Adult Initiation & Sacrament Preparation

The Word for the 13 th   Sunday of Ordinary Time : 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 Our first reading from the 1st book of Kings has the great prophet Elijah choosing his successor, Elisha.  The scene in our reading is fairly straightforward (which I will discuss in a moment…), but the context of how we got here and where we are going in the narrative also play an intriguing roll, because for at the moment, Elijah is on the run.  Through Elijah the Lord has brought the great drought to an end, and King Ahab and the people rejoiced in the Lord, while slaughtered all the prophets of Baal (one of the great Canaanite gods) in the process.  This infuriated Jezebel (Ahab’s Canaanite wife and queen), who ordered that Elijah should die.  Fearing for his life, Elijah flees to Mount Horab (in the Sinai… some 150 miles south of Jerusalem… yes, that same mountain where Moses was given the 10 Commandmen...

On this 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, our readings focus on what we call the “cost of discipleship”.  It is a reminder that when we choose to become Christian, a follow of Jesus, we also take up his Cross. The Word for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time:         Zechariah 12:10-11, 13:1         Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9         Galatians 3:26-29         Luke 9:18-24 Our first reading is from the prophet Zechariah.  In this reading the prophet has God pouring out a “sprit of grace” on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as they mourn the loose of that “whom they have pierced.”  What exactly is going on here?  Reading this through a Christian prism, we readily recognize the pierced one as Jesus… the one whom we “pierced.”  We must take the blame for his crucifixion, mourning the loss as one “grieves over a firstborn.”  Yet the prophet cont...

This week our theme is forgiveness, which we Catholics embrace as the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  We open with a reading from the 2nd book of Samuel, in which we see King David, after having sinned against God, begs his forgiveness, which God eventually grants.  In our Gospel from Luke, we see Jesus dining with Simon, a Pharisee.  A sinful woman in the town, upon knowing where Jesus is dining, enters the gathering and anoints Jesus’ feet.  As usual, Jesus turns this into a catechetical moment, helping us to see the nature of sin and forgiveness, but that our faith in Jesus helps us attain salvation. The Word for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time:         2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13         Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11         Galatians 2:16, 19-21         Luke 7:36-8:3 This idea of "faith in Jesus" as the one necessary element for ju...

This week, however, marks our official return to Ordinary time.  With Easter and our other special celebrations behind us, the Church settles in to “business as usual”, just counting the Sundays from now to the end of the Liturgical Year (with a few celebrations thrown in).  But just as each of the Church Seasons has its special focus, so does Ordinary Time.  Summer is a time for slowing down and reflecting on our past academic year, and later, preparing for the Fall and the future when the pace of our lives speed up in preparation for Winter.  Similarly, the Church slows down to reflect on the life and mission of Jesus and his Apostles, walking with them through their travels, to focus more deeply on his teachings, and eventually preparing ourselves for the Advent that is to come. The Word for the 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time:        1 Kings 17:17-24        Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13     ...