SFHS Frosh Retreat; 2-7-18 Esther 5:1-5 Ps 95 Jn 4:5-42 Deacon Jim McFadden; St. Anthony’s C.C. Have you wondered why the source of “living water” would ask the Samaritan woman, an outsider, for a drink? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Many decades ago as a young college student, I…
5th Sunday of O.T.; February 4, 2018 Job 7:1-7; Ps 147; 1 Cor 9:16-23; Mk 1:29-39 Deacon Jim McFadden; (New) Folsom Prison and SJB Pope Francis often describes the Church as a “field hospital” of wounded, broken, sinful people who are in need of healing. While it is difficult to admit, all of…
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B); 1-21-18 Jon 3:1-5,10; Ps 25; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-21 Deacon Jim McFadden Fifteen years ago, I was preparing an inmate at Folsom Minimum Security Facility for his confirmation on Christmas Day, which was presided by Auxiliary Bishop Garcia. He was so excited but wanted to stay focused on…
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B); Jan. 14, 2018 1 Sam 3:3:3-10,19: Ps 42; 1 Cor 6:13-15,17-20; Jn 1:35-42 Deacon Jim McFadden; St. John the Baptist C.C. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John does not depict Jesus calling the first disciples while walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. …
4th Sunday of Advent (B); December 24, 2017 2 Sam 7:1-5,8-12,14,16 Ps 89 Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38 Deacon Jim McFadden As Christmas is nearly upon us, the readings for the 4th Sunday of Advent focus our attention on the notion of a dwelling place for God. In the first reading, King David finds himself…
3rd Sunday of Advent (B); December 17, 2017 Is 61:1-2a, 10-11 (Ps) Lk 1:46-50, 53-54 1 Thes 5:16-24 Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 Deacon Jim McFadden; (New) Folsom Prison; SJB Advent is not a time of waiting for the coming of the Christ child—that already happened 2017 years ago. It’s rather a time in…
2nd Sunday of Advent (B); 12-10-17 Is 40:1-5,9-11 Ps 85 2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8 Deacon Jim McFadden; (New) Folsom Prison In today’s Gospel, we once again hear proclaimed the person of John the Baptist, who plays a prominent role in Mark’s Gospel. Who is this very eccentric guy with whom most of us…
1st Sunday of Advent (B); December 3, 2017 Is 63:16-17,19; Ps 80; 1 Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37 Deacon Jim McFadden Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. We await the return of Jesus as he is born within us at a deeper level of intimacy and we prepare for that arrival by…
Christ the King (A); November 26, 2017 Ez 34:11-12 Ps 23 1 Cor 15:20-26,28 Mt 25:31-46 Deacon Jim McFadden; (New) Folsom Prison As we conclude our liturgical year, the Church invites us to fix our gaze on Jesus, the King of the Universe, who is the beginning and end of Salvation History. As…
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 