Gospel – John 2 : 13 – 25 Our first reading from Exodus tells of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses. With the first commandment, God elaborates on his desire that we be faithful to him. He describes himself as being a “jealous God.” He wants nothing to distract us from loving Him and […]
Continue Reading
A profoundly difficult scripture text confronts the Church this Sunday, one whose very imagery has caused some to find the Judeo-Christian tradition troubling and not worthy of belief. The reading is the so-called sacrifice of Isaac, the moment when Abraham was ordered by God to offer his own son—his only legitimate child—in sacrifice to the […]
Continue Reading
Gospel –Mark 1: 12 – 15 The tone for Lent was set on Ash Wednesday when we heard the call to pray, fast and give alms. The First Sunday of Lent continues this as it addresses temptation, prayer and fasting through one of the synoptic Gospels. This year we hear the Gospel of Mark and […]
Continue Reading
Only twice in the three-year cycle of Sunday readings do we hear from the Book of Leviticus. This middle book of the Torah is concerned with many topics related to worship, morality, and the conduct of one’s everyday life. As Catholics we should appreciate the deep care with which our Jewish forebears observed the call […]
Continue Reading
The Gospel of Mark begins with the preaching of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus, followed by the temptations in the desert. Jesus left the desert and began his ministry in Galilee by calling the first disciples; Simon and his brother Andrew, and James and his brother John. They journey to Capernaum where […]
Continue Reading
This Sunday’s second reading is drawn from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, a document filled with both uplifting teachings and advice which can be baffling to modern sensibilities. The passage we hear at mass might well fall into the latter category, since in it Paul urges his readers to think carefully as to […]
Continue Reading
The readings today remind us of God’s desire for us. God gives us free will and therefore does not impose his will on us. God invites us, encourages us and acts in powerful ways that will hopefully lead us to make his plan for us, our plan. God’s desire is very simple; He wants us […]
Continue Reading
Having celebrated the Baptism of the Lord last Sunday and the feast of the Epiphany the Sunday before, the Church now sets off into the still fresh new year with a series of what could be termed “call narratives.” Today we hear Samuel and Peter being called to their respective ministries in the service of […]
Continue Reading
Gospel – Mark 1:7-11 The Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas Season. In a few short weeks we have gone from the baby in the manger to the thirty-year-old Jesus preparing to begin his ministry. This Baptism of Jesus by John was not Baptism as we understand it as a Sacrament […]
Continue Reading
The Church marks the first Sunday of this new year by celebrating the great feast of Epiphany. While it may be overshadowed in our contemporary society by the celebration of Christmas, Epiphany is directly related to Christmas and it ranks as one of the most important days of the Church year, recalling the revelation of […]
Continue Reading