Made for the occasion
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time – Jan 26, 2025 “Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion” (Neh 8:4). When Ezra read to the people from the book of the law, he did … Read More
Break forth in our midst
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time – Jan 19, 2025 What would have happened at the banquet if Mary had not paid attention to the kitchen staff and spoken up when she saw their urgent need? It was her intervention and … Read More
The closeness of God
Fourth Sunday of Advent – Dec 22, 2024 “Do not forget that closeness, proximity, was God’s most authentic language,” said Pope Francis. “That style of God, of closeness, went farther, farther and farther until it reached that great, essential closeness: … Read More
Make room for Christ’s joy
Third Sunday of Advent – Dec 15, 2024 Today we get the great opening line from the second reading: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). Why is joy so important that Paul has to … Read More
Co-laboring with the Creator
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Dec 9, 2024 The annual singing of the Easter Exsultet proclaims, “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned … Read More
Destined for the joy of salvation
Second Sunday of Advent – Dec 8, 2024 In stark contrast to last Sunday, today’s set of readings are some of the most hope-filled and consoling poetry in our lectionary. From the lavish imagery of Baruch, to the tender affection … Read More
The good news of Advent
First Sunday of Advent – Dec 1, 2024 As she loaded her grocery bags into her car, my friend heard a street preacher make an odd comment as he tried to evangelize the shoppers in the busy parking lot. The … Read More
Changed into Christ’s presence
Thanksgiving Day – November 28, 2024 Most of us don’t get handwritten letters in the mail anymore. Instead, our mailboxes are filled with bills, ads, and end-of-the-year solicitations, and our inboxes numb us with spam, more ads, and work. In … Read More
Establish peace with peace
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – November 24, 2024 Seven years after World War I, Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King. Earlier that year, Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf, and … Read More
Wherever hope is dimmed
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 17, 2024 We come almost full circle since we began the Year of Mark, and today’s Gospel should sound familiar. The verses that follow this pericope were proclaimed on the First Sunday of … Read More
Giving your all
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 10, 2024 Many landmarks and much of the infrastructure we take for granted were built by persons enslaved and exploited by unjust systems. I think of the White House, of rail and roadways … Read More
Breaking the cycle
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 3, 2024 On this Sunday before Election Day in the United States, the Lectionary gives us a blessing in disguise. Today’s pericope of the greatest commandment is so familiar that we might miss … Read More
A great cloud of witnesses
Solemnity of All Saints and The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed – November 1-2, 2024 Time is a liturgical symbol created by God and regulated by the cosmos. In each particular day or season, in each minute or hour, … Read More
Following with joy
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 27, 2024 At the edge of Jerusalem, after misunderstandings, disappointments, and misguided requests by Jesus’s followers and would-be disciples, we finally find a worthy companion for Christ on the road to the cross. … Read More
More than a metaphor
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 20, 2024 In Mark’s Gospel, the language about the cross and what it requires is violent and unambiguous. Jesus will suffer greatly and be rejected, killed, and handed over. He will give up … Read More
Doing the impossible
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 13, 2024 Does Jesus want us to sell everything we have to inherit eternal life? Or is this another hyperbole to get our attention? Recall that in the first Christian community, “no one … Read More
God gives us one another
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 6, 2024 Hopefully no one in their homily last week advocated for self-harm or mutilation as an actual response to human weakness. We do not interpret Scripture literally or use it to invoke … Read More
Boundless mercy
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 29, 2024 To really understand today’s Gospel and Jesus’s over-the-top rant, read the verses of Numbers 11 that lead up to today’s first reading pericope. Moses was fed up. He had had enough … Read More
Be last to be first
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 22, 2024 Last week Jesus left us with this paradox: Lose your life to save it. He continues this week saying that to be first, one must be last. All their bickering about … Read More
Courageous Followers
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 15, 2024 Look up a 2010 TED Talk called “How to Start a Movement.” In it, author and entrepreneur Derek Sivers analyzes a three-minute home video of an outdoor music festival. A shirtless … Read More
Being open
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 8, 2024 Have you ever been so frightened that your body shuts down? When fear turns to panic, a deafening “woosh” clogs your ears as your pulse pounds, your fists clench, and you … Read More
Necessary discernment
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 1, 2024 Jesus calls the Pharisees in today’s Gospel hypocrites. If we read the verses omitted from the Lectionary pericope, we see why. The Pharisees routinely took the commandment to honor one’s father … Read More
Without payment or merit
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 25, 2024 If you read the full account of today’s first reading from Joshua, chapter 24, it might make you think of the Easter Vigil. Joshua gathers the Israelites at Shechem, where the … Read More
At Wisdom’s table
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 18, 2024 The restaurant sign read, “We have no Wi-Fi. Talk to one another.” Next time you’re dining out, take a look. Couples gaze at their phones instead of each other. Kids play … Read More
Sacred and Worthy
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – August 15, 2024 The holiness of the human body is central to today’s solemnity. Mary’s assumption “body and soul into heavenly glory” (Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus) shows us that our earthly bodies are … Read More
Nourishment for the soul
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 11, 2024 “That’s it. I’m done!” I’m sure we’ve all felt like Elijah at some point: exhausted, afraid, tapped out, questioning our choices, catastrophizing the situation, and feeling sorry for ourselves or just … Read More
A gift freely given
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 4, 2024 Do you know where your food comes from? When I was growing up, my grandmother grew a lot of the food we ate. I’d watch her spend hours making each meal … Read More
Subtle Pairings
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 28, 2024 Over five Sundays, we will feast from the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel and on Jesus’s revelation as the living bread from heaven. Even in this comfort food, there is so … Read More
True Shepherding
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 21, 2024 Today, Jeremiah preaches scathing words against false shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock. After reading that passage, I wanted to send it to a few people with a note: “Woe … Read More
Is there dust on your feet?
