"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

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16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

1st Reading Wisdom 12: 13, 16-19 Psalm 86: 5-6, 9-10, 15-16a (R. 5a) R:// "O Lord, you are good and forgiving" 2nd Reading Romans 8: 26-27 Gospel Matthew 13: 24-43 JUST GIVE TIME SOME TIME Friends, Peace and Goodness! We arrive at the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) with our first reading from Wisdom 12: 13, 16-19 and the Gospel passage from Matthew 13:24-43, a _lectio continua_, at least from the liturgical shelving of readings in these times. Let us say a few words about the two readings, especially. The first reading is from Wisdom and that sends us into a new era. The book of Wisdom was written close to the end of the first century BC. It was written in the Greek language probably in...

15TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

1st Reading Isaiah 55: 10-11 Psalm 65: 9abcd, 9e-10, 11-12, 13 (R. Lk. 8:8a) R:// "The seed that fell into good soil yielded a hundredfold" 2nd Reading Romans 8: 18-23 Gospel Matthew 13: 1-23 THE SOWER BELIEVES IN THE SOIL Dear Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) and the Second Sunday of the month. Our first reading is from Isaiah 55: 10-11 and the Gospel passage is from Matthew 13: 1-23. I suggest we focus on the Gospel passage which is the popular parable of the sower. I think, in focusing on the Gospel passage from Matthew 13:1-23, we shall revisit and refresh our minds about the Parable of the Sower, not counting familiarity, because familiarity can blind us. Let us do so looking at how the sower...

14TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

1st Reading Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalm 145: 1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13cd-14 (R. 1) R:// "I will bless your name forever, my king and my God" 2nd Reading Romans 8: 9, 11-13 Gospel Matthew 11: 25-30 DISMOUNT THE HORSE Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today, we have a triadic celebration. Today is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), the first Sunday of July, and, since July is traditionally dedicated to the Devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus, this Sunday properly launches us into such the Devotion. May the Precious Blood of Jesus save us. Let's launch into the readings of the day, focusing particularly on the 1st Reading and the Gospel. The First Read...

13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

1st Reading 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a Psalm 89: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19 (R. cf. 2a) R:// "I will sing forever of your mercies, O Lord" 2nd Reading Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11 Gospel Matthew 10: 37-42 HONOUR AND SAFEGUARD DIGNITY Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today is the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) and the last Sunday of June. We thank God for bringing us thus far. On this 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), our first reading is from 2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16a. It is the story of the encounter between the Prophet Elisha and the Shunammite woman. Let us hold three details to heart from that narrative encounter. These details will be the identity of the woman, what she offered the prophet Elisha, and what the prophet Elisha gave to her as a reward. The first detail...

12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

1st Reading Jeremiah 20: 10-13 Psalm 69: 7-9, 13 & 16, 32-34 (R. 13c) R:// "In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord" 2nd Reading Romans 5: 12-15 Gospel Matthew 10: 26-33 DO NOT BE AFRAID Friends, Pax et Bonum! Today is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). Globally and on a secular front, today is Fathers' Day. We take this opportunity to wish and pray for all Fathers. In this light, I suggest we digest today's readings with fathers in mind. The first reading is from Jeremiah 20: 10-13, the Second reading is from Romans 5: 12-15 and the Gospel is from Matthew 10: 26-33. Notice that the Second Reading and the Gospel are continuations from where they ended last Sunday. Let us quickly note a few points for understanding an...

11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

1st Reading Exodus 19: 2-6a Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 (R. 3c) R:// "We are his people, the sheep of his flock" 2nd Reading Romans 5: 6-11 Gospel Matthew 9:36-10:8 ALWAYS DISPENSE GRACE Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today is the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). As usual, we have three sets of readings. We shall focus on all three readings with one detail each from the three readings. The first reading is from Exodus 19:2-6a, the second reading is from Romans 5:6-11 and the Gospel passage is from Matthew 9:36-10:8. Let us dive quickly into them. The first reading, from Exodus 19: 2-6a situates Israel within the desert. Israel just left Egypt two months earlier. After the Red Sea incident, they entered th...

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, CORPUS CHRISTI (YEAR A)

1st Reading Deuteronomy 8:2–3, 14b–16a Psalm 147:12–15, 19–20 (R. v.12) R:// "Praise the Lord, Jerusalem" 2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 10:16–17 Gospel John 6:51–58 THE FOOD THAT BECOMES A HOME Friends, Pax et Bonum! Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi. Today is also the very first month of June. June, traditionally, is dedicated to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let us focus on the readings. We might expect the readings on this day to be full of rubrics about bread and wine, explicit instructions about the Eucharist, and clear explanations of what is happening on the Altar. However, the readings give us a hunger test in the desert in the first reading, a one-sentence argu...