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 [...]
SKS Plans to Reopen June 6
I’m sure you have all heard the wonderful news! Archbishop Pérez has announced that parishes of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will be able to resume public Masses next weekend – that is 6 - 7 June – if the state government moves our region into the Yellow Phase, as is expected, on 5 June. I look forward to welcoming you back! In the midst of the wind and waves of this coronavirus pandemic, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we make our way back to celebration [...]
IN PREPARATION FOR PENTECOST SUNDAY
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. (Jn. 14:15-17) As we prepare to come to the end of the Easter season once again with the celebration of Pentecost Sunday next week, I would like to offer some reflections on the [...]
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (Year A)
John 17:1 – 11a 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. This Sunday, we hear a continuation from last week of Jesus’ address to the apostles as presented in John’s Gospel. As you will see in your footnotes, most scholars consider the section of 13:31 – 17:26 to be Johannine compositions, modeled on farewell discoursed [...]