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 14, 2024 Jesus sends us out into the world to announce the Gospel, and we should not be deterred when the message is not received. But there’s more the Spirit is saying to … Read More
Faithful Presence
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – June 30, 2024 Prophets gifted with wisdom or age know that true change is a marathon, a long-term, generational commitment to a goal they may never see fulfilled but work toward nonetheless. When the … Read More
Near enough
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – June 30, 2024 “Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live,” says Jairus to the one at the center of the crowd’s attention. Jesus will take his dead … Read More
In the midst of the tempest
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time – June 23, 2024 Today, we might focus on Jesus’s power to calm life’s storms and give thanks for God’s care for us. But the Lectionary’s wisdom of putting various Scripture passages in conversation with … Read More
Woven together
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – June 16, 2024 The connection between this passage from Ezekiel and today’s pericope from Mark is all the tree and planting imagery. But the Gospel takes on even deeper meaning when we look at … Read More
Becoming one
Body and Blood of Christ – May 26, 2024 The longer we wait to bring back the Communion cup, the quicker we will forget why we need it. The most important reason to share the cup is that Jesus told … Read More
God is Close to Us
Most Holy Trinity – May 26, 2024 We might dust off our theology school notes and review the Catechism and other texts to help us explain the Holy Trinity for this Sunday’s liturgies. We need to do this to ensure … Read More
Step beyond the familiar
Pentecost Sunday – May 19, 2024 Many dioceses celebrate liturgy in a multitude of languages. The three major ones in mine are English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. When our Irish-born bishop was assigned to our diocese, he worked hard to learn … Read More
Wait for the spirit
Solemnity of the Ascension – May 12, 2024 We come to another symbolic number in Luke’s account. Just as Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days” (Lk 4:1–2) before his public ministry, so too did … Read More
Adjusting our orientation
The Seventh Sunday of Easter – B – May 12, 2024 We return to the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles this week, to the choosing of Judas Iscariot’s successor. There are a few things to note about … Read More
Redefine our relationships
The Sixth Sunday of Easter – B – May 5, 2024 Today when Christians are everywhere, it is hard to grasp the magnitude of what Peter experienced in Cornelius’s home. The revelation of Pentecost that took place at the beginning … Read More
Prune our hearts
The Fifth Sunday of Easter – B – April 28 2024 Much has happened in the Acts of the Apostles since last week’s passage. Peter, John, and the man they had healed are released from the religious leaders’ questioning but … Read More
Heed and follow
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – B – April 21 2024 We get another speech from Peter in today’s first reading but with a different context. Last week, Peter preached the Gospel to a crowd whose ears and hearts were … Read More
New life in Christ
The Third Sunday of Easter – B – April 14 2024 Disabled from birth, he couldn’t imagine what it was like to stand. But now he was walking and jumping and praising God! When he saw Peter and John at … Read More
We are Loved and Longed For
The Fifth Sunday of Lent – March 10, 2024 Today’s first reading continues our Lenten journey of restoration. The prophet Jeremiah’s writing focuses mostly on Judah’s faithlessness and exile. But this part, called the “Book of Comfort” (chapters 30–33), describes … Read More
Called home
The Fourth Sunday of Lent – March 10, 2024 The final section of today’s first reading is the Emperor of Persia’s decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. After years of rule by … Read More
Let the Year A readings speak
The Third Sunday of Lent – March 3, 2024 “Why can’t we use Year B or C readings for the Scrutinies? We’ve written prayers to fit so the assembly wouldn’t miss out on them.” I hear this every time we’re … Read More
So that reason may give way
The Second Sunday of Lent – February 25, 2024 In the Sunday Lectionary, the first reading is meant to complement the Gospel pericope. Why then is the Transfiguration paired with the testing of Abraham? Both are “terrifying” in different ways. … Read More
What do the scrutinies do?
This Sunday at St. Columba, we will celebrate the first of three scrutinies with our catechumens — Tucker Pinochi and Elizabeth Chaponot. On the first Sunday of Lent, our catechumens were chosen for initiation at the Easter Vigil in the … Read More
The beauty of a covenant
The First Sunday of Lent – February 18, 2024 Last we heard these readings, the world was one year into a global pandemic. For many of us, it felt like we had been stuck in an ark all year while … Read More
Contrition that is perfected by love
Ash Wednesday – February 14, 2024 “There’s no crying in baseball!” we hear in A League of Their Own. But according to the prophet Joel, there sure need to be a few tears shed in repentance: “Even now, says the … Read More
Going further
The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – February 11, 2024 So far, Jesus has been moving about Galilee with relative freedom and ease. But after healing a leper, he experiences a reversal of roles. The leper, once isolated from public, … Read More
Raised up to serve
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – February 4, 2024 If you’re tempted to make any mother-in-law jokes today, restrain yourself. The subject of Jesus’s first healing miracle in Mark’s Gospel—like all women in the Gospels—deserves more respect and serious … Read More
“Heal the wounds”
The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – January 28, 2024 Inaugurating his public ministry, Jesus proclaimed this message: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). Then … Read More
Where all can thrive
The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – January 14, 2023 Most homilists preach about becoming “fishers of men” by either focusing on vocations to the priesthood or rippling out the call to discipleship to be an invitation for all who … Read More
Bulletin series to re-introduce communion from the cup
Insert 1 Sharing the Cup as God’s People As we prepare for the First Sunday of Advent, we will also resume the practice of sharing the communion cup. This is an important sign of our shared mission as the People … Read More
Teach as Jesus taught
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – January 14, 2023 When Jesus asks John’s disciples, “What are you looking for?” I’ve always been baffled by their non-sequitur response, “Where are you staying?” But the term “rabbi” is the bridge, connecting … Read More
Where God dwells and is found
The Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 3, 2023 No one else in the course of history other than Mary of Nazareth has ever or will ever give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. No one else will give … Read More
Remember the promises
The Third Sunday of Advent – December 3, 2023 Tell someone to “just be happy,” and you often get a cheesy, fake grin in return. The Third Sunday of Advent commands us, “Rejoice!” Unless we go deeper into why we … Read More
Don’t waste any time
The Second Sunday of Advent – December 3, 2023 By tradition, the opening lines of the Gospels correspond to their evangelist’s symbolic creature: Matthew is a winged human; Luke a winged bull; John’s symbol is an eagle. And today’s Gospel … Read More
In God’s image alone
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – December 3, 2023 How beautiful that we have so many images of Mary, the mother of Jesus! How wonderful that in every nation, language, and culture where the … Read More
Don’t be caught sleeping
The First Sunday of Advent – December 3, 2023 The thirteenth chapter of Mark’s Gospel is a strange place to begin Advent. Today’s passage comes right before Jesus’s passion, and the marking of the nightwatch hours foreshadows what comes next: … Read More
“When did we see you?”
