THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
“Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world’” (Jn 6:51). Last week, we explored the central mystery of the Church – the Blessed Trinity. Today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (also known as Corpus Christi), I would like to explore with you another great and important mystery of our faith – the [...]
THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (Year A)
Welcome to my annotated commentary on Sunday’s readings. The purpose of my commentary is to give you the background for each reading, a little better understanding of its message and the message that all of the Sunday readings together provide us. Today’s solemnity – those of us who are my age and older recall it as Corpus Christi – has its origin in the Middle Ages as an expression of the faithful’s devotion to the Blessed Sacrament during a time when very few felt worthy to receive our Lord [...]
TRINITY SUNDAY
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is how we Christians begin all our prayers because we believe in and worship a triune God. But, what do we actually mean when we say that God is a Trinity? As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, allow me to offer some reflections on this very important mystery of our faith. First of all, it is important to realize we are dealing with a mystery, a reality that is well beyond our total understanding, just [...]
THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (Year A)
Welcome to my annotated commentary on Sunday’s readings. The purpose of my commentary is to give you the background for each reading, a little better understanding of its message and the message that all of the Sunday readings together provide us. Exodus 34:4b – 6, 8 – 9 Throughout Salvation History, we read in Sacred Scriptures that God revealed himself to us at various times. In Gn. 3:8ff, we hear God walk in the Garden of Eden and have a personal conversation with Adam and Eve. After he expelled [...]
PENTECOST SUNDAY
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2:1-4) With this dramatic description, we hear [...]
PENTECOST SUNDAY (Year A)
Welcome to my annotated commentary of Sunday’s readings. The purpose of my commentary is to give you the background for each reading, a little better understanding of its message and the message that all of the Sunday readings provide us. On Pentecost Sunday, you will see that different readings are prescribed for the Vigil Mass than for the Mass on Sunday. I will reflect on the readings for the Sunday Masses only. John 20:19-23 On the Second Sunday of Easter, the Gospel reading is the same in all three [...]