Adult Initiation & Sacrament Preparation

Our readings for this coming Sunday: This Sunday marks the end of our brief winter’s journey through Ordinary Time, and our readings serve as an appropriate transition to the Lenten season by addressing the issue of how we treat those who are sick and in need.  While we have an obligation to protect the greater population by separating out those who are sick, we sometimes forget that we also have an obligation to care for those in need.  Our readings this week give us the opportunity to examine these issues. The Word for the 6 th  Sunday of Ordinary Time Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Mark 1:40-45 Our first reading comes from the Book of Leviticus.  This second book of Moses takes its name from the priestly tribe of the Levites, for whom this book is a handbook for serving the Hebrew people.  Since this book is often referred to as “priestly law,” it is easy for us confuse this book as dealing with strictly religious matt...

Why is there evil in the world?  Why does God let bad things happen to good people?  These are common questions we hear in society, and yet even as believers in God, even as followers of Christ, we often feel inadequate to address these types of question.  The fact is that we, humanity, have been struggling with these types of questions for millennia, and much has been written on the subject.  Our readings this Sunday can give us some guidance… The Word for the 5 th  Sunday of Ordinary Time Job 7:1-4, 6-7 Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 1:29-39 We open with a passage from the Book of Job (pronounced with a long “o”).  The story of Job is fairly well known in Biblical circles, yet we Catholics only hear from the Book of Job twice during our Sunday Liturgy… and both times in Cycle B, where we find ourselves this year.  It’s difficult to get a good understanding of this book with so little exposure to it, yet it is one o...

Since the close of the Christmas season we’ve been following Jesus as he begins his ministry.  We’ve seen him Baptized by John, we’ve seen him gathering his first Apostles (Andrew, Simon-Peter, James and John), and this week we continue our journey as Jesus begins to preach, teach, and heal.  Jesus has many different titles, but this week we focus on three:  Prophet, Teacher, and Lord. The Word for the 4 th Sunday of Ordinary Time Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 Mark 1:21-28 First, so that we have a clear understanding of what it means to be a prophet, our first reading from the book of Deuteronomy tells us.  In our passage Moses says to the people that a prophet is one like himself… someone chosen by God to speak for God.  Now upon hearing this you might ask why God can’t speak for himself?  Addressing that exact point Moses continues by reminding the people that it was they themselves who requested that ...

Our readings this week focus on a core theme that runs through Jesus’ ministry… repentance.  There is no sin so grave that cannot be forgive with true contrition and a return to God.  This was the message that John the Baptist proclaimed, and the message Jesus continued as he took up his ministry.  This theme not only runs through the gospels, but is a major theme that binds the entire Bible into a cohesive volume.    The Word for the 3 rd   Sunday   of Ordinary Time Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 Our first reading comes from the book of Jonah.  The story of Jonah is well known in both Jewish and Christian circles, yet for all its popularity, we only hear it in the Liturgy this once.  For this reason, many Catholics only have a passing familiarity with Jonah and his story.  They know his name and that he was swallowed by a large fish (or whale), but that’s about it.  In our passage this ...

With the 1st Sunday of Advent we welcome a new Liturgical Year, but unlike our secular celebration of the new year, we don’t do it with champagne and noisemakers. Instead the Church begins her new year with a season of solemn reflection. One secular new year’s tradition that does carry over well with our season of Advent is that of making new year’s resolutions, an opportunity to look how well we are following through with following Christ, and ask ourselves if we are ready for his return. The Word for the 1st Sunday of Advent Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37 The beginning of the new Liturgical Year also brings with it a new Lectionary cycle. Last year, Cycle A, we spent with the Gospel of Matthew, but now we transition to Cycle B with a focus on the Gospel of Mark. Our first reading comes from the Prophet Isaiah… in this case, from third Isaiah. Here we have a vision that has us begging for God to take us back, to mak...

