Second Week In Ordinary Time   OLD AND NEW   Introduction       This very well-known passage of Hebrews evokes the central place in our faith of the passion and glorification of Christ. Jewish priests had to offer first sacrifices for their own sins. Christ replaced the “I will not serve” with the service of obedience to […]

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Here Am I, Lord Come and See We Too Are Called   Greeting: (see Second Reading) Your bodies are members making up the body of Christ. Anyone who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. Use your body for the glory of God. May the Lord Jesus […]

First Week In Ordinary Time   GOD CALLS THE WEAK     Introduction       The word of God is alive and active, says the first reading. It is so alive and active that this word of God, spoken by Jesus, changes sinners into saints. This word can judge, but it judges with mildness: by offering new chances. […]

First Week In Ordinary Time   YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU          Introduction       The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews tells the Jewish Christians, dispersed on account of their faith, not to seek to return to the city of rest, Jerusalem, and to Palestine, but rather to seek the rest and peace of living […]

First Week In Ordinary Time   IF I COULD ONLY TOUCH HIM   Introduction       The Letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish converts to Christianity who suffered much on account of their faith. On account of persecutions from the Jews, many of them had fled from their home country Palestine, to live among pagans. […]

First Week In Ordinary Time   A COMPASSIONATE BROTHER            Introduction       One cannot really understand the sufferings of others without having passed through suffering. Try to tell a husband who has lost his wife or someone who has met an accident, “I know what you are suffering,” or “It is not so bad,” and he […]

First Week In Ordinary Time   GOD’S SAVING POWER   Introduction       Though Jesus emptied himself of all privileges as God or, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, was made lower than the angels to join us in our wounded humanity – he who was without sin passed through death; his suffering was the way […]

First Sunday In Ordinary Time   DISCIPLES TODAY   Introduction       Today we begin to read from Hebrews. God speaks to us in nature, in the people around us, in the events of life. Yet we are often deaf to his words and his silence. Few listened to his messengers, the prophets. Finally, he spoke through […]

Feast of the Lord’s Baptism You Are My Beloved Son   Note. We use the full new set of readings for year B for this feast, as provided in the new edition of the Lectionary (1981). The old readings may still be used.   Greeting (see Rom 6:3-4) We have been baptized in Christ Jesus and […]

Saturday After Epiphany   BELONGING TO GOD IN JESUS CHRIST   Introduction In a sort of profession of faith, the apostle John sums up his letter. We belong to God on account of Jesus Christ. He has brought us eternal life; this life does not tolerate sin; because we live in him, he hears our […]