This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of Wisdom. Again, the passage was clearly chosen to prepare us for the Gospel. We need to seek wisdom in our lives in order to prepare for the time when God calls us to his heavenly banquet. It has been awhile since we heard from Wisdom, so let’s review. This book is not part of the Hebrew Masoretic collection but is included in the Septuagint manuscript; there, it is known as the Wisdom of Solomon and is [...]
THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Year A)
Malachi 1:14b – 2:2b, 8 - 10 This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of the prophet Malachi. The last time we heard from Malachi was on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary time last year (in fact, it’s only these two Sundays that we hear from this prophet), so let’s look at its origin. The work itself has no dates to give an indication of when it was written or what period of time is being addressed. Since it addresses abuses that Ezra (priest from Babylon who returned to [...]
THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Year A)
Exodus 22:20 - 26 This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of Exodus. Although it is just a small part of a long expansion of the Decalogue (cf. 20:1-17 and 21:1 – 23:33 and finally the mention of Moses writing down these laws in 24:4) the passage was clearly chosen to prepare us for the Gospel. It speaks in very practical terms what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. The passage we will hear on Sunday is a small section of the three chapters in the Book [...]
Solemnity of All Saints and Feast of All Souls
This Wednesday, 1 November, we will join with the universal Church in celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints. We will celebrate a Vigil Mass on Tuesday at 6:00pm and will celebrate Mass at 6:30 and 8:00am and at 12:10 and 7:00pm on Wednesday. I encourage you to join in celebrating with all the saints who intercede for us in heaven. As we read so simply but powerfully written in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document prepared for our reflection during this three-year Eucharistic Revival entitled The Mystery of [...]
STEWARDSHIP WEEKEND
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Mt. 22: 21). As we hear in today’s reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel, when some of the religious leaders try to trap Jesus with a question about whether or not to pay the Roman taxes, Jesus reminds his listeners that everything belongs to God. After all, he is the creator of the universe and gives us all that we have. And so, on this Stewardship Weekend, I invite you to reflect on how we can all [...]