The phrase, "to judge the living and the dead" comes from our Creed, but has its origins in scriptures like this Sunday's Gospel.  It reminds us that God alone determines our fate after death, but that fate is also determined by our own choices in life... our free will to follow a path of righteousness or selfishness.  In one of Jesus' final sermons to his Apostles (a continuation from last week's Gospel), Jesus gives us concrete examples to follow. The Word for Christ the King Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 Psalm 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25:31-46 Our first reading comes Ezekiel, the exiled priest who found his prophetic voice in Babylon.  At a time where the exiled Jewish community is feeling abandoned by God, Ezekiel is called to bring a message of hope.  He speaks of God as a shepherd who seeks to bring back his lost sheep.  It’s a powerful image that we Christians easily recognize from Jesus’ teachings.  This message of the c...

November 9th marks the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.  Why are we celebrating the dedication of a church?  Well, because this is perhaps the most important church in all of Western Christianity.  The official title of this church is:  The Cathedral Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist at the Lateran.  “The Lateran” in this case refers to the Lateran Palace which belonged to the Laterni family, an ancient noble Roman family.  The palace was acquired by Constantine and donated to the Pope in order to be the cathedral of the city of Rome.  This is where the cathedra, the Bishop’s Chair, sits.  Contrary to popular belief, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is not the Pope’s Cathedral.  The Pope is foremost the Bishop of Rome, so therefore his Cathedral Church is in the City of Rome (not Vatican City, which at the time of Constantine was little more than a hill outside of...

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, but for those who remember their Latin, you might better recognize it as the feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ).  The Feast was originally established in 1246 by Bishop Robert de Torete, of the Diocese of Liège, Belgium, but not without the 40 year effort of St. Julia of Liège, a Norbertine sister who had a special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, who spent most of her life petitioning for this special feast day. The Word for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 John 6:51-58 When Jesus established the Eucharist at the Last Supper, his use of bread and wine was deliberate and purposeful.  They were the most ordinary of foods, yet represented what was necessary to sustain us.  In Jewish ritual, bread and wine are an important part of the Passover meal, and have long been associa...

This Sunday we bring the Easter Season to a close with the celebration of Pentecost… that moment when the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles, whose gifts allowed them to leave the upper room and spread the Gospel to Jerusalem and the world.  It’s the birthday of the Church. The Word for Pentecost Sunday Acts 2-1-11 Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 Our Sunday readings open fittingly with the Pentecost story from Acts of the Apostles.  It is after the Ascension and we are back with the Apostles in the upper room.  Most of us are familiar with the story… The Holy Spirit come upon the like “tongues of fire” giving them the power to go down into the streets and preach the Gospel so that this international multitude can hear them speaking in their own tongues.  While this later part of the story is the part we tend to focus on, the very beginning of the story also has great meaning… a meaning that our modern ears tend to miss… The fis...

Lent is almost upon us… that season of introspection and soul-searching reminiscent of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert (after his baptism).  Our readings for this coming 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time help prepare us for our Lenten Journey by helping us focus on what is truly important… The Word for the 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 49:14-15 Psalm 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Matthew 6:24-34 We’ve spent the past several weeks listening to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus’ teaching starts with the Beatitudes (blessed are the poor in spirit), and then proceeds to teach his disciples about the Law – which we know to be the Commandments or the Mosaic Law.  In following this, Jesus teaches, is the key to salvation.  So now with our heads filled with all this “what to do” and “what not to do”, as if sensing our overload, our readings for this week take a decidedly different tone.  In liturgical terms, we call it “Divine Providence” – a reminder that we are...

What does God want of us?  It’s a fairly common question for many people, especially during our most difficult times.  Yet amid the noise of our lives we usually forget that God has answered us, over and over again.  Let’s explore this week’s readings to hear what he says… The Word for the 7 th  Sunday of Ordinary Time Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Our first reading comes from the book of Leviticus… that book that falls right after Exodus which is essentially the second retelling of the Mosaic Law, only this time through priestly (Levite) perspective .  In this rather short passage, we are given two powerful commands.  First, God commands us to be holy.  What does he mean?  While the intervening passages (verses 2-16) provide some clarity through their retelling of the 10 commandments, the real clarity comes from our reading’s second com...