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – November 26, 2023 “Lord, when did we see you?” ask the sheep and goats in today’s final parable of Matthew’s Gospel on this last Sunday of the liturgical … Read More
Wonder and Awe
33rd Sunday Ordinary Time – A – November 19, 2023 Don’t be tempted to give a simplistic interpretation of today’s Gospel that sounds like a lesson in good investment practices or a lead-in to the annual stewardship appeal. Instead, think … Read More
Witness to hope
32nd Sunday Ordinary Time – A – November 12, 2023 For those who live in earthquake country, the thought of “the big one” cannot consume our lives lest we live in constant fear. Similarly, I doubt today’s Gospel calls us … Read More
Humility and transparency
31st Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 24, 2023 A wise bishop and canon lawyer once told me that canon law is ultimately meant to be pastoral, and when it ceases to be pastoral, it is no longer law. … Read More
From the beginning
Solemnity of All Saints and The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) So much of our Christian faith is grounded in embracing death. In baptism we are plunged into fonts that often bear similarities to tombs. Saint days … Read More
Manifested in love
30th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 24, 2023 Today, Jesus reveals what faithfulness to God’s law looks like—complete and total love of God, neighbor, and self. Combining love of God (Dt 6:5) with love of one’s neighbor as … Read More
Called to engage
29th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 24, 2023 This week, the Pharisees and their own rivals, the Herodians, join forces to get Jesus to publicly implicate himself as anti-Roman, guaranteeing his arrest. However, Jesus leaves everyone amazed with … Read More
Relentless generosity
28th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 24, 2023 This Sunday’s parable of the wedding feast is a difficult one to preach. If we take the parable to be an allegory about God (the king) and who gets invited … Read More
What belongs to God
27th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 24, 2023 Jesus turns up the heat this week, recounting another parable to confront the chief priests and elders of Jerusalem. Because the lectionary pairs it with Isaiah’s song of the vineyard, … Read More
Who are we to judge
26th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 24, 2023 Jesus has finally arrived in Jerusalem, where he predicted he will suffer and die. Now he has overtaken the temple area, the center of commercial, political, and religious life. Amid … Read More
What will there be for us?
25th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 24, 2023 The parable of the workers in the vineyard and the generous landowner, found only in Matthew, is addressed first to Jesus’s disciples. In the scene right before it, Peter laments, … Read More
A generous heart
24th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 17, 2023 Some struggle with the Ignatian “Prayer for Generosity”: “Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous . . . to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not … Read More
Nothing is lost with God
23rd Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 10, 2023 There comes a time in almost every relationship when you have to decide if it’s worth fighting for, because if you’re fighting, at least you’re engaging. The end is certain … Read More
The Turning Point
22nd Sunday Ordinary Time – A – September 3, 2023 Today’s Gospel passage is part two of last week’s and is the turning point for Matthew’s entire Gospel. From here on, the way leads directly to Jerusalem and the cross. … Read More
The Hidden Path
21st Sunday Ordinary Time – A – August 27, 2023 Today and the last two Sundays make up a Matthean story arc that begins and ends with parables about separating wheat from weeds and desirable fish from everything else caught … Read More
Great faith and determination
20th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – August 20, 2023 Although the unnamed Canaanite woman says little, it is enough to expand Jesus’s perspective. Matthew’s Gospel was originally written for a Jewish Christian community that was becoming more Gentile in … Read More
The promise given to all God’s children
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – A – August 15, 2023 Many paintings and sculptures depict a seated Mary and, on her lap, the child Jesus, no longer an infant at her breast but a man-child … Read More
Weathering the storms
19th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – August 13 2023 It’s natural to jump to the conclusion that Peter’s mistake was losing his focus on Jesus. However, Peter was sunk even before his feet got wet. To test the apparition … Read More
Closer to God
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord – A – August 6, 2023 In Scripture’s symbolic language, mountains aren’t just places. They are experiences that put us closer to God. Think of Moses going up Mount Sinai to receive the … Read More
The hidden path
17th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – July 30, 2023 Today and the last two Sundays make up a Matthean story arc that begins and ends with parables about separating wheat from weeds and desirable fish from everything else caught … Read More
Increasing and flourishing
16th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – July 23, 2023 Attuned by last week’s commentary to go beyond merely judging the soil, we are ready to avoid a superficial reading of today’s parable that simply pits “us against them” in … Read More
Seeing ourselves in the sower
15th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – July 16, 2023 Most of today’s parable is about the soil. In the longer version, Jesus even gets into the weeds explaining the meaning of each type of ground. Clearly, we are meant … Read More
The measure of true discipleship
14th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – July 9, 2023 Just before Jesus offers his praise of the Father, proclaimed in today’s Gospel, he gives a long reproach of hypocritical and superficial disciples. These range from those who sought John … Read More
All the baptized are apostles
13th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – July 2, 2023 Today’s Gospel passage ends a section on the conditions disciples may face as they do Jesus’s mission in the world. Only those ready to give up everything to follow Jesus … Read More
Do not remain silent
12th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – June 25, 2023 The last time we proclaimed these readings was one month after George Floyd’s murder by police officers. Since that horrific day, many Catholic churches, bishops, and leaders have raised their … Read More
Chosen for the flock
11th Sunday Ordinary Time – A – June 18, 2023 Good teachers work for that moment when they recognize themselves in their students. They spend countless hours trying to be good examples for their apprentices, providing an environment to immerse … Read More
Eat, Drink, Feed
Body and Blood of Christ – A – June 11, 2023 We come to the midpoint of the United States bishops’ two-year Eucharistic Revival, begun last year and culminating in a national eucharistic congress in July 2024. Its purpose is … Read More
In the know
Most Holy Trinity – A – June 4, 2023 If there is one classic Christian meme, it might be “John 3:16.” Like any meme, it takes being “in the know” to get what the meme means (to use another meme, … Read More
Speaking freely
Pentecost Sunday – A – May 28, 2023 Why is there so much focus today on the disciples speaking “in different tongues” (Acts 2:4) and on the crowd hearing them each “in his own language” (Acts 2:6)? Why is this … Read More
Choosing a path
The Ascension of the Lord – May 21, 2023 Today’s Gospel is filled with “in-betweens.” The disciples worshipped and doubted; Jesus stands between heaven and earth; the disciples are ordered to come to this mountain and go to the ends … Read More
Love always comes first
Seventh Sunday of Easter – A – May 21, 2023 When university professors are about to retire, they often give a “last lecture” where they answer the question: “What would you say to your students if you had only one … Read More
Our advocate
Sixth Sunday of Easter – A – May 14, 2023 In his memoir Just Mercy, lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson writes about women, men, and children wrongfully sentenced to death, abused in prison, or exploited by a criminal … Read More
Gathering to listen
Fifth Sunday of Easter – A – May 7, 2023 Who says the church doesn’t change? Today’s first reading shows us it can, but it also teaches us how. When conflict arose in the early church, the entire community with … Read More
Who keeps the gate?
