The Lectionary returns to Ordinary Time under the guidance of Matthew From now until the 24th Sunday of the year Sept 15 the second reading consists of excerpts from major sections of Paul 8217 s Letter to the Romans This is rather ironic since Matthew 8217 s Gospel according to some scho

Though today rsquo s feast almost seems like an appendix to the liturgy of Holy Thursday and solemnizes what we believe in every liturgy it provides a wonderful overture to the resumption of Ordinary Time The feast originates in the visions of St Juliana of Mt Cornillon 1193-1258 and was celeb

Though it celebrates the most profound mystery of the Christian faith this feast presents a great challenge to all Christians especially on a Sunday morning in May The traditional formulation of the doctrine ldquo three persons in one God rdquo is puzzling to contemporary people for whom per

The annual celebration of the paschal mystery which began on Ash Wednesday culminates at Pentecost In a narrative evocative of major Old Testament themes Acts recounts the overwhelming gift of the Spirit Such a fresh outpouring of the Spirit was to accompany the messianic age Also the first-ce

Since most dioceses have transferred the observance of the Ascension to this Sunday preaching on these Sunday readings will be relatively rare Yet they contain rich resources for reflection as the church prepares for the liturgical re-enactment of the coming of the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost

In one of the annual preached retreats I was subjected to as a young Jesuit the director presented a vivid picture of the ascension long before the age of shuttle launchings As Jesus rose heavenward he saw Jerusalem Nazareth Galilee Asia Minor Greece and finally Rome This is precisely what