Adult Faith Formation & Initiation

I'd like to file this under "keeping an open mind."  Please follow me on this... this article is a very worthwhile read from Angelus News columnist Robert Brennan.  Now I have in the past not agreed with Mr. Brennan on a number of topics, and have at times referred to him as my arch-nemesis (although I'm not sure that can count since he has no idea who I am).  So even though I may not always agree with Mr. Brennan, in this case, as something of a Methuselah myself these days, this particular column provides some very thought provoking insight. In fact, I would go so far as to say that whenever I read one of Mr. Brennan's columns, it always provides some thought-provoking insight.  Just because I don't normally agree with his views does not mean his work isn't worth reading.  And that opens me up to an even bigger concern - our need to be open-minded.  Being open-minded is not something you see a lot these days.  Our media has subdivided itself into politi

This Sunday is the 4th and final Sunday of Advent.  The Nativity is quickly approaching and like an expectant parent, the reality of what is to come is beginning to set in.  During the Sundays of Advent we’ve been hearing the prophecy of God sending us a Savior, and now with that moment nearly upon us, we see the prophecy in our readings becoming much more specific, giving flesh to what was just an idea, leaving no doubt that this is going to happen and that we should be prepared… The Word for the 4th Sunday of Advent Micah 5:1-4a Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 Our first reading comes from the Book of the Prophet Micah.  While Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah, and his prophetic message is similar, Micah, unlike Isaiah, is not a native of Jerusalem, so through his voice we see the view of an outsider looking in.  Though we don’t hear from Micah very often in the Liturgy, his prophecy is the one that gives us the birthplace of our Savior – Bethlehem-Ephrathah. 

This morning I read a very insightful article from Father Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, regular columnist seen in our Angelus News.  While Fr. Rolheiser may not answer the question he's posing, he certainly defines the problems exceptionally well.  As someone who works in initiation ministry, that is, welcoming and preparing new people into the church, these are all issues I wrestle with regularly.  I have been giving this a lot of thought as of late, and I have to wonder if all of this doesn't fall under the category of "the decline of the family structure."  Follow me on this... For countless millennia the basic social unit was the family.  It was understood that one's duty was to one's family, no matter how often flawed.  The family was the method by which all the members were physically protected and was the engine of an economy.  The agrarian family worked together to keep their farms going and growing.  Urban families shared responsibilities to keep their ente

“Shout for Joy!”  The opening lines of our first reading express the feelings we should be having during this third Sunday of Advent.  Also known as Gaudete Sunday (Latin for “rejoice”), we celebrate that we have now past the half-way point of our penitent reflection – the “hump day” of Advent, if you will.  What have we to be so joyful about?  Our readings provide the answer… The Word for the 3rd Sunday of Advent Zephaniah 3:14-18a Psalm 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke3:10-18 Our first reading comes from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah.  Though we don’t hear from Zephaniah very often in our Sunday Liturgies, and though the book itself isn’t that long (only 3 chapters), but the importance of his message can be seen in his predecessors Jeremiah and Baruch, and may even have had a profound effect on the Judean monarchy itself by moving King Josiah to begin his campaign of religious reform.  Our passage this week, though similar to the passages we heard from both Jeremiah and Baru

The promise of salvation has been fulfilled!  This is the promise of Advent.  This is the promise of Christ.  As we begin our new Liturgical cycle with this season of Advent we take a lesson from the prophets: that our hope for salvation will be fulfilled.  How do I know this?  Let’s look at our readings for this week… The Word for the 2nd Sunday of Advent Baruch 5:1-9 Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Luke 3:4, 6 Our first reading is from the Book of Baruch, who was an assistant to the prophet Jeremiah.  Jeremiah, as we may remember from our readings last week, is one of the prophets of the Babylonian Exile.  The Book of Baruch is reflective of that same period, though unlike the Book of Jeremiah, no known Hebrew version of this book has been found (only the Greek version remains), making it one of the Bible’s Deuterocanonical books (those included in the Catholic Bible, but not in the Hebrew or Protestant Bibles).  In our passage for this week, Jerusalem (currently i

When we celebrate the secular New Year we like to reminisce about the past year while looking anxiously ahead to the year ahead.  With this first Sunday of Advent the Church rings in the new year in much the same way, remembering how God promised to send us a Savior and the memory of that fulfillment through Jesus Christ, while looking forward to the time when Christ will return.  It is a season of anticipation and hope! The Word for the 1st Sunday of Advent Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Our first reading comes from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah.  Jeremiah, as we may remember, came to his calling under the great reformer King Josiah, but after seeing his king fall in the battle of Megiddo and the subsequent failure of the Kingdom to maintain its devotion to God, he turned his prophecy to warnings of the coming fall of Jerusalem and the subsequent Exile.  But even as he saw the fall of the Kingdom, he also foresaw a time whe

The celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King marks the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year.  Although being one of the newest feast days on the Church calendar, having been established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, its importance in the life of Christians should not be overlooked nor taken lightly.  While this may be a relatively new solemnity for the Church, its roots run quite deep, as our readings will show: The Word for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Daniel 7:13-14 Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5 Revelation 1:5-8 John 18:33b-37 Our first reading comes from the Book of Daniel.  As I wrote last week, the Book of Daniel is to the Hebrew Scriptures what the Book of Revelation is to the Christian scriptures.  Our passage this week sounds as if it could be coming from Revelation as we hear about Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man being received by God and being granted dominion over all creation.  Whether you read this from a Jewish perspective or from a Christian perspe

Our journey through Ordinary Time is almost at an end.  Next week we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (or simply, Christ the King), marking the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year.  In our readings, Jesus also knows the end is near.  We have spent this long stretch of Ordinary Time walking with Jesus and his disciples through the Gospel, and now, nearing the city of Jerusalem for the last time, our thoughts turn to the end times… The Word for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Daniel 12:1-3 Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11 Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 Mark 13:24-32 Our first reading comes from the book of Daniel.  Daniel is to the Hebrew Scriptures what the book of Revelation is to the Christian Scriptures – a prophet’s dream-like vision of the end of days where the righteous will be saved and the unrighteous are condemned to Hell.  The book of Daniel isn’t a prophetic book, but rather more like the book of Job, taking its name from the story’s hero.  While Daniel was

As members of the Church we are taught to give of our time, our talents, and our treasure in service to the Gospel.  But how much is enough?  Scripture is quite clear on this subject – this is an “all in” proposition, as our readings this week tell us: The Word for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time 1 Kings 17:10-16 Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 Our first reading comes from the 1st Book of Kings.  In our passage Israel is suffering a great drought, and the great prophet Elijah is on the run from King Ahab.  He comes to the gates of Zarephath, a city North of Israel between the cities of Tyre and Sidon.  There he meets a widow and her son.  Tired and thirsty from his journey, he asks the widow for some water and some bread, whereupon we learn that they too are suffering, having only enough flour and oil to last one more day.  Elijah asks her again to make him some bread with the promise that the Lord will make sure that her jars of flour and oil will not run dry unt

As a society we have an obsession with rules.  “We must do this,” or “we can’t do that.”  While rules provide a necessary structure to our society which allows it to function, they can also be used to abuse or oppress members of society, particularly minority members of a society.  There are also those who feel they are above the law, able to use their position and wealth in society to circumvent the rules or distort them to their will.  But we who profess to be Christian believe there is no law above God’s Law, which is perfect, as we learn from this week’s readings: The Word for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time: Deuteronomy 6:2-6 Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 12:28b-34 Our first reading is from the book of Deuteronomy.  Scholars believe it is this text that King Josiah found in the temple and read aloud to the people, causing them to weep and wale.  In this passage Moses is presenting God’s commandments to the people reminding them that by following these commandment

One of my favorite readings is from the great prophet Isaiah where he says, “The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.”   (Isaiah 50:4).  Similarly, our readings this Sunday are meant to rouse us!  They speak of God’s greatness, his love for his people, and how our faith will lead to salvation.  This week’s readings remind us that God is there for us.  Always.  All we need to do is call out, have faith, and follow him. The Word for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time Jeremiah 31:7-9 Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 Hebrews 5:1-6 Mark 10:46-52 Our first reading comes from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah.  As you may remember, Jeremiah came to his calling as a prophet under King Josiah, the great reformer of the later Southern Kingdom of Judah.  Jeremiah saw the eventual downfall of the kingdom and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, but even though he foresaw the fall of Judah, this week’s passage gives

For some time now Jesus has been trying to explain to his disciples that he is going to be put to death, but the Apostles either can’t see this or they refuse to see it.  Jesus, however, a student of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” understands this all too well… that speaking the word of God will often lead to personal suffering: The Word for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 53:10-11 Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 Hebrews 4:14-16 Mark 10:35-45 Our first reading comes from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.  In a passage from late Second Isaiah he tells us that God’s servant will suffer.  This is the fourth of Isaiah’s “servant songs” which foretells of a redeemer sent by God to save humanity, but that redemption comes at a cost – the death of his servant.  While the opening hook is troubling for us to hear ( The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity ), as if God takes delight in his servant’s suffering, we need to continue with the passage to see that God’s being pleased comes not from

