Easter 7
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 • Ps. 1
John 5:9-13 • John 17:6-19
Sunday's Readings
Sun, May 13, 2012
Easter 6
Acts 10:44-48 • Ps. 98
1 John 5:1-6 • John 15:9-17
Knowing that the grace of the Holy Spirit had fallen upon foreign nations, hearing them speak in tongues and glorifying God, Peter responds. Indeed, “he commands them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 10:48). Not offended by his forthright words, they obey to the letter and “ask Peter to remain with them a few days.” Peter acts as an Abba, a spiritual father commissioned with authoritative words. His words compel obedience and invite a deeper listening. “Stay with us a few days.”
Sun, May 06, 2012
Easter 5
Acts 8:26-40 • Ps. 22:24-30
1 John 4:7-21 • John 15:1-8
The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise my love, my fair one, and come away. The garden is a garden of delight and an irresistible invitation. Love. Jesus says, “I am the true vine and my Father is a farmer.” The farmer shows his cutting care, discarding the fruitless branch for the fire and pruning where the fruit grows. Thus his care is loving and life-giving.
Sun, April 22, 2012
Easter 3
Acts 3:12-19 • Ps. 4
1 John 3:1-7 • Luke 24:36b-48
In the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples begin to do what Jesus did; his life in them, they replicate his actions, though being careful to confess that they act “in the name of Jesus Christ.” Peter reaches out to a man lame from birth and raises him to exuberant life and strength. Explaining himself, Peter says, “You Israelites!” Our ears awaken and twitch with discomfort! “Jesus whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate” (3:13); “you killed the author of life” (3:15).
Sun, April 15, 2012
Easter 2
Acts 4:32-35 • Ps. 133
1 John 1:1-2:2 • John 20:19-31
A quick conversion illustrated: the enthroned ego leading a chaotic life is replaced by an enthroned Christ who puts one’s daily agenda in manageable if not perfect order. Clear, but not true. Conversion is not merely private, nor is Christian transformation immediate. Insisting that one go from habitual sin to super sanctity in short order makes a sorry Christian: irritable, unhappy, unwise.
Sun, April 08, 2012
Easter Day
Acts 10:34-43 or Isa. 25:6-9
Ps. 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Cor. 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8
Sun, April 01, 2012
Palm Sunday
Is. 50:4-9a • Ps. 31:9-16 • Phil. 2:5-11
Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39 (40-47)
Sun, March 25, 2012
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Jer. 31:31-34 • Ps. 51:1-13 or 119:9-16
Heb. 5:5-10 • John 12:20-33
Sun, March 18, 2012
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Num. 21:4-9 • Ps. 107:1-3,17-22
Eph. 2:1-10 • John 3:14-21
Sun, March 11, 2012
The Third Sunday in Lent
Ex. 20:1-17 • Ps. 19
1 Cor. 1:18-25 • John 2:13-22
Sun, March 04, 2012
The Second Sunday in Lent
Gen. 17:1-7, 15-16 • Ps. 22:22-30
Rom. 4:13-25 • Mark 8:31-38
Sun, February 26, 2012
The First Sunday in Lent
Gen. 9:8-17 • Ps. 25:1-9
1 Peter 3:18-22 • Mark 1:9-15
Let not the devil defeat you; let Christ crush his miserable head. If God is for us, who can be against us? Throw open the door of your heart and let Christ come in to break the bread of his presence and pour out his sacrificial potion; let him say the irrevocable word whose vestiges are upon the worn pages of prophets, the litigation of laws, the rise and fall of kingdoms, the evenings and mornings of events and wonders. The victory is final and the work complete.
Sun, February 19, 2012
Last Sunday after the Epiphany
2 Kings 2:1-12 • Ps. 50:1-6 • 2 Cor. 4:3-6 • Mark 9:2-9
Sun, February 12, 2012
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
2 Kings 5:1-14 • Ps. 30 • 1 Cor. 9:24-27 • Mark 1:40-45
Sun, February 05, 2012
The Fifth Sunday of Epiphany
Isa. 40:21-31 • Ps. 147:1-12, 21c
1 Cor. 9:16-23 • Mark 1:29-39
Religious studies, however compelling and intriguing to a few, is not the subject of Christian preaching. The preacher is not a “disinterested” academician, though he is, to be sure, often found among books. He preaches under a divine necessity: the One True God.
Sun, January 29, 2012
A friend placed a copy of John Macquarrie’s Principles of Christian Theology on the table and said, “He talks a lot about the beingness of God.” Brief pause. “But I don’t think we have to talk that way.” “Not only do we not have to talk that way,” I responded, “we shouldn’t.” That proclamation will not, however, restrain me from mentioning the beingness of Jesus, demonstrated in a miraculous mending of a lost mind.
4 Epiphany
Deut. 18:15-20 • Ps. 11 • 1 Cor. 8:1-13 • Mark 1:21-28
Sun, January 22, 2012
3 Epiphany
Jonah 3:1-5,10 • Ps. 62:6-14 • 1 Cor. 7:29-31 • Mark 1:14-20
The problem is the general disinterest in almost everything the Church says and does. Very close friends turn and confess without any hint of animosity toward my priestly vocation and all that it represents, “I simply am not religious.”
Sun, January 15, 2012
2 Epiphany
1 Sam. 3:1-10 (11-20) • Ps. 139:1-5, 12-17
1 Cor. 6: 12-20 • John 1:43-51
Sun, January 08, 2012
1 Epiphany: Baptism of Our Lord
Gen. 1:1-5 • Ps. 29 • Acts 19:1-7 • Mark 1:4-11
Sun, January 01, 2012
The Holy Name
Num. 6:22-27 • Ps. 8
Gal. 4:4-7 [or Phil. 2:5-11] • Luke 2: 15-21
Sun, December 25, 2011
Christmas Day
Isa. 9:2-7 • Ps. 96 • Titus 2:11-14 • Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Sun, December 18, 2011
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
2 Samuel 7:1-11,16 • Canticle 3
[or Can. 15; or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26]
Rom. 16:25-27 • Luke 1:26-38
Sun, December 11, 2011
The Third Sunday of Advent
Isa. 61:1-4, 8-11• Ps. 126 [or Can. 3; or Can. 15]
1 Thess. 5:16-24 • John 1:6-8, 19-28
Sun, December 04, 2011
The Second Sunday of Advent
Isa. 40:1-11 • Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a • Mark 1:1-8
Wed, November 30, 2011
The Last Sunday after Pentecost
The last Sunday after Pentecost continues the theme of judgment that began the previous week.
First reading and psalm: Ezek. 34:11-16, 20-24; Ps. 100
Alternate: Ezek. 34:11-16, 20-24; Ps. 95:1-7a
Eph. 1:15-23 • Matt. 25:31-46
