Most Holy Trinity – B In five short verses, the conclusion of Matthew’s Gospel outlines the spectrum of the disciples’ experience so far. Amid the extremes of fidelity and betrayal, worship and doubt, Jesus stands like a center mark fixed … Read More
Third Sunday of Easter – B Today’s Gospel passage ends with Jesus saying to his disciples (and to us), “You are witnesses of these things.” This is not a hope or desire. It’s not a premonition or an invitation. It … Read More
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 20 September 2020 Isaiah 55:6-9. Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18. Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a. Matthew 20:1-16a. How Things Work in the Kingdom of Heaven. This parable about kingdom living may rile us up. God is as … Read More
Liturgy is weak when it is treated as a production — a show that has producers and consumers. The producers of a movie or a television show create something for an audience to watch. It is not uncommon to find … Read More
Way back before the pandemic, when we could still gather for liturgy, I was visiting a parish I had never been to before. The liturgy itself was dull and uninspired. The church was only half full, even though there were … Read More
We tend to forget that there is no one single description of the Last Supper. St. Paul is the first of the New Testament writers to describe what happened, and he wasn’t even there. St. John is the last to … Read More
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time—A I’ve just listened to a podcast geared toward millennials (I’m not one) that teaches them life skills. Today’s episode was on how to study. In college, my study habits involved the usual mix of rereading, … Read More
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – Friday, 19 June 2020 Deuteronomy 7:6-11. Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6, 8, 10. 1 John 4:7-16. Matthew 11:25-30. “Come to Me.” Jesus says to each of us and all of us today: … Read More
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 21 June 2020 Jeremiah 20:10-13. Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35. Romans 5:12-15. Matthew 10:26-33. “Do Not Be Afraid.” Who would count every single hair on our heads? God, who knows us better than we … Read More
To form a singing parish, parishes need to plan all year long for singing best and most at the highest celebration of the year. That means singing all year as rehearsal for the Triduum. By the time we get to … Read More