Fourth Sunday of Easter – A – April 30, 2023 Did you notice the “gatekeeper” in verse 3 of today’s Gospel? Who is this? We could say it is the Father who is one with Jesus and opens the gate … Read More
“Stay with us”
Third Sunday of Easter – A – April 23, 2023 “The Master was walking with them along the way, and he himself was the way. . . . They were walking along, dead, with Christ alive, they were walking along, … Read More
Grounding our trust in Christ
Second Sunday of Easter – A – April 16, 2023 In Navigating Paul: An Introduction to Key Theological Concepts, Scripture scholar Jouette Bassler explains that the Greek root word pist encompasses more than its English counterpart “belief” implies. It includes … Read More
“Come out!”
Fifth Sunday of Lent – A Unless you have had elect celebrating the scrutinies, the last time your assembly heard this Gospel was at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. Since then, we have had over … Read More
Faith seeks reason
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord The first chapter of Luke’s Gospel gives us back-to-back annunciations with very different outcomes. First is the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Zechariah, which leaves him mute until the day of John’s birth. A … Read More
Not proof, but love
Fourth Sunday of Lent – A Who sinned? Isn’t this the one who used to beg? How were your eyes opened? Where is he? How can a sinful man do such things? What do you have to say about him? … Read More
Holy Ground
Third Sunday of Lent – A We were in Selma, Alabama, to see the Edmund Pettus Bridge and maybe have our flagging hope revived. He stood in our way beside a card table in the sweltering heat. A man of … Read More
Humanity, fully alive
Second Sunday of Lent – A Though long dead, Moses and Elijah, the great liberator and the prophet of the Jewish people, drop in to chat with Jesus, who emanates dazzling light before the disciples’ eyes. Then God’s voice booms … Read More
The commencement of our mission
First Sunday of Lent – A The Spirit leads Jesus into the desert after his baptism to be tested by the devil. This highlights two important aspects of faith. First, recall that one of Lent’s twofold characters is baptismal (see … Read More
Do Look Around
Ash Wednesday – Year A In the 2021 movie “Don’t Look Up,” a news anchor rebuffs his guest astronomers. Apparently, their announcement of a comet on course to destroy the Earth in six months is too depressing for his TV … Read More
Restraint and Generosity
7th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A On this last Sunday before Lent, we come to the climax of the “antitheses” in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. It is a fitting prelude to the penitential season in preparation for … Read More
Going Further
6th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A We come to a section of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount that scholars call the “antitheses,” marked by the rhetorical pattern, “You have heard that it was said … But I say … Read More
Can we be salt and light?
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A Following on his underlying teaching of the beatitudes from last week, Jesus says to the crowd and to us this week: You are salt and light meant to glorify God by being … Read More
Who is advocating for those in need?
4th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A You’ve seen wall art and throw pillows displaying the word “blessed.” “Grateful and blessed,” “Too blessed to be stressed,” or just plain “Blessed!” It’s good to feel blessed, but that’s not the … Read More
Bonded to Christ’s Mission
3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A Last week we looked at why you should celebrate the Rite of Reception now so baptized Christians becoming Catholic can be brought to the eucharistic table without delay. In these Ordinary Time … Read More
Deepening the unity
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – A With only five and a half weeks before Ash Wednesday, you will want to make sure some important things get done now before you take a quick breather. One of these is receiving … Read More
Starting Over
Fourth Sunday of Advent – Year A Homilists and music ministers will constantly have to fight the human urge to think sequentially and impose a historical lens upon the liturgical year, treating the seasons as a diary of Jesus’s life. … Read More
Looking for others
Third Sunday of Advent – Year A “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Mt 11:3). If John the Baptist had doubts about Jesus, what hope is there for us to believe? For … Read More
Enmity is erased
Second Sunday of Advent – Year A The lectionary’s first reading and gospel pairing usually works, but not today. Isaiah’s radical “peaceable kingdom” has been so romanticized in our religious imagination that its eschatological meaning, in light of John the … Read More
Time to Prepare
First Sunday of Advent – Year A In addition to being a time to prepare for Christmas, Advent begins a new liturgical year, inviting us to reflect on the entire Christian journey of faith to its end goal. On the … Read More
We give thanks
Thanksgiving Day It’s fitting we close this basic instruction manual for liturgical music ministry on the day we give thanks as a nation, for giving thanks is the core of what we do as Christians. It is what celebrating the … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day (Canada) – Monday, 10 October 2022 Thanksgiving Day (USA) – Thursday, 24 November 2022 Thanksgiving Day (Australia) – Wednesday, 30 November 2022 So many choices. Pick one of these: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9. Ephesians 1:3-14. Colossians 3:12-17. Let Us … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-Fourth or Last Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-Fourth or Last Sunday in Ordinary Time Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Solemnity – 20 November 2022 2 Samuel 5:1-3. Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5. Colossians 1:12-20. Luke 23:35-43. Who Is This Beloved Son? In today’s gospel, we … Read More
Jesus led from the cross
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe We’ve explored some basic liturgical music skills, and with consistent attention, you will master these elements. But there’s one skill that will always challenge you. That is to lead as Jesus led … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – 13 November 2022 and World Day of the Poor Malachi 3:19-20a. Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12. Luke 21:5-19. Why Should We Care for the Poor? The first and gospel readings are responses … Read More
Understanding sacred silence
33rd Sunday Ordinary Time – C One significant element in both music and liturgy is silence. In musical performance and in ritual prayer, silence is more than the absence of sound or a passive pause in action. It is the … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Feast of The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, Feast – Wednesday, 09 November 2022 Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12. Psalm 46:2, 3, 5-6, 8, 9. 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17. John 2:13-22. Why Are Churches Important? Today we celebrate the dedication (setting aside for … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – 06 November 2022 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14. Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15. 2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5. Luke 20:27-38. What Is This Resurrection? The Bible readings have something to say about faithfulness. The brothers Maccabees remain … Read More
The climax of the liturgical year
32nd Sunday Ordinary Time – C My piano teacher taught me that getting the notes right wasn’t enough to make music. I had to keep in mind the musical “line.” Every piece typically begins with a theme, builds it to … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Solemnity of All Saints and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
