Adult Initiation & Sacrament Preparation

What is the Kingdom of God?  We hear this term so often it can lose its meaning, assuming we had any clear understanding of this idea to begin with.  The “Kingdom” is what we’ve been promised.  The “Kingdom” is what we struggle to obtain.  The “Kingdom” is why we follow Christ.  But ask your average Catholic what the Kingdom of God is, and you’re likely to get many different answers.  To help us wrap our minds around this concept, we turn our attention to our readings for this 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time… The Word for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 Psalm: 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130 Romans 8:28-30 Matthew 13:44-52 Our first reading comes from the 1st Book of Kings.  King David has died, passing his crown to his son, Solomon.  In this Sunday’s passage, the Lord appears to the young king in a dream, and asks Solomon what he, the Lord, can give him.  Solomon responds humbly, addressing himself as the Lord’s servant, ...

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     ...