Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time I used to believe that I was nothing like the Pharisee in today’s parable—righteously smug as he measured his piety against the “rest of humanity”—until I realized I loved the liturgy more than I loved … Read More
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time I spent three months in Panama City, Panama, trying to learn Spanish. There are parts of the city that cater to tourists, where streets and sidewalks are clean and trash is swept up daily by … Read More
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Being grateful to God is the core of our faith. We see this embodied in the great prayer of thanksgiving, the Eucharistic Prayer, which is described as the “center and highpoint of the entire celebration” … Read More
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time When I was eight, I joined the choir at my parish in Los Angeles because I was certain a talent scout would discover me and make me a star! I’m sure none of you had … Read More
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time There is a painting by 20th-century American artist Osvaldo Louis Guglielmi at the Milwaukee Art Museum titled “The Christening.” When I first saw it, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. It’s not particularly … Read More
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time A common liturgical rule that almost every community breaks at some point is having a person serve in more than one liturgical ministry within the same Mass. You won’t find any liturgical book that specifically … Read More
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time What about the ninety-nine sheep in today’s Gospel? Did they rejoice when their wayward companion came back? Or had they thought they had been ridden of him once and for all? An easy approach to … Read More
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time In the Rite of Ordination of a Priest, as the bishop hands over the bread and wine to the newly ordained, he says to him, “Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform … Read More
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Want to know the best way to get a better sense of what your parish is really like? Sit in a place you’re not used to sitting. Or sit in the very back pew, or … Read More
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Today’s first reading presents us with an image of the diversity of God’s people, gathered from every nation and language. Many of our parishes in the United States are blessed with diverse communities of people, … Read More