of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Lord of the Sabbath (Lk 6:1-5) Prayer: O Jesus, you are God, Lord even of the sabbath. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples being confronted by the Pharisees. Context: These confrontation stories highlight Jesus’ authority, bring out new aspects of Christian life and most important, reveal Jesus’ identity. This story uses the powerful Sabbath regulation …
Continue reading “Saturday, September 9th – Week Twenty-Two of Ordinary Time”
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mt 1:18-23) Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit. Give to me Joseph’s fidelity to God’s plan. Imagination: Picture Joseph receiving the angel’s message. Context: Luke tells us about Mary accepting her role as Mother of God. In Matthew’s gospel, the stories focus on Joseph’s dilemma. How does an upright Jewish man …
Continue reading “Friday, September 8th – Week Twenty-Two of Ordinary Time”
Peter’s Call (Lk 5:1-11) Prayer: O Jesus, call me to serve you. Imagination: See Peter on his knees before Jesus in the boat. Context: Peter has witnessed many of Jesus’ miracles but this miracle is unique. Peter is a fisherman. He knows that filling both boats with fish is impossible in the daylight. This is …
Continue reading “Thursday, September 7th – Week Twenty-Two of Ordinary Time”
Healing, Praying and Traveling (Lk 4:38-44) Prayer: O Jesus, use your powers for me. Then, I will follow you wherever you go. Imagination: Picture Jesus healing the sick. Context: This text manifests Jesus’ great powers but it also shows his desire to avoid the limelight and to preach in other towns to complete his mission. …
Continue reading “Wednesday, September 6th – Week Twenty-Two of Ordinary Time”
Astonishing Power (Lk 4:31-37) Prayer: O Jesus, use your power to cleanse me. Imagination: Picture Jesus in the synagogue. Context: Rejected by the people of Nazareth, Jesus establishes his new base at Capernaum. The people receive him and, upon entering the synagogue, he casts out an unclean spirit. The people praise him and spread his …
Continue reading “Tuesday, September 5th – Week Twenty-Two of Ordinary Time”
Those Who Rejected Jesus (Lk 4:16-30) Prayer: O Jesus, never let me reject you and lose your blessing. Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching in the synagogue of Nazareth. Context: In Luke’s gospel, Jesus works some early miracles in Capernaum. Then, He returns to Nazareth and goes to the synagogue. He gives his inaugural speech, outlining all …
Continue reading “Monday, September 4th – Week Twenty-Two of Ordinary Time”
Predicting the Passion (Mt 16:21-27) Prayer: Dear Jesus, let me accept suffering with great faith. Imagination: Picture Jesus trying to explain his future suffering to his disciples. Context: Peter has just proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. Because of his faith, Jesus has given to Peter the keys of the Kingdom of God. Now, Jesus explains …
Continue reading “Sunday, September 3rd – Week Twenty-Two of Ordinary Time”
The Servants Entrusted with Money (Mt 25:14-30) Prayer: O Jesus, make me your faithful servant to whom you can entrust your blessings. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching His disciples. Context: This parable is directed to the scribes. Surprisingly, the emphasis is upon the third servant (a symbol of the scribes). He has received the word of …
Continue reading “Saturday, September 2nd – Week Twenty-One of Ordinary Time”
The Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13) Prayer: O Jesus, I will go out to meet you. Imagination: Picture Jesus with His disciples. Context: In Jesus’ time, because marriages were delayed for hours until all the arrangements were worked out, there were many midnight processions by torchlight with the bridegroom arriving unexpectedly. In this parable, all ten …
Continue reading “Friday, September 1st – Week Twenty-One of Ordinary Time”
Need for Watchfulness (Mt 24:42-51) Prayer: O Jesus, I will watch for your return. Imagination: Picture Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple with his disciples. Context: This text contains two parables. The first likens God to a thief who breaks in at an unexpected time. The second is a servant. He can be faithful to his …
Continue reading “Thursday, August 31st – Week Twenty-One in Ordinary Time”
Cleansing the Inside (Mt 23:27-32) Prayer: O Jesus, send your Holy Spirit, the fire of true repentance. Imagination: Picture Jesus teaching inner holiness. Context: Jesus continues to confront his opponents about their false teachings which lead many astray. “The cup and the dish” are people who follow the Pharisees.They are not taught to purify their hearts. …
Continue reading “Wednesday, August 30th – Week Twenty-One in Ordinary Time”
Passion of Saint John the Baptist (Mk 6:17-29) Prayer: Lord Jesus, let me not be swerved by the opinions of others. Imagination: Picture Herod with his party guests. Context: This section is an interlude, which Mark inserts between the sending of the Twelve and their return. It is the only story that does not focus on …
Continue reading “Tuesday, August 29th – Week Twenty-One in Ordinary Time”
The Pharisees’ False Zeal (Mt 23:13-23) Prayer: O Jesus, enlighten my path and lead my steps. Imagination: Picture Jesus denouncing hypocrisy. Context: Jesus is preaching in the temple during Holy Week. There, he meets severe opposition and must denounce false religious practices (which only increases the crowd’s anger). Jesus had given Peter the keys to …
Continue reading “Monday, August 28th – Week Twenty-One in Ordinary Time”
Peter’s Revelation (Mt 16:13-20) Prayer: O Jesus, You are the Messiah, the son of God. Imagination: Picture Jesus with Peter and the apostles. Context: This text begins with questions about Jesus’ identity. By a revelation from the Father, Peter recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah. Because of this revelation, Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter …
Continue reading “Sunday, August 27th – Week Twenty-One in Ordinary Time”
The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Mt 23:1-12) Prayer: O Jesus, give me the heart of a servant. Imagination: Picture Jesus instructing His disciples in humility. Context: Jesus does not criticize the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees (although he alludes to moral rigorism). Instead, he attacks their practices of seeking honor and gaining title. This …
Continue reading “Saturday, August 26th – Week Twenty in Ordinary Time”
The Greatest Commandment (Mt 22:34-40) Prayer: O Holy Spirit, send your divine fire to help me love God and my neighbor. Imagination: Pictures Jesus speaking to the Pharisees and the crowds. Context: The Rabbis had 613 commandments, and a common question was, “Which is the greatest?” The Pharisees approach Jesus in a hostile way, testing …
Continue reading “Friday, August 25th – Week Twenty of Ordinary Time”
St. Bartholomew, Apostle A True Israelite (Jn 1:45-51) 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 …
Continue reading “Thursday, August 24th – Week Twenty of Ordinary Time”
The Good Employer (Mt 20:1-16) Prayer: O Jesus, You are a generous employer. Let me serve you faithfully. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples. Context: This parable is about the Kingdom. As the day goes on, the men grow discouraged. They stop seeking work and “sit around idle.” The owner’s constant going to the marketplace …
Continue reading “Wednesday, August 23rd – Week Twenty of Ordinary Time”
Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Receiving the Hundred-Fold (Mt 19:23-30) Prayer: O Jesus, teach me to set aside everything for love of you. Imagination: Picture Jesus surrounded by his disciples. Context: After the rich young man walked away, Jesus commented on the difficulty of the rich entering the Kingdom of God. In today’s text, …
Continue reading “Tuesday, August 22nd – Week Twenty of Ordinary Time”
The Rich Young Man (Mt 19:16-22) Prayer: O Jesus, I will sacrifice everything to follow you. Imagination: Picture the young man asking Jesus about eternal life. Context: The man’s “kneeling down” shows great piety and his question is excellent. He wants what Jesus offers, eternal life. In responding to his question, Jesus mentions only commandments …
Continue reading “Monday, August 21st – Week Twenty of Ordinary Time”