The Better Part

Matthew 13.44-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus again tells three parables, just like last week! He must really like telling parables. He knows that listening to parables helps us to think about the Kingdom of God. Last week, when there were three parables, we thought about the middle parable—the Parable of the Mustard Seed, that teeny-tiny seed that somehow grows and changes into a tree! This week, let's again look at the middle

Matthew 13.44-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus still tells parables! He knows that people enjoy listening to parables, these stories that are both interesting and somewhat strange. They help us consider the Kingdom of God and what it could be like. Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” The Kingdom of

Matthew 13.44-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus again gives us three parables. Three parables and then an instruction that sounds like yet another parable. Perhaps he thinks we can handle all this! Let's think about what he can mean. Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash Jesus begins with two parables that sound very similar:, “The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his

Matthew 13.31-32 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection (Adults, the Gospel this week is quite long and considers three of Jesus' parables. This reflection focuses on the parable that is sandwiched in the middle: the Parable of the Mustard Seed—an essential parable regarding the mystery of life.) In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells three parables. We know that parables make us think. They are stories that Jesus tells to help us understand something very important. Th

Matthew 13.24-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection (Adults, begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child, unless the child is a very fluent reader. It is a long Gospel, and a little troubling. But there is Good News!) In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells three more parables by the Sea of Galilee: two short parables caught between a longer one and its explanation. The two short parables may satisfy us. He tells the parable of the Mustard Seed, that impossibly ti

Matthew 13.24-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection For the third Sunday in a row, Jesus talks about farming and sowing. Two weeks ago, we heard about taking his yoke, and we considered ploughing the earth to make ready the soil for sowing. Last week, we heard about the sower who flings wide the grain so that all the earth might produce wheat. This week we hear three parables: 1) the sower of the Wheat and the sower of the Weeds; 2) the person who sows a mustard seed; 3

Matthew 13.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection At the beginning of the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear Jesus head down to the lake near the house he is staying at. So many people come to hear him speak, they crowd the beach. Jesus really wants them to hear what he has to say, but he cannot see all of them when they crowd around, and they cannot all see him. What will he do? Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he g

Matthew 13.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection At the beginning of the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear Jesus leave the house he is staying at to go sit by the water of the Sea of Galilee. Not much time passes before a crowd of people gather on the beach, too. His words do that—they gather people around him. People want to hear more; they want to know more. Jesus has a parable to tell them, a mystery for them to think about. But how can they all hear crowded about on the b

Matthew 13.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday has some great visuals. As we listen, we can imagine ourselves somewhere in the scene. Jesus leaves the house where he has been staying, and heads down to the beach by the Sea of Galilee. He only sits for a moment before people start to gather. They always come. This would tire most people out, but Jesus does not show it. He is so generous with his time. He will give the people what they want. A boa

Luke 18.9-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about how we should be when we pray. We remember that parables are little stories to help us understand. In this parable, there are two people who go to the Temple to pray. The Temple is the most holy place in all Jerusalem, in all of Israel, because in the Temple, behind the great gold doors of the Tabernacle, is the Holy of Holies. Only a certain holy priest on a cert

Luke 18.9-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells another parable about prayer. We know that prayer is conversation with God, both listening and speaking. Conversation deepens relationships. This parable, then we can say, is about relationship with God . “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The people listening to Jesus know Pharisees and tax collectors. Pharisees are good people

Luke 18:1-8 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells us a parable about prayer. We know that parables are stories, little mysteries that invite us to ask the question: What more can Jesus mean? “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ There are two people in this parable: a judge—s

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 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 16 .1-13 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells an odd parable about a manager who did...

Luke 14:25-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus looks out at the large crowds of people....

Luke 14:25-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells the large crowds of people following...

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...

Luke 14:1, 7-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus and his friends go to someone's home for...

Luke 14:1, 7-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus gathers with a bunch of people for...

Luke 13.22-30 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, for our youngest children, we spend time enjoying the relationship...

Luke 13.22-30 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem, the most holy...

Luke 13.22-30 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about entering the Kingdom...

Luke 12.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable. We know that parables are...

Luke 12.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n We know that Jesus died and is Risen. The Light of his Risen life continues to...

Luke 12.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n The Gospel for this Sunday has a shocking beginning. Someone asks Jesus for help...

Luke 11.1-13 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Prayer is a mystery. We know that prayer is conversation with God. God speaks....

Luke 11.1-13 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In order to have a relationship with someone, we know that we have to spend time...

Luke 10.25-37 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Often, when we listen to stories about Jesus in the Bible, we hear the word "...

Luke 10.25-37 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Often, when we listen to stories about Jesus in the Bible, we hear people...

Luke 10.25-37 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n The Gospel for this Sunday contains one of Jesus' most famous parables. Knowing...

Luke 15.1-3, 11-32 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection (Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday is the well-known parable of...

Luke 15.1-3, 11-32 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection Jesus often speaks about the love of God. It seems important to...

Luke 15.1-3, 11-32 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable that is a...

Luke 13:1-9 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection (Adults, this reflection considers only the parable in verses 6-9. How...

Luke 13:1-9 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday mentions two tragic events in which people...

Luke 13:1-9 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday begins with someone telling Jesus about the...

Luke 6:39-45 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells us some parables. We know...

Mark 13.24-32 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus and his friends sit on the Mount of...

Mark 13.24-32 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus and his friends sit just outside the city...

Mark 13.24-32 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n The Gospel reading for this Sunday is a difficult one. Jesus and his friends...

Mark 4.26-34 (focusing on verses 30-32) Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus tells us a...

Mark 4.26-34 (focusing on verses 30-32) Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Jesus spends a lot of time telling parables about the...

Mark 4.26-34 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel this week, Jesus tells two Kingdom of God parables, both about seeds....

John 12.20-33 (for the 3-6 yr old, simply verse 24) Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection We prepare for so many weeks for the feast...

John 12.20-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection For many weeks of Lent, we prepare for the feast of Easter. When Easter arrives,...

John 12.20-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection The season of Lent can seem very long. We look forward to the celebration of...

Mark 13.33-37 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday begins a new season in the Church. Each season has its own special...

Mark 13.33-37 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. In Advent we prepare for the feast of...