Adult Initiation & Sacrament Preparation

Sometimes we need to be reminded who’s really in charge.  For as much as we would like to think it’s us, it’s not.  It’s God.  Our readings this week serve as a reminder that our sense of control is often within our own imaginations.  There are greater forces at work.  We are reminded that it is God who created us and our abilities, and that for all our own hubris, all the wonders of creation are of His hand, not ours.  This is the power of God – so far beyond our own that we can only sit with a sense of wonder and awe in His presence and glow of His love. The Word for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time Job 38:1, 8-11 Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 Mark 4:35-41 Our first reading comes from the book of Job.  At this point in the narrative Job has been through a lot of suffering, so he decides to confront God, blaming him for his condition and looking for an answer as to why he has been made to suffer.  Our passage this wee...

Even though it’s been Ordinary Time for the past three weeks (since Pentecost), this is the first Sunday where we see the green vestments and décor return now that our special solemnities are behind us.  Ordinary Time takes us step-by-step through Jesus’ ministerial journeys as he gathers his apostles and disciples and begins going from town to town preaching and healing.  This week, as we continue our journey with Jesus, he gives us two parables as he teaches us about the Kingdom of God. The Word for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Mark 4:26-34 We open with a reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel.  Our passage speaks of God bringing life, taking a tender shoot of a cedar and planting it on the highest mountain.  There the tree will thrive and gather life around it.  It is an uplifting message for a people who find themselves in exile.  Remember that Ezekiel is our priest and prophet f...

It's become a tradition for me to revisit my alma mater - St. Francis High School in La Canada - and present for you the graduation address from school Principal, Thomas Moran.  I have always found his words to be insightful and inspiring, and so I wish to share them with you... Mr. Moran's Address to the Graduates of the Class of 2021:  A journalist was interviewing an 80-year-old woman, a three-time widow, about to be married for the fourth time. He asked about her life, her husbands, and their careers. She paused reflectively for a few moments. A smile gradually came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she had married a banker in her twenties, an actor in her forties, a minister in her sixties, and now - in her eighties - a funeral director. The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, wondering how she had married men with such diverse professions.  With a gleam in her eye, she explained, "It was one for the money, two for the show, three to get ...

During the Easter Season the Church celebrates our faith’s greatest mystery – the Resurrection.  As we transition to Ordinary Time the Church likes to take a moment to reflect on our other great mysteries.  Last Sunday was the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.  This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (what we used to call Corpus Christi).  It is a recognition of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Word for Corpus Christi Exodus 24:3-8 Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18 Hebrews 9:11-15 Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 Our first reading is from the book of Exodus.  Prior to this passage the people of Israel have arrived at Mount Sinai and Moses has received the 10 Commandments (and the entirety of the Law code) from God.  Moses presents this to the people, and as our passage opens, Moses is asking for their acceptance of the Law.  With the approval of the people, the Covenant is ratified by the blood sacrifice of y...

The fifty days of Easter are now behind us, but as is often the case, the Church isn’t quite ready to leave the party.  As we enter this long period of Ordinary Time the Church takes these first two Sundays after Easter to reflect on two of her most sacred mysteries.  This Sunday, with the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and next Sunday with the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Word for Trinity Sunday Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 Psalm 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22 Romans 8:14-17 Mathew 28:16-20 We open with a reading from the book of Deuteronomy – the 5th and final book of the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible).  Our passage has Moses speaking to the people of the wonders of the Lord… A God who chose them, Israel, a captive nation under Egypt, for his own.  The continuation of this special relationship, however, requires each party to perform.  In order to receive the grace of the Lord, one must also follow his commandments....

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 and whose gifts allowed them to leave the upper room and spread the Gospel to Jerusalem, all of Judea and Samaria, and throughout 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 or Galatians 5:16-25 John 20:19-23 or John 15:26-27, 16:12-15 Our Sunday readings open fittingly with the Pentecost story in Acts of the Apostles.  This is the story from which our traditions of this moment originate.  It is after the Ascension and the Apostles are gathered again in the upper room.  Our passage has two distinct parts.  First is the actual descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and those others in the room, followed by the experience of the people in the street after the Apostles leave the upper room. The first line of our passage ...

This Sunday the Church in the USA celebrates the Ascension of the Lord, the moment Jesus, after the resurrection, left us to join his Father in Heaven.  Traditionally the Ascension is celebrated on the Thursday before the 7th Sunday of Easter, 40 days after the resurrection, and 10 days before Pentecost.  The US bishops, however, have opted to celebrate this important Solemnity on Sunday because its message and meaning are important aspects of our faith tradition and should not be missed. The Word for the Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 1:17-23, or 4:1-13, or 4:1-7, 11-13 Mark 16:15-20 We open with the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles.  This book, the sequel to Luke's Gospel, begins like all great sequels, with a recapping of the story thus far.  Like any good writer, Luke takes this time to give us some additional details that were not included in his gospel.  This is the story we hear today in our first reading, and this...