1 John 2:18-21 / John 1:1-18
Antichrists have
appeared; They came from our ranks
1 John 2:18-21 / John 1:1-18
Antichrists have
appeared; They came from our ranks
1 John 2 : 12-17; Luke 2 : 36-40
Shun
the world’s attractions: The
world passes; God alone remains.
Photographer David Crocket of KOMO-TV, Seattle, was caught at the foot of Mt. St. Helens when it exploded on May 18, 1980. He was nearly buried in the falling ash. Ten hours later he was miraculously spotted, picked up by a helicopter, and rushed to a hospital.
1 John 2:3-11 / Luke 2:22-35
A light
for all the nations; The
light is shining
If we don’t love, we are in darkness. Gnosticism was a thorn in the side of the early Church. This heresy derived its name from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Gnosticism took many twists and is difficult to define.
Dec 28 Monday (Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/holy-innocents/ Mt 2:13-18: 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
1 John 1:5 - 2:2 / Matthew 2:13-18
We have been redeemed: Jesus’ blood purifies us.
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 / Luke 1:67-79
Nathan prophesies about David: “Your kingdom will last forever. ”
I will send my messenger; “He will prepare the way for me.”
Dec 21 Monday (St. Peter Canisius, Priest, Doctor of the Church) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-peter-canisius : Visitation of the BVM: http://cpbcomaha.org/2020/05/visitation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/ Lk 1:39-45: 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, …45 USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
1 Samuel 1: 24-28; Luke 1: 46-56
Hannah takes Samuel to the Temple; Hannah dedicated Samuel to God.
Samuel’s birth bears a similarity to Jesus’ birth. He too was born of a mother whose situation was such that people thought she couldn’t bear children. But Samuel’s mother, Hannah, had great faith in God. She prayed that God would give her a son, and God heard her prayer. Samuel grew up to give Israel leadership at a time when she needed it most.
Songs 2:8-14 or Zephaniah 3:14-18 / Luke 1:39-45
The time is near: My lover comes leaping over the hills
A popular film scene is an aerial view of two lovers, some distance apart, running toward each other with open arms. The length of the scene can vary, depending on how far apart the lovers are. Sometimes the director heightens the tension by doing the scene in slow motion. ’Alien the two lovers finally meet, they are swept up into each other’s arms.
Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-26 / Luke 7:19-23
Isaiah prophesies: Turn to me and be saved.
In Springfield, Illinois, February 11, 1861, dawned cold and rainy. But the weather didn’t keep the crowds from lining the streets of that town. They cheered as President-elect Lincoln passed on his way to the railroad station.
Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 / Matthew 21:28-32
Zephaniah prophesies: I will prepare a humble people.
Charles Colson was a top Nixon aide. He went to prison in the Watergate scandal. Later he underwent a religious conversion. Today he spends all his time preaching the Gospel, especially to prisoners. Colson was deeply influenced by C. S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity. One passage, especially, touched him. “Pride leads to every other vice. . . .As long as you are proud you cannot know God.
Numbers 26:2-7, 15-17 / Matthew 21:23-27
Balaam prophesies: A star shall advance from Jacob.
Douglas Hyde was an English journalist who disliked the Catholic Church. One day he bought an anti-Catholic book to use in his attacks against the Church. The book had just the opposite effect on him. It led him into the Church. Something similar to this happened to Balaam in today’s reading. He set out to curse Israel, but ended up blessing her instead. Early church writers considered the words about the star in today’s reading as a prophetic reference to the star that directed the Magi to Jesus.
Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4, 9-11 / Matthew 17:10-13
Elijah is described as parting life in a fiery chariot. (2 Kings 2:11) Symbolic or not, the description gave rise to the popular belief that Elijah would return to prepare the way for the “Day of the Lord.” To this very day, Orthodox Jews put an empty chair at the seder table for Elijah. Reform Jews put a “cup of Elijah” at the table. They hope this will be the year he’ll return.
Isaiah 48:17-19 / Matthew 11:16-19
I am your God: I will show you the path to follow.
In The Upper
Room, David McIntosh tells this story about a dream his uncle
had. In the dream, his uncle’s four-year-old son had grown up to be a teenager.