Right is right, and wrong is wrong.  Is the world really that black and white?  While some might argue that it’s just that simple, our Catholic tradition recognizes that it’s not.  The extremes of darkness and light are easy to see, but much of our everyday life lives operate somewhere in-between.  The time we spend studying scripture and Church tradition are not so much to point out the obvious light and dark, but in learning how to, as I often say, “navigate the gray”.  Or put another way, finding the right balance between the  letter of the law and the  spirit of the law .  On the surface, our Gospel this week takes a fairly strong, even harsh line with regard to the Law, but to view this passage literally is to miss the deeper meaning that Jesus is trying to teach… The Word for the 6 th  Sunday of Ordinary Time Sirach 15:15-20 Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 1 Corinthians 2:...

We Catholics sometimes have a tendency to make things more complicated than they need to be.  Take for instance our use of certain words, like catechesis or liturgy to describe certain regular activities of Catholic life (to teach and to pray).  Their meaning gets lost because they’re just not part of everyday life.  Take for example the phrase Social Justice.  Within Catholic leadership circles this has certain meaning for a wide array of Church activity, but if you were to ask the rest of us what “Catholic social justice” means, you might be hard pressed to explain.  Perhaps this Sunday’s readings can help… The Word for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 58:7-10 Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Matthew 5:13-16 Our first reading comes from later Isaiah, where we are reminded of what it is that God really wants to see of his people.  Not festivals, but works of mercy.  This passage comes from a period after the Exile… the people are back...

For the past two weeks our readings have focused on the Baptism of the Lord… that moment where John baptizes Jesus in the Jordon river.  This was a significant moment because it marks the start of Jesus’ public ministry… the passing of the prophetic torch from John to Jesus.  From here we follow Jesus, literally and figuratively, into Ordinary Time… The Word for the 3 rd  Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 8:23-9:3-1 Psalm 27-1, 4, 13-14 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 Matthew 4:12-23 Our first reading comes from early Isaiah.  The Northern Kingdom (Israel) has fallen to the Assyrians, and the people of the Southern Kingdom (Judah) fear they are next.  But over some time a new regime has taken has hold of the former Israel, and Isaiah sees this not only as benevolent, but a useful example of God’s mercy.  Lands that were in anguish and darkness now “have seen a great light.”  This light shines from a land that now h...

With the Christmas Season and all its celebrations now behind us, we venture forward into Ordinary Time where we begin our journey of the story of Jesus.  Last week we celebrated Jesus’ baptism which marks the beginning of his ministry.  This week our readings focus on who, exactly, this Jesus person is, and what happens after his baptism… The Word for the 2 nd  Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 John 1:29-34 Our first reading comes again from Isaiah.  For some time now our readings from Isaiah have been introducing us to the “servant of the Lord”… the chosen one who is to come.  Today’s reading continues with another of his “servant songs.”  This week from chapter 49, he tells us that this servant was formed in the womb… created and destined to be the chosen one. Indeed, this is what we believe of Jesus, but it is ...

With Memorial Day behind us, we Americans mark the beginning of the Summer holiday.  For some, school is already out, and for many others, school will be ending shortly.  With Easter and Pentecost now in our rear-view mirror, we approach a long spell of Ordinary Time... but before we slip into the ma-laze of the season, we focus on the most significant gift Jesus left us... his real presence in the Eucharist - the Body and Blood of Christ. The Word for the Body and Blood of Christ:        Genesis 14:18-20        Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4        1 Corinthians 11:23-26        Luke 9:11b-17 As one might expect, our readings all present images of bread and wine.  Our first reading from Genesis shows us a religious celebration attended by Abram, in which the priest Melchizedek offers bread and wine.  Our second reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians i...

This week we celebrate the end of the Easter Season with the Feast of Pentecost, the remembrance of when the Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles just as Jesus foretold prior to his Ascension (which we celebrated last week). The Word for the Pentecost:         Acts 2:1-11         Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34         1st Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 OR Romans 8:8-17         John 20:19-23 OR John 14:15-16, 23b-26 Confirmation, tradition says, is when we receive the Holy Spirit, and gain the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel (right judgment), fortitude (courage), knowledge, piety (reverence), Fear of the Lord (awe of God).  Confirmation is our adult “Amen” to our Baptism (which is why adults going through the RCIA receive this Sacrament right after their Baptism).  But how are these gifts manifest in us?  Are we any differe...