What is truly valuable?  As a species humanity seems constantly preoccupied with this question, starting from our individual perspective and building up to our families, our parish, our community, all the way up to the entire world view.  Whole industries have grown around this idea of value, from the advertising industry that tries to convince you of the value of what they’re selling, to insurance companies that can set a monetary value on everything, including your own life.  Our faith tradition also has some thoughts on this question, as addressed by our readings this week: The Word for the 28tth Sunday of Ordinary Time Wisdom 7:7-11 Psalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 Hebrews 4:12-13 Mark 10:17-30 Our first reading is from the Book of Wisdom.  You may recall that we had a passage from this book three weeks ago, but by way of reminder, the Book of Wisdom comes to us from the Jewish community in Alexandria some 50 years before Christ.  Typical of wisdom literature in the Bible, it’s meant t

Our readings for this week focus on the topic of marriage.  These passages will likely sound very familiar because they are often quoted, but unfortunately, never truly understood and almost never viewed in their full context.  Yet these ideas do form the Catholic understanding of marriage and help establish the Church’s position on divorce and annulment, so some careful examination is needed: The Word for the 27tth Sunday of Ordinary Time Genesis 2:18-24 Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 Hebrews 2:9-11 Mark 10:2-16 Our first reading is from the second creation story in the Book of Genesis.  Wait, second creation story?  Most Catholics are aware that Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and most are aware that it begins with the story of creation, but unless they’ve engaged in any critical Bible reading or study, any details beyond that tend to get a little fuzzy.  So let me explain: The first chapter of Genesis does in fact give us the story of creation, starting with “In the beginning,” an

Who speaks for the Lord?  Do you have to be a prophet?  A priest?  A bishop?  The Pope?  What about you?  The answer, according to our readings this week, is “whomever God calls,” and that could be you. The Word for the 26tth Sunday of Ordinary Time Numbers 11:25-29 Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14 James 5:1-6 Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 Our first reading comes from the Book of Numbers.  This book is a continuation of the Exodus story, from the point where they leave the Sinai (after receiving the Law) to the point where they are ready to enter the Promised Land.  The book gives us some history of these years interspersed with sections of legal codes.  This Sunday’s passage deals with the commissioning the elders, those 70 individuals chosen by Moses to receive some of the Spirit so that they may prophesy (preach) among the people.  But during this time there were two men, Eldad and Medad, who were not with the group at the tent, but who also received the Spirit.  Joshua heard of this and out of

God’s ways are not our ways.  This is one of the points Jesus was trying to make with his Apostles in last week’s gospel, and that theme continues be examined in our readings for this week: The Word for the 25tth Sunday of Ordinary Time Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 Psalm 54:3-4, 5, 6, 8 James 3:16-4:3 Mark 9:30-37 Our first reading comes from the Book of Wisdom.  By way of reminder, the Book of Wisdom was written about fifty years before Christ.  For Jesus and his followers, this was a contemporary work, and like most wisdom literature it served as a sort of catechism for the Jewish community.  In this case the community wasn’t from Jerusalem but from Alexandria, and it was written in Greek (not Hebrew) while patterned on a style used in Hebrew verse.  For most Christians reading this passage it sounds very much like how Jesus was treated.  It can be hard for us to remember that this verse comes to us a couple generations before Jesus was even born.  Still, the theme of “the suffering servant,”

What is the cost of discipleship?  Let’s be honest, Christianity can be a tough sell.  In order to follow Jesus it means making sacrifices, changing and forming our lives to model what Jesus taught us.  To what God wants of us.  For many this is a difficult path to follow and even harder to explain to others. The Word for the 24tth Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 50:5-9a Psalm 114:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 James 2:14-18 Mark 8:27-35 Our first reading is an elegant poem from second Isaiah.  Coming from one of his well known “servant songs,” this first reading is a lament of sorts, as Isaiah bemoans the trials he must endure in his mission as a prophet.  For all his complaints, however, he knows his mission is just.  With the Lord God behind him, who could prove him wrong?  Our Psalm reflects this idea of God standing behind us, both in this life and the next, as we sing, “I walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.”  We are the Lord’s hands, feet, and voice here on Earth. Our first readi

