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Readings and Gospel at USCCB This is the first day of our Liturgical Year. A time of darkness as the days get shorter and shorter leading up to the solstice. //// In a way, for these few weeks of Advent, we join Jesus in the womb. A time of comfort and calm, but also a […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB My Kingdom does not belong to this world. As part of that Kingdom, neither do we. And as our second reading states, we are a Kingdom of priests, for God our Father. //// We are alien to this world, and this world is alien to us. In many ways, we […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB In the month of November, in our Liturgical year, we are focused on death. We begin the month with a day dedicated to all the saints in Heaven, and then all the souls in Purgatory. And it is our long-standing tradition to dedicate the rest of the month to praying […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB We need the context to be struck by the full weight of the Gospel. The earning potential of a widow in the time of Jesus was next to nothing. If she didn’t have family or friends to take care of her, all she had left was to beg, and die […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB I hear God calling me to do something different in this homily. Typically, I try to pull some sort of challenge, or at least something to ponder, from the Gospel and readings. Something for us to work on, or some sin to avoid. But not today. / Jesus tells the […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” / This story, should strike a cord with all of us. How often have we called out to […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” / It is good to remember the basics from time to time. That before time: God is. Father, Son, and Spirit. Three persons, one God. //// And […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB I had a scripture professor at seminary who retired. When we asked her what she was planning for retirement, she said she was looking forward to finally living this passage from the Gospel. She was going to get rid of everything she owned that didn’t fit into two suitcases, and […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB In the second half of our Gospel, Jesus offers his zero-tolerance policy towards sin. If your hand causes you to sin: cut it off. If your foot causes you to sin: cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin: pluck it out. To sin is such a horrendous […]
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Readings and Gospel at USCCB God said to the woman: the pangs of childbearing will be intensified, in pain you shall bring forth children. God said to the man: cursed is the ground because of you, in toil you shall eat of it’s yield. After eating the forbidden fruit, these are the words God spoke […]
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