The Better Part

Matthew 28.16-20 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that after Jesus dies and rises to new life, never to die again, he spends forty days appearing to his disciples. They talk with him, eat with him, and spend time rejoicing with him that his Risen life will never end. After forty days, Jesus returns to his Father in heaven. We call this the Ascension into heaven. "Ascend" means to rise from a lower level to a higher level. Jesus has already risen from ordinary life

John 14.15-21 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday we listened to Jesus remind the disciples that the Good Shepherd goes ahead of his sheep. Jesus tells them that he will go ahead to prepare a place in his Father's house so that they can be together. He says these things because the disciples are upset. They do not want him to leave them. Jesus knows this, and he knows that they are still worried. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus continues to reassure them--to

John 10:1-10 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Many of us are very familiar with the image of the Good Shepherd. The Gospel for this Sunday, however, includes an image that may not be as familiar. Jesus says, I am the gate for the sheep. The gate? How can he be both gate and shepherd?? Some scripture scholars—people who study the Holy Bible—suggest that this is a mini-parable inserted into the bigger parable of the Good Shepherd. We can look at the parables separately or to

John 11.3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45 (full reading: John 11.1-45 ) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Lent, we hear about a miraculous thing that Jesus does. He has a family of close friends, two sisters and a brother—Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Lazarus becomes very ill, and before Jesus arrives at their house, he dies. We hear that, Jesus began to weep. Of course Jesus cries. He grieves. He is full of sorrow because he loves Laza

John 9.1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38 (full reading: John 9.1-41 ) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus gives sight to a man who has never been able to see. He heals him. This is a miracle and it is marvellous, and it is one of many examples of Jesus healing people. Healing and faith go hand in hand. There seems to be a certain order to faith and healing. Look at these three other accounts of healing and faith: 1. Jesus turned, and seei

John 4.5-15 (full reading: John 4.5-42 ) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection On the third Sunday of Lent, we hear a conversation Jesus has as he takes a break from walking from town to town. His disciples have gone into a city to buy food. Meanwhile, Jesus waits by a well in the hot sun. He does not have a way to get the water that lies in the well. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” This is a strange thing for Jesus to do. It is

Matthew 17.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel this Sunday, we hear Jesus take three of his best friends away by themselves. At first it seems like an ordinary day, an ordinary hike up a mountain. But, while they are there, Jesus suddenly looks different: And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Jesus is still Jesus, but his face shines just like the sun! How bright that must be! We know th

Matthew 5:13 -16 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks about light . We know a lot about light . The light of a candle is beautiful. It catches our attention. We like to watch the flame. The light helps us to see. What does Jesus want us to know about light ? Jesus says, You are the light of the world. Who ? You are the light of the world. Us? How can we be light ? Do we catch people's attention? Do we help people to see?

Matthew 5:13 -16 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus continues to teach his disciples. He sits on the mountain looking out at them all—all of them looking back at him, waiting, listening. They come from all over just to listen to him. They come from across the land; they come from across time— we are here, too. Does Jesus know that we are here, listening? He says, “ You are the light of the world . What do these words reveal? Ho

Matthew 5:1-12 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n We know that in the Bible, Jesus walks from town to town teaching about the Kingdom of God . People follow him because they love to hear his voice. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus takes a break from walking. He sits down. But Jesus does not stop teaching about the Kingdom of God . Oh no. The people still get to listen to his voice. When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his dis

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,

John 1:29-34 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n After weeks of preparing and celebrating the feast of the Light coming in the world, we now return to Ordinary Time. The church changes the colour to green. In many parts of the world, snow covers the ground; there is no green. When we finally see green poking though the snow and green beginning to cover the bare branches of trees, we know spring comes. Things grow. Ordinary Time is a good time for growing—growing in Go

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 3.13-17 Click here to listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n We are coming to the end of the Christmas season. Most people think Christmas ends on December 26th, or that maybe the season lasts for twelve days, but the Church celebrates God becoming human like us for three Sundays. The Baptism of the Lord is the last of the three Sundays of the feast of Christmas. After hearing about Jesus as a baby for two Sundays, now we hear about Jesus as a grown man. He comes

Matthew 3.13-17 Click here to listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n At the close of the Christmas season, we leave the secret years of Jesus' childhood behind and join the grown-up Jesus in the waters of the Jordan river. The feast of Christmas that celebrates God becoming human like us comes to an end with a particular look at Jesus' baptism. We have to ask ourselves, why does Jesus need to get baptized? John the Baptist sees a problem with this. Surely Jesus does not h

Luke 23.35-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is the last Sunday of the Church year. The year ends with a feast—Christ the King. The Gospel reading for this Sunday takes us to the moment of the crucifixion. It seems a little strange that the celebration of Christ the King should include scripture about Jesus dying on the cross. Would it not make more sense to celebrate the Resurrection? Why proclaim his death? And the people stood by, watching; but the l

Luke 16.19-31 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the parable in this Sunday's Gospel presents us with two very different...

Luke 16.19-31 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells another parable. This is his best way...

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 tells the...

John 3.1 3-17 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. To...