The Most Holy Body and Blood of ChristDeuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16aPsalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 (12)1 Corinthians 10:16-17John 6:51-58June 11, 2023 The Book of Deuteronomy is seen as a farewell address by Moses as he reminds the people of what the Lord has done for them and what they agreed to do (keep the commandments). God allowed …
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Last week I began my reflection on The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did by Eric Sammons (El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers Press. 2017) with my article “Discipleship Necessitates Evangelization.” In that article, I presented Sammons’ discussion of how our “fear of rejection” can keep us from sharing the faith with our …
This Sunday we celebrate The Most Holy Trinity. In today’s second reading, Paul concludes his Second Letter to the Corinthians invoking the Trinity as he writes, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” We begin our prayers by …
I recently read The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did by Eric Sammons (El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers Press. 2017). When I saw the title, I ordered it based on my continuing desire to evangelize. As I read it, I found it as much about discipleship, if not more, than evangelization. …
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A few years ago Pope Francis decreed that the Monday after Pentecost would be celebrated as the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. That’s today (5/29/23). Our first reading today comes from Genesis right after Adam and Eve commit the first sin, the original sin. It was the first sin but …
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PentecostActs 2:1-11Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 (30)1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13John 20:19-23May 28, 2023 Our passage from Acts today begins, “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled…” We need to realize there are two meanings to this. First, it was time for the Jewish Pentecost. The Jewish feast of Pentecost had been a harvest festival …
Last Friday I read a news article, “Shooting at funeral home in Ecuador leaves four dead,” (by Diego Lopez Marina, Catholic News Agency, 5/19/23. Available online at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254364/shooting-at-funeral-home-in-ecuador-leaves-four-dead). It is not the first time I have heard of a shooting at a funeral. Reading the news, I asked myself, “Is nothing sacred?” Even among the …
“After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem.” There, “they went to the upper room” (first reading for this 7th Sunday of Easter) The upper room is where they had gathered with Jesus after his Resurrection. It is a familiar place. Just before He ascended Jesus had told his disciples …
Throughout the Easter season the first reading for both daily and Sunday Mass (albeit on separate cycles) comes from the Acts of the Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the early church. The Acts of the Apostles tells how the early church lived in community. In Acts 4:32-35 we read, “The …
There is suffering in the world. We wish there wasn’t. We pray for an end to all suffering. We need to seek to do our part to alleviate suffering. Yet, we know the reality is that there is suffering. It might be from illness. It may be job-related. It may be as a consequence of …
