The Better Part

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 4:12-23   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is called the Sunday of the Word of God. When we do not read words, we need someone's voice to speak them or sign them to us. Jesus writes down no words. He does not need us to read. He needs us to listen to his voice. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus use his voice to call to four people. We can count them: Simon, Andrew, James, John. One, two, three, four—four names. Simon and Andrew are brothers from one fa

Matthew 4:12-23   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is called the Sunday of the Word of God. Sometimes Jesus is called the Word of God made flesh. God gives the Word a body and a voice, something we can see and hear. We can see the Word of God in our imagination, and we hear it speak to us in our heart. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, calling four people to come follow him. There are two pairs of brothers: Andrew and Simon (who is also

Matthew 4:12-23   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is the Sunday of the Word of God. The Word of God is a great gift to us. We enjoy our gifts. We play with them. So, each week, and in particular this week, we enjoy the Word. We play with it, turning it over and over, noticing how it touches our deepest needs, and delighting in the new aspects we discover. The Gospel begins with disturbing news. John the Baptist has been arrested. In the midst of reading

Luke 17.5-10 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Sometimes, the things that Jesus says just seem wonky. In the Gospel for this...

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 10.1-12, 17-20 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n One of the great things about Jesus is that there is no difference between...

Luke 24.44-53   Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Soon we will reach the end of the forty-nine days of the Easter season and soon we...

Luke 6:17, 20-26   Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday begins with Jesus coming down from a...

Luke 6:17, 20-26   Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday begins with Jesus coming down from a...

Luke 5.1-11   Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection So often when we listen to the Gospel, we hear about Jesus and his...

Luke 5.1-11   Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about the moment when Simon Peter...

Mark 9.30-37   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, the disciples have a hard time. They cannot...

Mark 9.30-37   Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus and his disciples travel alone. Usually,...

Mark 6.7-13 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection We are used to hearing about all the marvellous things that Jesus says and does. We...

Mark 6.7-13 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, we heard Jesus get rejected by the people of Nazareth. We heard him...

Mark 1.14-20 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Last week we heard St. John's account of how Andrew and Simon Peter become...

Mark 1.14-20 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Pope Francis has declared this Sunday, 'the Sunday of the Word of God.' When we...

John 1.35-42 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Last week, our Gospel reading talked about Jesus as just a little baby. This week,...

John 1.35-42 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this week takes place the day after Jesus gets baptized. This is St....

Matthew 24.36; 25.14-30 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells us another parable. It is...

Matthew 16.21-27 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, we heard Peter say boldly that Jesus is the Messiah, the One...

Matthew 16.21-27 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Last week, we listened as Peter—a man with little faith—proclaims boldly that...

Matthew 11.25-30 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks of carrying burdens. He knows people...

Matthew 10.37-42 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday we heard Jesus tell the disciples that they are more special than...

Matthew 10.37-42 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, when we heard Jesus preparing his disciples to go out to teach about...

Matthew 10.37-42 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, when we heard Jesus preparing his disciples to go out to teach, we...

Matthew 10.26-33 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday, we hear Jesus preparing his disciples to go out into the world to...

Matthew 9.36 - 10.8 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection During Jesus' time on earth, he speaks often about the Kingdom of God. He shows...

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...

Matthew 28.16-20 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection On Ascension Sunday, or the Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate the moment in...

Matthew 28.16-20 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection On Ascension Sunday, or the Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate the moment in...

(Adults, you could begin by lighting a candle and reading the Word of God to your child. Alternatively, you could read the first...

(Begin by reading the Gospel. Better yet, ask someone to read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Matthew 5:13-16 In the Gospel...

(Adults, you could begin by lighting a candle and reading the Word of God to your child. Alternatively, you could read the first...

(Adults, you could begin by lighting a candle and reading the Word of God to your child. Alternatively, you could simply read the...

(You could begin by reading the scripture passage. Better yet, ask someone to read it to you. The Word of God is meant to be heard.) Luke...

(Begin by reading the Gospel. Better yet, ask someone to read it to you. Close your eyes and just let the words fall over you. What do...

(Adults, the parable in this Sunday's Gospel presents us with two very different people. With the 6-9 year old, we can consider which...

(Before reading the reflection, take a moment and read the Gospel, or better yet, have someone read it to you. The Good News is meant to...

(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday contains a difficult moral parable that really does not apply to our 3-6-year-olds! But then Jesus...

(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday deals with the cost of discipleship. Three years ago I decided that I could not write a reflection...

(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel to your child.) Luke 14:25-33 In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus looks out at the large...

(Begin by reading the Gospel. Better yet, ask someone to read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Luke 14:25-33 In the Gospel for...

(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...

(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...

(I am considering this Sunday the feast day of this website. When you read the Gospel, you will know why. The whole Gospel is included in...

(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...

(Begin by reading the Gospel. Sometimes it is good to have someone read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Luke 10.1-12, 17-20 In...

(Adults, for the 6-9 year old, I consider simply the first five verses of the Gospel reading. You could begin by reading these verses...