3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); 1-26-20 Is 8:23-9:3 Ps 27 1 Cor 1:10-13,17 Mt 4:12-23 Deacon Jim McFadden Today’s gospel reading from Matthew recounts the beginning of Jesus’ preaching in Galilee. He leaves his hometown Nazareth, an obscure village in the mountains, and settles in Capernaum, an important trading center on the lakeshore.…
Baptism of the Lord (A); 1-12-20 Is 42:1-7 Ps 29 Acts 10:34-38 Mt 3:3-17 Deacon Jim McFadden One of the mysteries of our Lord’s baptism is WHY! Why did he have to do it? What does it mean? Since he is Immanuel, God among us, he didn’t have to be baptized for his own…
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (A); 1-19-20 Is 49:3,5-6 Ps 40 1 Cor 1:1-3 Jn 1:29-34 Deacon Jim McFadden; SJB We are now in Ordinary Time, that period of the liturgical year when we pay closer attention to what it means to be a follower of Jesus. On some Sundays we are going…
The Epiphany of the Lord (A); January 5, 2020 Is 60:1-6 Ps 72 Eph 3:2-3 Mt 2:1-12 Deacon Jim McFadden “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star in the East, and have come to worship him” (Mt 2:2) These men, traditionally described…
Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God; 1-1-2020 Nm 6:22-27 Gal 4:4-7 Lk 2:16-21 Deacon Jim McFadden There is an old tradition that Luke the evangelist knew the Blessed Mother and he wove her memories into his Gospel account. This view resonates because he presents the Annunciation, the birth and infancy of Jesus…
As we enter into the 4th Sunday of Advent, we are reminded that all of time and history comes to fulfillment in the Messiah. All the shards of history are gathered together in him. To use the language of St. Paul, all of space and time is recapitulated in Christ, which means everything comes to…
3rd Sunday of Advent (A); 12-8-2019 Is 35:1-6a,10 Ps 146 Js 7:5-10 Mt 11:2-11 Deacon Jim McFadden; SJB Our Gospel for this weekend is taken from the 11th chapter of Matthew, where we’re moving right into the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, which occurs in the middle of Matthew’s Gospel. So, this great Advent…
2nd Sunday of Advent; 12-8-19 Is 11:1-10 Ps 72 Rom 15:4-9 Mt 3:1-12 Deacon Jim McFadden On the second Sunday of Advent, Matthew calls us to encounter the intriguing figure of John the Baptist, a gritty, down-to-earth, ‘in your face’ prophet. His clothing is coarse: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and…
1st Sunday of Advent (A); 12-1-2019 Is 2:1-5 Ps 122 Rom 13:11-14 Mt 24:37-44 Deacon Jim McFadden As we enter into the great season of Advent, we await the coming of the Lord. Our first reading is taken from the prophet Isaiah, often referred to as the prophet of Advent since we rely so…
CHRIST THE KING (C); November 24, 2019 2 Sm 5:1-3 Ps 122 Col 1:12-20 Lk 23: 35-43 Deacon Jim McFadden Today we come to the end of the liturgical year, the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Gospel from Luke presents the kingship of Jesus as the culmination of…
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); October 18, 2026 Is 45:1,4-6. Ps 96. 1 Thes 1:1-5b. Mt 22:15-21 Deacon Jim McFadden We’ve just heard one of the famous passages of the entire Gospel: “Render to Caesar the things that are…
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); October 11, 2026 Is 25:6-10a. Ps 23. Phil 4:12-20. Mt 22:1-14 Deacon Jim McFadden The parable we hear in today’s Gospel tells us a lot about the Kingdom of God, which is likened…
27th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A); October 4, 2026 Is 5:1-7. Ps 80. Phil 4:6-9. Mt 21:33-43 Deacon Jim McFadden The parable about the mismanagement of the vineyard tells us a lot about the Kingdom of God, the choices we…
