The Better Part

John 1:29-34   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Once again, this Sunday, we hear about John the Baptist. We might remember that John the Baptist is a cousin to Jesus. Jesus' mother, Mary, and John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth, are cousins (Luke 1:36). That means their children are cousins, too. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus and John the Baptist are both grown-up men. Jesus comes to John to get baptized. The next day, when John the Baptist sees Jesus again,

Matthew 3.13-17 Click here to listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is the last of the three Sundays celebrating the feast of Christmas—the feast of Jesus, the Great Light, coming into the world. In the Gospel readings for the first two Sundays of Christmas, Jesus is just a baby, but in the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is a grown-up man. He comes to get baptized in the river Jordan. Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. Wh

Matthew 2.13-15 , 19-23 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel reading this Sunday, we hear about trouble. Some strange visitors come to see Jesus. After they leave, the trouble begins. Trouble makes us feel uncomfortable. What does God do in times of trouble? Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you Jesus' family must leav

Matthew 1:18-24 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday, we light the fourth candle on the Advent wreath. The feast of Christmas is so near, the feast of Jesus the Light coming into the world. We know that Mary is Jesus' mother, and her husband's name is Joseph. On this Sunday, we hear how Joseph finds out—even before he marries Mary—that Jesus will soon be born. Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to

Matthew 11.2-11 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, this reflection focuses on the last line of the Gospel.) This Sunday we light the third candle of the Advent wreath. It is the pink  candle. Pink  is the colour for joy . We wonder—why joy ? Last Sunday, we heard John the Baptist prepare  the people of Israel for Jesus who comes. This Sunday, Jesus talks about John the Baptist. The people wonder if John the Baptist is a prophet. Jesus says, A prophet? Yes, I t

Matthew 3.1-12 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday talks about repentance in the sense of turning from sin which our 3-6-year olds are not needing yet. However, the deeper reality, the reason why we repent is the essential point they need to hear, I think.) In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about John the Baptist who is a cousin of Jesus. John the Baptist prepares  the people of Israel for Jesus who comes. Jesus comes to speak ab

Matthew 24.37-44 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday involves images that are incomprehensible for little people. This reflection focuses on only the last verse and listens to the first reading from the prophet Isaiah.) This Sunday, the Church begins a new season. Each time the season changes, so does the colour. For weeks and weeks, the colour was green—the priests wore green, the banners in the church were green—but today everything

Luke 23.35-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, with 3-6 year olds we never mention Jesus' death without in the same breath proclaiming the Resurrection. Young children are not yet sinful, and the suffering of Jesus, the one they love, is horrific. We never leave the young child in the darkness—we always move to the reality of the light—we always proclaim the Good News.) This Sunday is a special feast day for Jesus. We call it the feast of Christ the King. Ch

Luke 21.5-19 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, this Gospel speaks of end-times and the cost of discipleship-—two topics that are beyond the needs and questions of the 3-6 year old child. This reflection focuses on the first two verses and on the gift to God that endures, which ties into the last verse of this reading.) When we listen to the Word of God, we often hear about Jerusalem, the most holy city in Israel. Within Jerusalem, the most holy place is the T

John 2.13-25   (for the 3-6 yr old, just verses 13-16) Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, to celebrate the Passover meal, the most holy  meal for the Jewish people. He goes to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover because Jerusalem is the most holy  city in Israel. It is holy  because on the highest hill is the Temple, and in the Temple is God. The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In

Luke 7.11-17 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is a special day. We think in a particular way about people who died. We know a little bit about dying. We know that seeds fall to the ground and die. New life grows out of the death of those seeds. So we know that death is part of life. But what does Jesus know about death? Photo by Osama Khan on Unsplash As Jesus approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. Where are the people

Luke 18.9-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, this week we hear another moral parable. Our 3-6 year olds do not need to hear this yet. But as small little people, they know how to be in right-relationship with God.) In the Word of God, we often hear about prayer. We know that prayer is listening to God and talking to God. We know that we can pray with our words and we can pray with our bodies, too. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about t

Luke 18:1-8 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, petitionary prayer is not natural to 3-6 year olds. Their prayer is characterized by thanksgiving and praise. This reflection focuses on how our lives can be prayer.) In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells us something about prayer. Some people say that prayer is "talking to God." That is true—prayer  can be  talking to God. But we have to wonder if prayer is only  talking to God. "Jesus told them a parable ab

Luke 17.11-19 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about ten people who are sick who ask...

Luke 17.5-10 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus' friends want him to give them something. We...

Luke 16.19-31 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the parable in the Gospel for this Sunday does not have much to say to...

Luke 1 6:10-13 (full reading: Luke 16 .1-13 ) Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks a...

John 3.1 3-17   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is a feast day called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the...

Luke 14:25-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n So many times when we listen to the Bible, we hear about people following Jesus....

Luke 14:1, 7-14   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus eats a meal at the home of one of the...