Ephphatha .  Translated from the original Aramaic, it means “be open.”  For those who have been through the RCIA process, this word is familiar as it is used in the minor rite just ahead of the Easter Vigil.  It’s meant to be a calming meditation prior to the celebration of the Easter Sacraments, intended remind us to “be open” to the moment.  Open to the Spirit moving within and around us.  Open to the possibilities ahead.  This word, and our gospel for this week, is a great way to resume our regular catechetical sessions, hoping that our souls will be “be open” to hearing the Holy Spirit.  To be open to the process and be open to the Word to see what God is offering us. The Word for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 35:4-7a Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 James 2:1-5 Mark 7:31-37 Our first reading comes from the Prophet Isaiah.  It is a time of fear for the people of Judah.  The Northern Kingdom of Israel has fallen to the Assyrians and now they have their sights on Jerusalem.  Isaiah t

Actions speak louder than words.  When Jesus railed against the Pharisees and the Scribes, this was one of the key elements he used to call attention to their hypocrisy.  While putting on the face of piety they consistently ignored the needs of the poor and more often than not, stood as a barrier, not a facilitator to building a relationship with God.  While our readings for this Sunday remind us that we must follow the Law set down by the Lord, neither should we ignore the spirit of that law. The Word for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5 James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Our first reading comes from the Book of Deuteronomy.  Here Moses is presenting the Law of God to the people of Israel.  Our passage is actually from two different sections – the first, from the opening of Chapter 4 where Moses enjoins them to her the law and not to add or subtract from it.  For the second part our text jumps over the actual precepts of th

Do you have what it takes to follow the Lord?  Our readings this week give us a challenge – do we follow society or do we follow the Lord.  Not everything God says is easy to follow.  Not everything Jesus said or taught was easy for his disciples to accept.   The Word for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 Ephesians 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32 John 6:60-69 Our first reading comes from the book of Joshua.  Joshua stood beside Moses and Aaron as they marched out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom, and now has taken over from Moses to lead the Israelites into the promised land.  Unfortunately, as the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, there were others already living there, forcing them into some military engagements.  After winning a series of successful struggles, Joshua has now gathered all the people together to give them a choice… to follow the gods of their ancestors, or to follow the Lord. Our Gospel from John offers a simila

Because August 15 is the feast of the Assumption of Mary, the readings of this 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time are put aside so that we can celebrate this most important solemnity: The Word for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass during the Day Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Luke 1:39-56 For this feast day dedicated to Mary, we put aside the Hebrew Scriptures and begin with a reading from the Book of Revelation.  Here in this passage we have an image of Mary that is not unlike many of the artistic representations we’ve seen in paintings, frescos, mosaics, and statues.  But then the vision turns darker as we learn that this woman is about to give birth with a dragon preparing to devour the child.  But God is looking out for them as the child is “caught up to God” and the woman flees to a safe place in the desert.  Then we hear the declaration from Heaven of salvation coming from this Anointed One.  As this passage

During last week’s readings we were introduced to Jesus as the bread of life.  Just as God provided manna in the desert for the Israelites, God gave us his son so that we may live.  This week we continue with this theme of bread as we dive deeper into our understanding of bread bringing life. The Word for the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time 1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 4:30-5:2 John 6:41-51 We open with a reading from the 1st Book of Kings.  As we enter the narrative the great prophet Elijah is on the run (as Jezebel has falsely accused him of killing all the other prophets).  He’s traveling South, out of Israel, through Judah, on his way to Mt. Horab, the mountain of the Lord.  Halfway through his journey he’s ready to give up.  As he sleeps, however, an angel of the Lord brings him a hearth cake and a jug of water.  Strengthened by this food, he is able to continue his journey of forty days and forty nights (yes, that well known biblical number indicating a momen

Bread is perhaps the oldest prepared food known to mankind and can be found in one form or another throughout the world and throughout all cultures.  It is considered a staple of life, and thus carries with it a significance beyond mere sustenance.  Its importance is also reflected in our scriptures as we see in this Sunday’s readings: The Word for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Psalm 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54 Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 John 6:24-35 Our first reading comes from the Book of Exodus.  Moses has been successful in bringing the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, but their joy as a free people is short lived when they are faced with the realities of finding food and water for their long journey through the desert.  Moses brings their complaints to God, who in turn promises that they will not go hungry, providing then with manna, bread from Heaven.  This experience has such a deep and significant meaning that it carries through to our Psalm (“The Lord gave them