16th Sunday in O.T. (B); July 18, 2021 Jer 23:1-6. Ps 23. Eph 2:13-18. Mk 6:30-34 Deacon Jim McFadden Mark’s gospel, the first written during the reign of Emperor Nero, is the shortest of all the Gospel accounts consisting of just 16 chapters. There is very little teaching like we see in Matthew’s gospel…
15th Sunday in O.T. (B); July 11, 2021 Am 7:12-15. Ps 85. Eph 1:3-15. Mk 6:7-13 Deacon Jim McFadden When college and NFL coaches prepare for the upcoming game, they just don’t wing it, especially if they want to keep their lucrative jobs! Rather, they develop very specific game-plans, working with their offensive and…
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B); 6-27-2021 Wis 1:13-15,2:23-24. Ps 30. 2 Cor 8:7,9,13-15. Mk 5:21-43 Deacon Jim McFadden Today’s Gospel from Mark presents a beautifully crafted narrative, involving two miracles performed by Jesus, describing them as a march towards life. Initially the Evangelist speaks about a certain Jarius, the leader of the local…
14th Sunday in O.T. (B); July 4, 2021 Ez 2:2-5. Ps 123. 2 Cor 12:7-10. Mk 6:1-6a Deacon Jim McFadden Why do we suffer? I’d like to reflect on this question focusing on the second reading from Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Corinthians. Towards the end of this missive, Paul had been talking about…
11th Sunday of O.T. (B); June 13th, 2021 Ez 17:22-24. Ps 92. 2 Cor 5:6-10. Mk 4:26-34 Deacon Jim McFadden The recent cyber- attacks on our country—such as on Colonial Pipeline in May which led to gas shortages and even dangerous situations caused by panic buying and on JBS meet processing which lead to…
12th Sunday of O.T. (B); 6-20-21 Jb 38:1,8-11. Ps 107. 2 Cor 5:14-17. Mk 4:35-41 Deacon Jim McFadden On the evening of June 17, 2015 Dylann Roof joined a Bible study meeting at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina and murdered nine African Americans with a Glock 41.45 caliber handgun. His vile…
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ; 6-6-2021 Ex 24:3-8. Ps 116. Heb 9:11-15. Mk 14:12-16 ,22-26 Deacon Jim McFadden As an undergraduate at the University of San Francisco many decades ago, I was invited to a buddy’s home for supper. During the course of the dinner conversation, my friend’s Mom asked her…
11th Sunday of O.T. (B); June 13th, 2021 Ez 17:22-24. Ps 92. 2 Cor 5:6-10. Mk 4:26-34 Deacon Jim McFadden The recent cyber- attacks on our country—such as on Colonial Pipeline in May which led to gas shortages and even dangerous situations caused by panic buying and on JBS meat processing which lead to…
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (B); 5-30-2021 Dt 4:32-34. Ps 33. Rom 8:14-17. Mt 28:16-20 Deacon Jim McFadden In his Summa Theologica St. Thomas Aquinas claims that “it is impossible to believe explicitly in the mystery of Christ without faith in the Trinity.” The doctrine of the Trinity is what distinguishes Christianity…
The Solemnity of Pentecost (B); May 23rd, 2021 Acts 2:1-11. Ps 104. 1 Cor 12:3-7,12-13. Jn 20:19-23 Deacon Jim McFadden In today’s first reading of our Liturgy, the coming of the Holy Spirit is presented in dramatic fashion—comparing it to “the rush of a violent wind” (Acts 2:2). What does this image tell us? …
The Cross is the Way Home 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); August 30, 2026 Jer 20:7-9. Ps 63. Rom 12:1-2. Mt 16:21-27 Deacon Jim McFadden After establishing Peter as the rock of his Church, Jesus then begins to speak…
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); August 23, 2026 Is 22:19-23. Ps 138. Rom 11:33-36. Mt 16:13-20 Deacon Jim McFadden Midway through his public ministry, Jesus ventured with his disciples to the northern reaches of the Promised Land, to the…
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); August 16, 2026 Is 56:1,6-7. Ps 67. Rom 11:13-15,29-32. Mt 15:21-28 Deacon Jim McFadden Today’s Gospel (Mt 15:21-28) presents us with a unique example of faith in Jesus’s encounter with a Canaanite woman,…
WWW.DEACONJIM.BLOG 