The boy was walking down a road when, suddenly, he disappeared down a dark
path. As he did, he called back, “Daddy, you never showed me the right path to
follow.”
The dream was so vivid that his uncle woke up from a sound sleep. He was so disturbed by the dream that he woke his wife and told her about it. Together they knelt down on the spot and prayed for their young son. They also resolved to teach their son how to walk always in the light of God’s Word.
Isaiah 41:13-20 / Matthew 11:11-15
Before child labor laws were enacted, a ten-year-old boy was working in a factory in Naples, Italy. He wanted to earn money for music lessons. After singing for a schoolteacher, however, he was told to save his time and money. “Forget about singing,” the teacher said;
Dec 7 Monday (St. Ambrose, Bishop, Doctor of the Church): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-ambrose Lk 5: 17-26: 17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 ……. 26 .. (Cfr. Mt 9: 1-8). USCCB reflections: https://youtu.be/1aqVBJogCY4 Daily Catholic reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/
2nd Week of Advent, Monday, Dec 7
Isaiah 35:1-10 / Luke 5:17-26
Isaiah 30:19-21, 25-26 / Matthew 9:35 - 10:1, 6-8
Kate Drexel
came from a wealthy Philadelphia family. While riding about the city, she saw
the tragic plight of black children living in hideous slum conditions. In her
reading she learned about the plight black children in the South and of Native
American children in the West. Moved to pity, Kate founded the Sisters of the
Blessed Sacrament to work among these children. Before Mother Katherine Drexel
died at age 97, she spent nearly $20 million of her own personal fortune to
care for and educate blacks and Indians.
Isaiah 29:17-24 / Matthew 9:27-31
Isaiah
talks about messianic times: Then the eyes of the blind will see.
Bob Evans had been blind since birth. When he was 50 years old, an operation gave him eyesight for the first time in his life. Suddenly his world changed beyond belief. He said in a Chicago Sun-Times interview: “It’s the most amazing thing in the world. ... I can’t wait to get up each day to see what I can see. . . .“And at night I look at the stars. . . . Everything is a constant high. You could never know how wonderful everything is.” This story gives us an insight into Isaiah’s prophecy in today’s reading, about how life will be changed for people when the Messiah comes.
Option A
In today's liturgy we hear again the lonely voice
of John the Baptist urging us to prepare a way
for the Lord. Let us create a space in our minds
and hearts so that the Lord can come
to us in this Eucharist. [pause]
John began his mission with a call to repentance.
Jesus repeats his call to us today. [pause]
Isaiah 25:6-10 / Matthew 15:29-37
The Lord will feast his people: He will wipe away all
tears.
Pulitzer prize winning author Thornton Wilder wrote a novel called The Eighth Day. It’s about a good and decent family whose lives are filled with pain, sorrow, and hardship—caused by evil people. Wilder ends his novel without alleviating or resolving the family’s tragic situation.
1st Week of Advent, Tuesday, Nov 30
Isaiah 11:1-10 / Luke 10:21-24
The Spirit rests upon him; He will defend the rights of the helpless.
Nov 30 Monday: St. Andrew, the Apostle
(https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-andrew)
Mt 4: 18-22: 18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. (Mark 1: 14-20) USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
I welcome you with the greeting of St Paul:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
R/ And also with you.
A Prayer of Thanks
God, You are good, and Your steadfast love endures forever! Even in the hardest seasons, I always have a reason to worship You.
Nov 23 Monday (St. Clement I Pope & Martyr
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-clement/) , St. Columban, Abbot
(https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-columban/) , Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro, Priest, Martyr (U.S.A.)
(https://www.franciscanmedia.org/blessed-miguel-agusaint-iacute-n-pro/ ) : Luke 21: 1-4: He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
Revelation 11:4-12; Lk 20:27-40
The two prophets heard a voice: "Come up here—to heaven!"
The Book of Revelation is a paradoxical book. On the one hand it's utterly confusing. On the other hand, it's utterly clear. Take today's description of the two witnesses. It seems to fit Moses and Elijah, who tradition said would return to earth before the final Day of the lord.
