Episodes
Thursday Mar 30, 2017
April 2 - Fifth Sunday in Lent : He is our Life
Thursday Mar 30, 2017
Thursday Mar 30, 2017
First Reading Ezekiel 37:12-14
God will open the graves and restore the people of Israel.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 130:1-8
With the Lord is forgiveness and mercy.
Second Reading Romans 8:8-11
The Spirit of God dwells in you.
Gospel Reading
John 11:1-45 (shorter version John 11:3-7,17,20-27,33b-45)
May be you just feel like Lazarus, dead to life, no energy, no trust in anyone, no faith in God. No matter what it is, remember, Jesus is able to give life and fill us with meaning. Jesus is waiting to roll away the stone that hides us from his sight, that hides us from God, that blocks our way to a rightful place in life. His power can give us life. Jesus is asking each and every one of us the same question he asked Martha and Mary, “Do you believe this?” What is your answer?
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
March 26 - Fourth Sunday in Lent : Spiritual Blindness
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
Tuesday Mar 21, 2017
First Reading 1 Samuel 16:1b,6-7,10-13a
Samuel is sent to anoint David as king.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 23:1-6
The Lord is our shepherd.
Second Reading Ephesians 5:8-14
The Ephesians are told to live as children of light.
Gospel Reading John 9:1-41 (shorter form: John 9:1,6-9,13-17,34-38)
God’s ways of seeing are not our ways, we hear in today’s First Reading. Jesus illustrates this in the Gospel - as the blind man comes to see and the Pharisees are made blind. The blind man stands for all humanity. “Born totally in sin” he is made a new creation by the saving power of Christ. As God breathed the spirit of life into the first man, the blind man is not healed until he washes in the waters of Siloam, a name that means “Sent.” Jesus is the new source of life-giving water - the Holy Spirit who rushes upon us in Baptism (see John 4:10; 7:38-39). In the restful waters of Baptism He has refreshed our souls. He has anointed our heads with the oil of Confirmation and spread the Eucharistic table before us, filling our cups to overflowing. With the once-blind man we enter His house to give God the praise, to renew our vow : “I do believe, Lord.”
Wednesday Mar 15, 2017
March 19 - Third Sunday in Lent : Living Water
Wednesday Mar 15, 2017
Wednesday Mar 15, 2017
First Reading Exodus 17:3-7
God tells Moses to bring forth water from the rock.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95:1-2,6-9
Sing joyfully in the presence of the Lord.
Second Reading Romans 5:1-2,5-8
Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
Gospel Reading John 4:5-42
We also have a thirst like the Samaritan woman. What is it that we are thirsting for? By our baptism we have been given the gift of faith and eternal life, but what steps do we have to take to live that life? Do we still thirst for material things, for bodily pleasures, for power or status? How can we let the waters that Jesus describes, quench that thirst in us? Jesus is the source of that water, and by going to Jesus we will find the help, the fullness, the refreshment we need. During this Lenten Season then, let us come to the well and meet Jesus there. He will give us living water, which is water that does not run out because it grows from within, and it quenches our deepest thirst – the thirst for God - “My soul thirsts for God, the living God!” And this is the Good News of today.
Thursday Mar 09, 2017
March 12 - Second Sunday in Lent : Transfiguration
Thursday Mar 09, 2017
Thursday Mar 09, 2017
First Reading Genesis 12:1-4a
God promises Abram a great blessing.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 33:4-5,18-20,22
God's mercy is upon those who trust in God.
Second Reading 2 Timothy 1:8b-10
Through God's grace we are called to holiness.
Gospel Reading Matthew 17:1-9
The transfiguration of Jesus offers the disciples an ever fuller glimpse of who Jesus is and what he will do. The shadow of the Cross and the imminent suffering and death were always before the eyes of Jesus. The disciples too must become sharers in His Cross. The transfiguration experience provided them an extraordinary strength to face the future. The disciple who witnessed the heavenly glory must also witness his earthly agony at Gethsemane. That is the same for us: suffering and glory are both a call and a gift.
Wednesday Mar 01, 2017
March 5 - First Sunday in Lent: Overcoming Temptation
Wednesday Mar 01, 2017
Wednesday Mar 01, 2017
First Reading Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Eve and Adam eat from the tree that was forbidden to them by God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4,5-6,12-13,17
A prayer for mercy
Second Reading Romans 5:12-19
Through the obedience of Jesus, many will be made righteous.
Gospel Reading Matthew 4:1-11
Today on the 1st Sunday of Lent we are taken into the desert. When Jesus was baptized he realized his new identity (of being God’s Son) and the mission for which God had sent him (to save mankind through the way of the Cross). Now in the desert the devil tries to test both Jesus’ Identity and Mission. The devil is trying to make Jesus doubt of His identity as the divine Son and propose three easy ways to achieve His Mission. The first temptation is the proposal to give into “pleasure”instead of the Cross. The second temptation is the proposal to be addicted topower and popularity and the third temptation is the proposal to be greedy forwealth. Jesus did not displease God and loose his Sonship. He chose the narrow road of the Cross to bring us salvation.