of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Render To God What Is God’s (Mt 22:15-21) Prayer: –O Lord, let me give you everything. Imagination: (Picture Jesus confronted by the Pharisees.) Context: Israel had two political groups. One sought total allegiance to Rome. The other sought independence, even by war if necessary. The Pharisees want to force Jesus to take one political …
Continue reading “Sunday, October 22, 2023 Week Twenty-Nine Of Ordinary Time”
Acknowledging Jesus (Lk 12:8-12) Prayer: O Jesus, You are my Lord. Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching his disciples). Context This text has three separate teachings. If the disciple acknowledges Jesus, Jesus will acknowledge him before the Father. If not, then Jesus cannot acknowledge him. The second teaching speaks of people who rejected Jesus in his earthly …
Continue reading “Saturday, October 21, 2023 Week Twenty-Eight Of Ordinary Time”
Jesus’ Warnings (Lk 12: 1-7) Prayer: O Lord, you care for the sparrows. You will care also for me. Imagination: (Picture Jesus teaching the dense crowds.) Context: This text has 2 parts. Having denounced the Pharisees to their face, Jesus is surrounded by crowds. However, he speaks to his disciples. He calls the Pharisee …
Continue reading “Friday, October 20, 2023 Week Twenty-Eight Of Ordinary Time”
Blaming The Forefathers (Lk 11:47-54) Prayer: O Jesus, fill me with a true piety which knows and loves God. Imagination: (Picture Jesus denouncing the Pharisees) Context: The Jews blame their forefathers for being mistaken and killing the prophets. However, they will do the same thing in killing Jesus. Jesus recounts human history. Abel was …
Continue reading “Thursday, October 19, 2023 Week Twenty-Eight Of Ordinary Time”
St. Luke, Evangelist Seventy-Two More Missionaries (Lk 10:1-9) Prayer: O Lord, choose me and send me wherever your word needs to be preached. Imagination: (Picture Jesus preparing seventy-two more disciples to go to the villages.) Context: Other gospels (Mark and Matthew) record Jesus sending the Twelve. Only Luke mentions this larger number of seventy-two. …
Continue reading “Wednesday, October 18, 2023 Week Twenty-Eight Of Ordinary Time”
Cleaning The Wrong Side Of The Cup (Lk 11:37-41) Prayer: O Jesus, make my heart sincere in my love for you. Imagination: (Picture Jesus dining with the Pharisees) Context: Jesus spent much time at table, with Pharisees who were deeply religious. (Pharisees did not participate in any way in Jesus’ death). The gospels use …
Continue reading “Tuesday, October 17, 2023 Week Twenty-Eight Of Ordinary Time”
A Greater Than Jonah Or Solomon (Lk 11:29-32) Prayer: O Lord, I seek no sign or wonder. I seek only you. Imagination: (Picture Jesus speaking to the crowds.) Context: Although Jesus’ enemies asked for the sign, Jesus addresses this teaching to the crowds. He cites two Old Testament examples of foreigners having a change …
Continue reading “Monday, October 16, 2023 Week Twenty-Eight Of Ordinary Time”
The Invited Guests (Mt 22:1-10) Prayer: O Jesus, may I always respond to your invitations. Imagination: (Picture Jesus confronting his enemies.) Context: In this gospel, Jesus confronts his opponents in Jerusalem during the days before his capture. In this parable, the invited guests represent Jerusalem leaders. They refuse to come, even when the servant …
Continue reading “Sunday, October 15, 2023 Week Twenty-Eight of Ordinary Time”
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 disciple hears and keeps …
Continue reading “Saturday, October 14, 2023 Week Twenty-Seven of Ordinary Time”
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 question the source of his power. Their reasoning is …
Continue reading “Friday, October 13, 2023 Week Twenty-Seven of Ordinary Time”
Seeking Help From a Friend (Lk 11:5-8) 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 the middle of their …
Continue reading “Thursday, October 12, 2023 Week Twenty-Seven of Ordinary Time”
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 of the world. Luke’s …
Continue reading “Wednesday, October 11, 2023 Week Twenty-Seven of Ordinary Time”
Mary & 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) but not enough to be …
Continue reading “Tuesday, October 10, 2023 Week Twenty-Seven of Ordinary Time”
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. Logically, after the priest and …
Continue reading “Monday, October 9th – Week Twenty-Seven of Ordinary Time”
Taking Away Their Vineyard (Mt 21:33-43) Prayer: O Lord, you have given me everything. Make me a faithful tenant. Imagination: Picture Jesus with his disciples and his opponents. Context: Jesus spoke this parable in Jerusalem when the chief priests and elders questioned his authority. The examples fitted the situation. The tenants are the Jewish religious …
Continue reading “Sunday, October 8th – Week Twenty-Seven of Ordinary Time”
OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY 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 …
Continue reading “Saturday, October 7th – Week Twenty-Six of Ordinary Time”
The Unrepentant Towns (Lk 10:13-16) 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 …
Continue reading “Friday, October 6th – Week Twenty-Six of Ordinary Time”
Seventy-Two More Missionaries (Lk 10:1-12) Prayer: O Lord, send me wherever your word needs to be preached. Imagination: Picture Jesus preparing 72 more disciples to go to the villages. Context: Three gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) record Jesus sending the Twelve. Only Luke mentions this larger number of 72. Obviously, the early Church communities sent …
Continue reading “Thursday, October 5th – Week Twenty-Six of Ordinary Time”
Three Would Be Disciples (Lk 9:57-62) 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 …
Continue reading “Wednesday, October 4th – Week Twenty-Six of Ordinary Time”
Fire Upon Samaria (Lk 9:51-56) 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 has to pass through Samaria which was between Galilee (North) and Jerusalem (South). The Samaritans themselves were enemies of …
Continue reading “Tuesday, October 3rd – Week Twenty-Six of Ordinary Time”