All Saints, Solemnity – Tuesday, 01 November 2022 Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14. Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6. 1 John 3:1-3. Matthew 5:1-12a. Do We Stand Among the Saints? Saintly, holy behavior is described in the gospel beatitudes today. The Second Letter of … Read More
A solemn litany
All Saints/All Souls The Litany of Saints is not a once-a-year text, but we sometimes think it is because we encounter it most often only at the Easter Vigil. But the Litany of Saints has a rich tradition of being … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time – 30 October 2022 Wisdom 11:22–12:2. Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14. 2 Thessalonians 1:11–2:2. Luke 19:1-10. Whom Does Jesus Seek? The short of stature Zacchaeus runs ahead, climbs a tree, and seeks Jesus as … Read More
Presenting the sequences
31st Sunday Ordinary Time – C One way the church highlights the preeminence of the Easter season in the liturgical year is by prescribing two special sung texts called sequences to bookend the season on Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday. … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 23 October 2022 Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18. Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18. Luke 18:9-14. Does God Have Favorites? The first reading asserts that while God, indeed, attends to everyone, there is … Read More
The Sacrifice of Praise
30th Sunday Ordinary Time – C In the spirit of progressive solemnity, let’s look at texts that are only sung at the most important days of the liturgical year. These texts do not accompany any ritual action because the singing … Read More
Following “Progressive Solemnity”
29th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Not everything that can be sung should be sung, nor should it be sung the same way every time. We need to follow a principle of “progressive solemnity.” Think of it like musical dynamics … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 16 October 2022 Exodus 17:8-13. Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. 2 Timothy 3:14–4:2. Luke 18:1-8. Is God Slow to Answer Prayer? Moses wearily struggles to keep his hands raised in prayer for the benefit … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 09 October 2022 2 Kings 5:14-17. Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4. 2 Timothy 2:8-13. Luke 17:11-19. How Does Faith Save? In the first reading today, Naaman, the foreigner, wants two loads of earth for his … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – 02 October 2022 Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4. Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9. 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14. Luke 17:5-10. What About Seed and Service? Here are two puzzling teachings for today. One, of mulberry tree and mustard … Read More
What you don’t sing
28th Sunday Ordinary Time – C We’ve focused on what to sing from the Mass ordinary and propers. Let’s take a look at what you don’t sing. This happens mostly in Advent and Lent. For some background, we turn to … Read More
The right thing for the right time
27th Sunday Ordinary Time – C This week, we look at the Mass “propers,” which, as the name suggests, are proper texts for a specific occurrence. In the Roman Missal and the Lectionary, each Mass has specific prayers and texts … Read More
Marking Time
26th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Music ministers are the liturgy’s time-keepers. At the most basic level, making music requires that we “keep time,” establishing pace by the number of beats per minute and dividing beats per measure into rhythms. … Read More
Growing from encounter to encounter
25th Sunday Ordinary Time – C If time is one way we encounter Christ, then that relationship deepens over time even if—perhaps because—we do the same rituals and tell the same stories year after year. It grows because we are … Read More
Becoming an excellent music director
24th Sunday Ordinary Time – C If you want to be an excellent music director, you need to master the Mass’s ritual book, the Roman Missal. Along with the Lectionary, the Roman Missal gives you the structure, rules, and guidelines … Read More
A lens for seeing the liturgical seasons
23rd Sunday Ordinary Time – C Catholics primarily engage the Bible not as individuals but through communal hearing of Scriptures within the assembly on a schedule determined by the liturgical calendar. The Catholic Lectionary organizes three or more biblical passages … Read More
The liturgical calendar is powerful
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time We often fail to realize how powerful the liturgical calendar is. Beyond determining the day’s Mass, it shapes our Christian faith. When we attend to the liturgical calendar, we are formed by the mystery of … Read More
Three liturgical tools
21st Sunday Ordinary Time – C There are three liturgical tools you need to master to be a competent and credible liturgical music director, especially if you are in charge of choosing music for Mass or other sacraments. We’ll take … Read More
More than just religious words
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Songs for Catholic liturgy need more than just religious words. They need a specific “orientation.” Even when we focus on Mary or the saints, our liturgical orientation is always toward Christ in praise of … Read More
Liturgy is bigger than us
20th Sunday Ordinary Time – C With music and prayer, it’s easy to get defensive about our preferences. The mentor who handed me my first copy of the Vatican II documents knew, however, that those who prepare the assembly’s prayer … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 31 July 2022 Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23. Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13. Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11. Luke 12:13-21. About Greed. Family quarrels, regrettably, are often about inheritance, about possessions. That should be mine, we may say. I … Read More
Opening our lives to the stranger
18th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Luke’s Gospel is not kind to the rich. From the first chapter’s warning in Mary’s canticle, the rich and mighty should expect fortunes turned upside-down in God’s reign. However, Jesus does not condemn the … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 24 July 2022 Genesis 18:20-32. Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8. Colossians 2:12-14. Luke 11:1-13. About Praying. Abraham is persistent in his pleading with the Lord. And the Lord listens and relents. A disciple asks … Read More
The meaning of prayer
17th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Today’s Gospel passage is bookended by references to the Father in heaven. This gives us an insight into the meaning of prayer, which is less a set of words than it is an expression … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 17 July 2022 Genesis 18:1-10a. Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 5. Colossians 1:24-28. Luke 10:38-42. About Worry and Anxiety. Jesus is invited to a home. Martha bustles about. Mary sits and listens. We do not know … Read More
Hospitality of home and heart
16th Sunday Ordinary Time – C As we reflect on this Sunday’s Gospel, let us avoid putting Martha or Mary into convenient boxes— Martha, the anxious, resentful host; Mary, the attentive but inconsiderate follower. Both are doing the work of … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 10 July 2022 Deuteronomy 30:10-14. Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37. OR Psalm19:8, 9, 10, 11. Colossians 1:15-20. Luke 10:25-37. About Doing Likewise. Question 1: What must I do to inherit eternal life? … Read More
Can we be neighbors?
