Lectionary 2014-2015 – Cycle B
December 6, 2015 - 2nd Advent
Luke begin his account with the exact time of John's baptizing. He does this for a reason - he's asserting that it's history (not made up mythology.) The homilist reminds us that it's also a gift from God for which we should be be thankful.
| Listen to the Readings | Listen to the Psalm |
November 29, 2015 - 1st Advent
The homilist states that during this season of Advent we will be focusing a what we as individuals and as a community can do to make God's "Kingdom come" We start by being "hopeful". We are a hopeful that the world has a purpose, that God will fulfill His promises, that after 14 billion years, Evolution till recycle itself and give us freedom. We can't count on these things but we can be hopeful.
November 22, 2015 - Christ the King
The pastor talks about the archdiocesan "planning process" which is a high-brow assessment of who can be merged, what can be closed, and who can be double staffed. It starts off with a questionnaire. The pastor encourages everyone to complete the questionnaire, either the paper and pencil variety that the ushers handed out during announcement time, or online (those parishes which do not show a sizable group of correspondents are sure to be targeted) - a first step in what promises to be a grueling process.
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November 15, 2015 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
It's very close to the end of the liturgical year - when all the gospel writers turn their attention to the "End of the World." This is scary stuff coming from Jesus. But he came into the world preaching the Good News. Now it's our turn to preach the "Good News." What attitude should we take about the End of the World? The homilist suggests we do what Jesus said, "Watch and wait for we know not the hour..." In the meantime we carry on preaching the Good News.
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November 8, 2015 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time \
The story of Peter's mother-in-law. She was sick and Jesus made her well. And she "served" them Sabbath dinner Peter's mother in law is a poor widow - like the one in today's gospel. These two poor widows "got it" - who Jesus was, where he was from, and what His mission is. They are the only two in the whole gospel who "get it." And they serve as bookend to Mark's gospel.
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November 1, 2015 - All Saint/souls Day
In the litany, we ask the heroes that have been canonized - as well as our parent, grandparents, and in some cases a spouse or a child - to pray with us and for us. In God's eyes, we are one big family....
| Listen to the Psalm |
October 26, 2015 - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The closing miracle in Mark - the story of Bartimaeus, the blind man whose faith saved him. This is the exact opposite of the first blind man story that bookends this gospel. In that one, Jesus had to spit on the man TWICE before he regained his sight. In this miracle story, the cure is instantaneous.
| Listen to the Psalm |
October 18, 2015 - 29th Sunday in Ordibary Time
The end of the public ministry in Mark- Next week we begin the "road to Jerusalem" where Jesus gives up His life life for his followers. Each of the portions of the central ministry are very similar - each has a prediction of the passion, followed by an non-understanding response, followed by some more teaching. The difference between power and authority - "power" says I'm in control, you'll so it my way whereas "authority" says T\this is the way I see it, how can you help me out?
October 11, 2015 - 28th Sunday inOrdinary Time
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The gospel today is about the rich your man whom Jesus invited to join him. But the rich your man could not do it; he had too many "things." How about us? What "things" come between us and the God who should be above all else?
September 27, 2015 - Feast of St. Vincent
The Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, our patron. Incidentally, the pastor is back today from a short hospital stay because of pneumonia. He is preaching at the 9:30 liturgy while Fr. Ray Martin celebrates mass with us.
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September 20, 2015 - 25 Sunday in Ordinary Time
Catecatical Sunday. This is the day we celebrate and commissio0n the many adults in the community who undertake to form the y0uth of our parish. As an aside, the pastor was taken to the hospital this morning.
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September 6, 2015 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Fr. Ray Martin is this morning celebrant while Fr. Lawrence is on vacation. Isaiah tells us in the first reading "to rely on God" even when everything has been taken from us. "Rely on God."
August 16, 2015 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The second Sunday of the great Sermon on the Euchrist. It's structured the same as the first verse and it begins and ends wiht the same words only this is about the sacrament whereas last Sunday's was about the Word. The pastor recommends that the congregation use these verses as a "lectio divina" - a good place to start a meditation.
| Listen to the Psalm |
August 9, 2015 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Theis the first Sunday of the great Sermon on the Eucharist. It is like the next verse - it is structured the same with the same opening and closing words. Only this is about the Word and the strength we can draw from it.
July 26, 2015 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is the Sunday after vacation Bible School - a "Kid's lit Sunday." The Children enact the gospel - which is from John, the story of feeding the 5,000 with two fish and 5 barley loaves and collecting the left-overs in 12 wicker baskets. In ordinary thinking, we would call this a miracle. The homilist says, according to John, this is not a miracle, but a "sign."
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July 19, 2015 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The gospel is the opening of John's gospel "In the beginning was the Word..." which shows to ALL creation came with the Word. The first reading is the covenant with Noah, the FIRST covenant, before the covenant with Abraham and the great covenant with Moses. We can embrace this covenant or turns our backs on it. We alone, as the conscious part of Creation, can trash this planet like no other species. The Holy Father, in his recent Encyclical, "Laudato Si", says "Stop that!"
July 12, 2015 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
"We're all in this together." The homilist recommends that you find a duck, a fish, some part of nature - and watch it. Slow down the hectic pace we are living and it will tell you that we are all praising God who is loving us all into creation.
June 28, 2015 - 13 Sunday in Ordinary time
†he homilist choose to preach on the first reading - from the book of Wisdom which was written in Greek around 150 years before Christ (the "Appocrypha", books written in Greek, are on the left side of the tabernacle in Our Altar bible). It is an attempt to reconcile Jewish theology with Greek philosophy which was language and the reasoning of culture in those days. This particular passage deals with Death.
June 21, 2015 - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Encyclical Sunday. The much-anticipated Encyclical on the Environment (Laudato Si') by Pope Francis was released this week. The pastor spends this homily praising the work and encouraging his listener to READ it- all 65 pages of it (it's on our website - www.stvchurch.org). According to the pastor (who has read the document) The Pope lapses into poetry on occasion as well as science (the document was thoroughly vetted by scientists before it was published.) It's not a "Summer read" - it's a do it NOW!
June 7, 2015 - Corpus Christi
The Body and Blood of Christ - the last of the post Easter-season feasts. According to some contemporary theologians Christ's Body is becoming the whole of creation - the whole universe is heading to an omega point.
| Listen to the Readings | Listen to the Psalm |
