3rd Sunday of Easter (C); May 4, 2025 Acts 5:27-32,40b-41. Ps 30. Rv 5:11-14. Jn 21:1-19 Deacon Jim McFadden We continue to read from the pages of John’s Gospel which recounts the third time the Risen Christ appears to the Apostles. It is a meeting that takes place in the Sea of Tiberius (aka…
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord; April 20, 2025 Acts 10:34a,37-43. Ps 118. Col 3:1-4. Jn 20:1-9 Deacon Jim McFadden Today we are celebrating the apex of the liturgical calendar: The Resurrection of the Lord. Even though it is the pivotal event of our Faith, we are so familiar with this solemnity,…
Palm Sunday (C); April 13, 2025 Lk 19:28-40 (procession). Is 50: 4-7. Ps 22:8-917-20,23-24. Phil 2:6-11. Lk 22:14-23 or 23:1-49 Deacon Jim McFadden In the Sermon of the Mount, which contains the crux of his proclamation of the Kingdom of God, Jesus instructed us on the Mystery of Forgiveness, which is an absolute imperative…
4th Sunday of Lent (C); March 30, 2025 Jos 5:9-12. Ps 34. 2 Cor 5:17-21. Lk 1205:1-3, 11-32 Deacon Jim McFadden Today is Laetare Sunday, a time for rejoicing because the Father reveals to us that “Everything I have is yours” (Lk 15:31b). Lent is more than half over, and redemption and forgiveness and…
2nd Sunday of Lent (C); March 16, 2025 Gn 15:5-18. Ps 27. Phil 3:17-4:1. Lk 9:28-36 Deacon Jim McFadden The readings for the Second Sunday of Lent awaken a sense of wonder to a world beyond our own—a mystical consciousness in which we encounter the glory of God. So, in our first reading Abraham—the…
3rd Sunday of Lent (C); March 23, 2025 Ex 3:1-8,13-15. Ps 103. 1 Cor 10:1-6. Lk 13:1-9 Deacon Jim McFadden Throughout the Catholic Church, today is the First Scrutiny for catechumens. Who are the catechumens? They are those who have inquired into becoming a member of the Catholic Church and, after a period of…
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); March 2, 2025 Sir 27:4-7. Ps 92. 1 Cor 15:54-58. Lk 6:39-45 Deacon Jim McFadden The spiritual journey is just too hard to do by ourselves: as such, we need companions who can help us along the way. It’s important to whom we spiritually “hang out with”, to…
7th Sunday in O.T. (C); 02-23-2025 1 Sm 26:2,7-23. Ps 103 1 Cor 15:45-49. Lk 6:27-38 Deacon Jim McFadden The Sermon of the Mount, which may be construed as Jesus’ State of the Kingdom address, is in two parts: (1) the Beatitudes, which describes what it’s like to live in the Kingdom of God…
6th Sunday in O.T. (C); 02-16-2025 Jer 17:5-8. Ps 1. 1 Cor 15:12,16-20. Lk 6:17,20-26 Deacon Jim McFadden What does it mean to be happy? What does it mean to be blessed. How can they be found? These are ground-floor, basic the ‘rubber hitting the road’ questions. If we get them wrong, then we’ve…
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C); February 9, 2025 Is 6:1-2a, 3-8. Ps 138. ! Cor 15:1-11. Lk 5:1-11 Deacon Jim McFadden When Jesus jumps into our boat, just as he did with Peter in today’s Gospel, requires us to live out of two fundamental attitudes that enable us to become disciples, which is…
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…
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); September 27, 2026 Ez 18:25-28. Ps 25. Phil 2:1-11. Mt 21:28-3 Deacon Jim McFadden In a past issue of the Catholic Herald (September/October 2020), the newsmagazine for the Diocese of Sacramento, there is a…