15th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Nowhere in today’s Gospel passage does Jesus describe the Samaritan as “good.” Instead, Jesus calls him “neighbor.” Similarly, the priest and the Levite were not judged “bad.” They just weren’t neighborly. Each of us … Read More
Leading music and prayer
19th Sunday Ordinary Time – C If you got into music ministry like I did, no one gave you an instruction manual. Maybe you had some musical training already, but you soon discovered that knowing how to make music didn’t … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 03 July 2022 Isaiah 66:10-14c. Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20. Galatians 6:14-18. Luke 10:1-12, 17-20. About Being Disciples. Jesus tells the chosen 72 where to go (ahead of him), what not to take … Read More
The Kingdom of Peace
14th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Our tendency to respond to rejection with force or hostility is strong. Just look at how many Twitter wars and Facebook fights even well-meaning Christians get into. And last week, the disciples would have … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Solemnity – Wednesday, 29 June 2022 At the Vigil Mass: Acts 3:1-10. Psalm 19: 2-3, 4-5. Galatians 1:11-20. John 21:15-19. At Mass during the Day: Acts 12:1-11. Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 26 June 2022 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21. Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11. Galatians 5:1, 13-18. Luke 9:51-62. About Our Journey. After his ministry in Galilee, Jesus sets his face for Jerusalem. Many disciples … Read More
We cannot be half-hearted
13th Sunday Ordinary Time – C We suffer at times from “imposter syndrome.” You know—that feeling you aren’t qualified for the job despite evidence of the contrary. It’s often an excuse to avoid the risk of doing something new and … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – Friday, 24 Jun 2022 Ezekiel 34:11-16. Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6. Romans 5:5b-11. Luke 15:3-7. About Sheep and Shepherd. This Sacred Heart is filled … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Solemnity – Transferred to Thursday, 23 June 2022 At the Vigil Mass: Jeremiah 1:4-10. Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17. 1 Peter 1:8-12. Luke 1:5-17. At Mass During the Day: Isaiah 49:1-6. Psalm … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) – 19 June 2022 Genesis 14:18-20. Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Sequence – Lauda Sion / Laud, O Zion. Luke 9:11b-17. About Dining in the … Read More
Being satisfied
Body and Blood of Christ – C If you like coffee like I do, you know what it’s like after going without for a long time and you take that first precious sip. Especially with fine coffee, but even with … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – 12 June 2022 Proverbs 8:22-31. Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9. Romans 5:1-5. John 16:12-15. About the News Story. Here is the gospel declaration, the Good News for today. Who? Father, Son, and Spirit – … Read More
A sign of love and service
Most Holy Trinity – C I learned to pray the liturgy of the hours from a priest at the Catholic campus ministry center where I worked as a college student. He taught us how to navigate the breviary with its … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost Sunday (at the Vigil Mass) – Saturday evening, 04 June 2022 Extended Form 1. Genesis 11:1-9. Psalm 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15. 2. Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b. Psalm: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56. OR Psalm 19: 8, 9, 10, 11. 3. … Read More
Nothing will ever be the same again
Pentecost Sunday – C Whenever the Holy Spirit is present and active, something changes. In the Eucharist, simple bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. With a blessing, ordinary water becomes a font for eternal … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for The Ascension of the Lord
The Ascension of the Lord – [Thursday, 26 May 2022 – only is some places or] Sunday, 29 May 2022 Acts 1:1-11. Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9. Ephesians 1:17-23. OR Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23. Luke 24:46-53. Befriending God. Saint Luke addresses Theophilus … Read More
The heart of the Eucharist
Seventh Sunday of Easter – C The Easter season invites us to deepen our grasp of the paschal mystery and make it part of our lives. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults gives us four ways to do this: … Read More
Come and fill our hearts
Pentecost Sunday – C Whenever the Holy Spirit is present and active, something changes. In the Eucharist, simple bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. With a blessing, ordinary water becomes a font for eternal … Read More
The slow work of the Spirit
Ascension Sunday – C As a liturgical feast, the Solemnity of the Ascension is primarily the beginning of a nine-day novena in preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost. (This is clearer in dioceses where Ascension remains on the Thursday of … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Sixth and Seventh Sundays of Easter
PRINTING NOTE: Check with pastor or pastoral administrator about which readings will be used for the Sixth and Seventh/Ascension Sundays of Easter Time in order to choose the appropriate bulletin shorts. The Lectionary for Mass gives this option: When the … Read More
Listen for the Spirit
Sixth Sunday of Easter – C Disagreements in the church are nothing new. Today’s first reading gives us a brief account of one of the first challenges the post-resurrection church faced as it grew beyond Jesus’s immediate circle of disciples. … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
Fifth Sunday of Easter – 15 May 2022 Acts 14:21-27. Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13. Revelation 21:1-5a. John 13:31-33a, 34-35. Loving One Another. The gospel today is short and sweet. Glorify God – Jesus does it first and implies we should, … Read More
Let’s be recognized
Fifth Sunday of Easter – C “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). If anyone read through some of our Catholic Facebook groups or Twitter feeds, they … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Fourth Sunday of Easter
Fourth Sunday of Easter – 08 May 2022 Acts 13:14, 43-52. Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5. Revelation 7:9, 14b-17. John 10:27-30. Hearing the Voice of the Shepherd. Oh, to hear the voice of the One who keeps us safe. The One … Read More
Move forward with hope
Fourth Sunday of Easter – C In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tries to give the crowd around him some insight into his true identity. But they cannot let go of their preconceived ideas about the Messiah. Even if he can … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Third Sunday of Easter
Third Sunday of Easter – 01 May 2022 Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41. Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13. Revelation 5:11-14. John 21-1-19. Serving Breakfast. In this third appearance of the risen Lord to his followers, Jesus prepares breakfast on the shore … Read More
A direct connection
Third Sunday of Easter – C The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults describes the Period of Post-Baptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy as “a time for the community and the neophytes together to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Second Sunday of Easter
Second Sunday of Easter (or of Divine Mercy) – 24 April 2022 Acts 5:12-16. Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24. Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19. John 20:19-31. Standing in Our Midst. Sometimes we just want proof. The words and witness of others is … Read More