Nov 16 Monday: St. Margaret of Scotland: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-margaret-of-scotland/ Lk 18: 35-43: 35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; 36 and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more,
Sunday November 15
THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1. Much Is Entrusted to Us
2. Take the Risks of Faith
We do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping but stay wide awake and sober. May the Lord Jesus be your light and stay with you. R/ And also with you.
St. Martin of Tours
Titus 3:1-7 / Luke 17:11-19
St. Martin of Tours, like other soldiers-to-become-saints, had a flair for courage, generosity and the flashy gesture. In his case, he famously used his sword to slash in half his cape, giving one part to a beggar. Presumably he kept the other half.
Nov 9 Monday (Dedication of the Lateran Basilica) (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/dedication-of-saint-john-lateran/):Jn 2.13-22 Historical note: Today the Church celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral Church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I (AD 314-335), in AD 324. This Church serves as the Episcopal seat of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and, hence, is called “the mother and head of all Churches of Rome and the world.” The basilica and baptistery were built originally by the Emperor Constantine and called Basilica Constantinia.
3 Readings talk about God's presence in three areas: Nature (water & Herb) or creation. This is first temple. Second human persons, second temple. Third: social, civil and ecclesial structures. God first created time, space and context. Then created human beings. Sin and grace take place at a particular, location and context. Paradise had everything for grace and growth. Also the apple tree that caused sin.
You, the Temple of God, Are Sacred
Greeting
Know that this place is holy because the Lord is here among us. Know that we ourselves are called to be holy for we are God’s temple. May the Lord Jesus always stay with you. R/ And also with you.
Nov 3 Tuesday: Lk 14:15-24: 15 When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; 17 and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, `Come; for all is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, `I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ 19 And another said,
Philippians 2:5-11 / Luke 14:15-24
Jesus became one of us: He took the form of a servant.
An Islamic parable tells of a traveller who strayed into the "Land of the Fools." There he saw a mob shouting hysterically. "A monster is in our field," they cried. The traveller drew nearer and saw that the monster was only a watermelon, a fruit the fools had never seen before.
Neither death nor life,
nothing that exists, nothing still to come,
nor any created thing
can ever come between us and the love of God
made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.
May this risen Lord be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Philippians 1:1-11 / Luke
14:1-6
God is at work in our lives: He’ll finish what he
began in us.
A group of people was touring a factory where expensive pianos were made. First, the guide showed the people a large room where workers were sawing and shaping rough wood. Next, the guide took them to a room where workers were working on frames. Then, the guide took them to a room where metal strings and ivory keys were being assembled inside the frames of the pianos.
Ephesians 2:19-22 / Luke 6:12-19
We are being built into a temple
Charles Schulz, author of the Peanuts cartoon, once said, "How can you go to something that you are already a part of? If you are a Christian, you are the 'Church.' " Someone else said, "That's precisely my problem with the Church. How can I believe that Christ founded it,
Oct 26 Monday: Lk 13:10-17: 10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13 And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people,
We have become imitators of the LordIntroduction by the Celebrant
and it was with the joy of the Spirit
that we accepted the gospel;
we have become servants of the real, living God.
May Jesus, the Lord we expect, be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Ephesians 2:12-22 / Luke 12:35-38
Paul talks about our salvation: Christ has brought us closer to God.
Bill Wilson was a “high roller” in the 1920s. Then came the stock market crash. Bill lost everything. Like many other victims of the crash, Bill turned to drink. Soon he found himself addicted to drink. In the next two years, he made four attempts to break his addiction.
Oct 19 Monday (Saints John de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests and companions, Martyrs, U. S. A.) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-isaac-jogues-jean-de-br-eacute-beuf-and-companions : Lk 12:13-21: 13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying,
Gospel reading: Matthew 22:15-22
Oct 12 Monday: Lk 11:29-32: 29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The Lord has prepared for all peopleIntroduction by the Celebrant
a feast of rich food,
a banquet of fine wines.
He will wipe away
the tears from every cheek.
May the Lord of our joy be always with you.
R/ And also with you.