The Greater Blessing (Lk 11:27-28) Prayer: O Lord, help me to hear your word and keep it. Imagination: Picture Jesus speaking to the crowds when a woman shouts out. Context This spontaneous cry of a woman praises motherhood. Jesus uses this to reveal true holiness, which comes when the mature …
Our Lady of the Rosary Casting out Devils by God’s Finger (Lk 11:15-26) Prayer: O Jesus, you always use your great power to bless us. Imagination: Picture Jesus with the disciples and the crowds. Context: All agree that Jesus worked these miracles and cast out Satan. In this gospel, some …
Seeking Help From A Friend (Lk 11:5-13) Prayer: Come Holy Spirit. Teach me the overwhelming kindness of God. Imagination: Picture Jesus with His disciples. Context: Because the family went to bed early and would sleep in the same room, this request for bread disturbs the whole family. They are in …
Teach Us To Pray (Lk 11:1-4) Prayer: O Lord, engrave these petitions in my heart. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching his disciples to pray. Context: Understanding the Our Father will surprise you. It is a heavenly prayer which opens our eyes to Jesus’ Second Coming and prepares us for the end …
Mary and Martha (Lk 10:38-42) Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Make Jesus the center of my attention. Imagination: Picture Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet. Context: Luke places this story right after the Good Samaritan to emphasize that the disciple must first love Jesus. Serving others is important (like the Good Samaritan) …
The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37) Prayer: Give me a loving heart, O Lord, like your own. Imagination: Picture Jesus with His disciples. Context: The lawyer’s question was common in Judaism, “How far must my charity extend? Who is within that circle?” Jesus’ parable uses the usual set of three persons. …
The Humble Servant (LK 17:7-10) Prayer: O Lord, let me serve you faithfully with a humble heart. Imagination: Picture Jesus with His disciples. Context: Jesus sees deeply into his disciples’ heart. He demands that they serve faithfully without any self-righteous feelings. Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud.) If a man has …
The Joyful Return (Lk 10:17-24) Prayer: O Jesus, I will serve you and I will rejoice with you. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his 72 disciples, all filled with joy. Context: In this scene, Jesus speaks of the great blessings when the disciples fulfill their mission. Satan falls. The disciples gain …
Prayer: Lord Jesus, let me use well this time for repentance given to me by the Heavenly Father. Imagination: Picture Jesus speaking to his disciples and the crowds. Context: Jesus mentions three towns of Galilee – Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. The gospels do not record any ministry of Jesus in …
Prayer: O Jesus, call me into your presence. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his early disciples. Context: Peter, Andrew, Philip and Nathaniel are all from Bethsaida. Philip leads Nathaniel to Jesus. This dialogue reveals much of Jesus’ identity. It alludes to Jacob who was filled with guile (Nathaniel has none). Jacob …
From Monsignor Chieffo: Pope Saint John Paul II devoted his life and priesthood by uniting his heart to Jesus and Mary. Praying the Sorrowful Mysteries, he accepted the death of his family by believing death is the door to eternal life. Praising God for all the joys and glories, the …
Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Jesus calls and I must not delay. Imagination: Picture Jesus with the disciples and the crowd. Context: Journeying to Jerusalem seems glamorous. To set aside these false ideas, Luke places three sayings of Jesus at the very start of the journey. Discipleship is a difficult path, …
Wonderful News from Kenya! Hello, all. I thought I would share with you this wonderful news from Steve in rural Kenya. Some of you may have seen the video of his small but joyful procession from a year ago. What a difference a year makes as you will see in …
Prayer: O Jesus, let me follow you to Jerusalem. Imagination: Picture Jesus walking with his disciples. Context: As Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, he encounters people who reject him. He must pass through Samaria which was between Galilee (North) and Jerusalem (South). The Samaritans themselves were enemies of the Jews …
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a humble and accepting heart. Imagination: Imagine Jesus reprimanding his disciples. Context: These two stories reveal two sins of disciples – ambition and exclusivity. Ambition seeks prominence within the community. Exclusivity excludes those outside the community. Jesus quickly corrects both. Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud.) The disciple discussed among …
Prayer: O Lord, awaken me by this warning. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching the crowds. Context: Judaism believed that riches showed God’s favor and that poverty showed sinfulness. Jesus reveals the true picture, which shocks his audience. The poor man, Lazarus, enjoys the highest honor of being at Abraham’s side. The rich man …
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, reveal to me the mystery of Jesus. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples. Context: Jesus has just healed the boy with a demon. While the disciples are still amazed at this, Jesus shifts the focus to his death. The warning falls on deaf ears. They have …
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, open to my heart the mystery of Jesus Christ. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples. Context: An earlier gospel showed what the Father wanted Jesus to accomplish for Israel. This gospel answers a deeper question. What is Jesus’ relationship to the Father and to Israel. At …
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, reveal to me the fullness of Jesus. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples. Context: This text is sort of an interlude as Herod ponders Jesus’ identity. Later, Peter, by divine revelation, will proclaim correctly that Jesus is the Messiah. Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud.) Herod …
Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Let me respond quickly to Jesus’ call. Imagination: Picture Jesus at table in Matthew’s house. Context: This text has two parts. First, Matthew responds to Jesus’ call and then he invites Jesus to his house. Since Matthew is a sinner (collecting taxes for Romans) his friends …