Embrace the Paschal Mystery
Second Sunday of Easter – C Ask a roomful of average Catholics to describe the paschal mystery, and you’ll get some version of “the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.” This basic definition is certainly true, but what does … Read More
When we bow
Most Holy Trinity – C I learned to pray the liturgy of the hours from a priest at the Catholic campus ministry center where I worked as a college student. He taught us how to navigate the breviary with its … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for Holy Week and Easter
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion – 10 April 2022 Procession: Luke 19:28-40. Mass: Isaiah 50:4-7. Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24. Philippians 2:6-11. Luke 22:14–23:56. Reflecting on the Procession. We read and hear the Passion Gospel today. But first, at … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Fifth Sunday of Lent – 03 April 2022 Year C readings: Isaiah 43:16-21. Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6. Philippians 3:8-14. John 8:1-11. Reflecting on Shameful Acts. She is caught in adultery. They drag her before Jesus and the crowd, more … Read More
Straining forward
Fifth Sunday of Lent – C Let’s be honest. Many of us who have given our lives to the church are burnt out. We’re done for. Especially for music ministers, these past two years have been brutal. Anyone who has … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Fourth Sunday of Lent
Fourth Sunday of Lent – 27 March 2022 Year A readings: 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a. Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6. Ephesians 5:8-14. John 9:1-41. Reflecting on Seeing. Since Jesus is the light of the world (look to the … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for The Annunciation of the Lord
The Annunciation of the Lord, Solemnity – Friday, 25 March 2022 Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10. Psalm 40:7-8, 8-9, 10, 11. Hebrews 10:4-10. Luke 1:26-38. Reflecting on Speaking Angels. This angel speaks to Mary, not in a dream, but in person. What … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Third Sunday of Lent
Third Sunday of Lent – 20 March 2022 The Readings of Year A: When we celebrate the three scrutinies with the elect, the Church requires we use the Lectionary Year A readings. These ancient biblical texts – Woman at … Read More
The road to conversion
Fourth Sunday of Lent – C “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor 5:17). This Sunday marks a little over two years since the world was … Read More
The Creed enlightens our vision
Third Sunday of Lent – C During the Third Week of Lent, the elect to be initiated into Christ are presented the Creed. Just before the faithful proclaim it to them, the elect are instructed to “listen carefully to the … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Second Sunday of Lent
Second Sunday of Lent – 13 March 2022 Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18. Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14. Philippians 3:17–4:1. Luke 9:28b-36. Reflecting on Transfiguration. Lent is not an end. It is a necessary transition, as it is every year, to the … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the First Sunday of Lent
First Sunday of Lent – 06 March 2022 Deuteronomy 26:4-10. Psalm 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15. Romans 10:8-13. Luke 4:1-13. Reflecting on Baptism and Temptations. Luke’s gospel recounts that Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit at Jordan’s baptism, is led by … Read More
Observe and imitate
Second Sunday of Lent – C “Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us” (Phil 3:17), Saint Paul urges the church at … Read More
The Word of Faith
First Sunday of Lent – C The notes on a page are not the song, the printed rhythms and rests, not the music. No rules of theory or knowledge of music history can be mistaken for the moment a melody … Read More
Authentic Ambassadors
Ash Wednesday – C In baptism, the Spirit makes us ambassadors for Christ. To be an ambassador means we are sent to dwell in unfamiliar environments. Therefore, we are also diplomats committed to working together toward reconciliation through gracious and … Read More
Prepare for the Rite of Sending
8th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Next Sunday, catechumens around the world who are ready for initiation will be sent to the Rite of Election where their bishop will choose them for baptism this Easter. In the United States, the … Read More
The reign of abundance
7th Sunday Ordinary Time – C Luke’s sermon on the plain, begun last week, stretches over three Sundays in the lectionary. Today, Jesus continues teaching about the new kind of community that God’s reign is building. In the old, earthly … Read More
Be aware, be hopeful
6th Sunday Ordinary Time – C At first glance, Luke’s Beatitudes seem to make God’s reign a zero-sum game: if you’re poor now, wait and you’ll be rich in heaven; if you’re filled now, you’ll be hungry soon enough. But … Read More
Don’t miss the boat
5th Sunday Ordinary Time – C To treat today’s Gospel passage as a springboard for a talk on vocations would be to miss the boat, pun intended. The call of Peter, James, and John gives us so much more to … Read More
In line with the prophets
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C Today, in part two of last week’s passage, we hear the crowd’s reactions to Jesus’s one-sentence homily on Isaiah’s proclamation: “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” The amazement of Jesus’s … Read More
Spirit and life
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – C Over the last few years, we’ve learned much about the power of words. When spoken aloud, they can heal or destroy, calm or incite, unite or divide. We have begun to understand as … Read More
Unwitnessed miracles
2nd Sunday Ordinary Time – C Today’s Gospel passage is the third “theophany” in the Epiphany triptych, made up of the divine manifestations to the Magi, at the Jordan, and now in Cana. One thread uniting these scenes is that … Read More
Greeted with blessings
Fourth Sunday of Advent – C The Filipino women in my family tend to be short, which makes some people think we are also quiet. But if you ever get invited to our family parties, you will hear us before … Read More
The Story of Guadalupe
Third Sunday Advent – C The temporal and sanctoral cycles of the liturgical calendar for this Sunday this year provide us multiple facets of the mystery of Christ. On the temporal calendar, it is the Third Sunday of Advent, and … Read More
“I Feel Seen”
Immaculate Conception Today’s Gospel passage focuses on the announcement of Jesus’s conception in Mary’s womb. However, today’s solemnity memorializes the church’s teaching that Mary herself was conceived in her mother, Anne’s womb, without original sin, the “happy fault” we inherited … Read More
Upending the System
Second Sunday Advent – C Unlike a chronology in which events unfold linearly, we hear the Sunday lectionary Gospel stories symbolically through the liturgical year. This is so we might recognize our place and connection to the events of salvation … Read More
The Paradox of God’s Reign
First Sunday Advent – C We Christians love a good paradox. At the start of each liturgical year, we begin with the end. While the world soothes us with serene Christmas images, the First Sunday of Advent warns us of … Read More
Gifts from God
Thanksgiving Day Although Advent begins next Sunday, the commercialized Christmas season epitomized by Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday deals has already started. This time of heightened buying and selling is a good foil for understanding how Christians are called … Read More
Why is a king from heaven different?
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe We move from Mark’s Gospel to John’s on this final Sunday of the liturgical year. The question of kingship is Pilate’s focus in John’s narrative of the passion. But those with faith … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-Fourth or Last Sunday in Ordinary Time Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Solemnity – 21 November 2021 Daniel 7:13-14. Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5. Revelation 1:5-8. John 18:33b-37. Alpha and Omega. Go look at the parish Easter Candle … Read More
Where will you see God’s glory?
33rd Sunday Ordinary Time Didn’t 2020 feel a bit like the apocalypse? The end of days described in today’s Gospel seems to represent that dumpster fire of a year. The tribulations of pandemic, racial injustice, sexism, political unrest, poverty, and … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – 14 November 2021 Daniel 12:1-3. Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11. Hebrews 10:11-14, 18. Mark 13:24-32. and World Day of the Poor Is the End-Time Coming? The liturgical year of 2021 ends in 14 days. … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, Feast – Tuesday, 09 November 2021 Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12. Psalm 46:2, 3, 5-6, 8, 9. 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17. John 2:13-22. The Pope’s Cathedral Church. In this celebration of the Church for the … Read More
In line with Christ
32nd Sunday Ordinary Time Today’s Gospel paired with the story of the destitute widow who showed hospitality to Elijah highlights God’s care for the poor and the total trust they have in God. But there’s a more difficult message in … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – 07 November 2021 1 Kings 17:10-16. Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10. Hebrews 9:24-28. Mark 12:38-44. What Bothers Jesus. False piety and arrogant behavior are two things that bother Jesus in today’s gospel. He applauds, instead, … Read More
Imperfect lives
All Saints/All Souls [Content warning: sexual abuse] When an abuse scandal happens in which the abuser is an artist—a filmmaker, painter, writer, or composer—there is often the question of what to do with that person’s work. Toss it or, as … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Solemnity of All Saints and The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
All Saints, Solemnity – Monday, 01 November 2021 Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14. Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6. 1 John 3:1-3. Matthew 5:1-12a. Nine Times Blessed. All the saints, those named as such and those many more known now by name only to … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time – 31 October 2021 Deuteronomy 6:2-6. Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51. Hebrews 7:23-28. Mark12:28b-34. What Matters the Most to God? The answer is simple: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. The practice is … Read More
Jesus is calling you
30th Sunday Ordinary Time The disciples on the road with Jesus, eyewitnesses to his miracles and privileged recipients of his teaching, should have been looking for Bartimaeus, but they were too focused on themselves and their own concerns. They didn’t … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 24 October 2021 Jeremiah 31:7-9. Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6. Hebrews 5:1-6. Mark 10:46-52. Enlightened Sight. The blind man will not be silenced today. Insistently he calls on Jesus by name. He asks for … Read More
No-turning-back moments
29th Sunday Ordinary Time On the way to Jerusalem, between two healings of blind men (in chapters 8 and 10), Mark repeats this pattern three times: Jesus reveals his destiny; the disciples misunderstand what that means; Jesus reorients them to … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 17 October 2021 Isaiah 53:10-11. Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22. Hebrews 4:14-16. Mark 10:35-45. What Do You Wish? We go to Jesus all the time, asking, pleading, wanting. We ask to be healthy; we … Read More
Called into relationship
28th Sunday Ordinary Time It can be comforting to treat today’s Gospel as another of Jesus’s hyperboles about the call to discipleship. However, we should not avoid its truth. The man in the Gospel seeking eternal life had observed all … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 10 October 2021 Wisdom 7:7-11. Psalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17. Hebrews 4:12-13. Mark 10:17-30. Living for Eternal Life. Let us put ourselves into the gospel story today. All of us want to “inherit eternal life.” … Read More
God does not want us to be alone
27th Sunday Ordinary Time There is no getting around it. Today’s Gospel will hurt. Let us acknowledge that pain and admit there are no simple answers when families struggle with divorce. The lectionary allows a shorter version of today’s Gospel … Read More
Bulletin Shorts for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – 03 October 2021 Genesis 2:18-24. Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6. Hebrews 2:9-11. Mark 10:2-16. Making, Testing, and Deciding. There are at least three take-aways from the readings today. In the making of man and … Read More
Avoiding “small-minded” discipleship
26th Sunday Ordinary Time Today, Jesus’s disciples complain about an outsider driving out demons, something they had failed at earlier in the chapter. But their complaint is not that this person was healing or does so in Jesus’s name. They … Read More