Category: Mid-Week
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Fourth Sunday in Lent
~ Lætare ~ Readings: Exodus 16:2-21 | Galatians 4:21-31 | John 6:1-15 Text: Exodus 16:2-21 In 1 Corinthians 10, St. Paul makes the point that the journeys of Israel in the wilderness were written for our learning, specifically “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction,…
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Third Sunday in Lent
~ Oculi ~ Readings: Exodus 8:16-24 | Ephesians 5:1-9 | Luke 1:14-28 Text: Luke 11:14-28 Jesus’ teachings in today’s Gospel readings go from difficult to startling. It’s one thing to say that, in broad theological terms, that Jesus is the strong man who binds the devil, and leads captivity captive, while we are brought by…
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Second Sunday in Lent
~ Reminiscere ~ Readings: Genesis 32:22-32 | 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 | Matthew 15:21-28 Text: Genesis 32:22-32 A few weeks ago, we heard the Parable of the Sower, where our Lord says: 13The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe…
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First Sunday in Lent
~ Invocabit ~ Readings: Genesis 3:1-21 | 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 | Matthew 4:1-11 Text: Matthew 4:1-11 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Father honored the Son. He didn’t just identify him as his Son when He spoke from heaven at His baptism. He claimed him. He called Him His beloved, expressing His love…
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Fourth Sunday in Advent
~ Rorate Coeli ~ Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-19 | Philippians 4:4-7 | Luke 1:39-56 Text: Philippians 4:4-7 No doubt this week, we will be hearing the phrase, “Merry Christmas.” Take a moment to think about it: Is this a statement or a command? I mean, what should you do when there’s nothing to be merry about? When…
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Third Sunday in Advent
~ Gaudete ~ Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11 | 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 | Matthew 11:2-11 Text: Isaiah 40:1-8 It’s important to understand that Isaiah was not preaching at a time of peace in Israel. Not many chapters (chapters 36-37) before this, Isaiah has the job of announcing to the starving, besieged inhabitants of Jerusalem that the Assyrian…
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Second Sunday of Advent
~ Populus Zion ~ Readings: Malachi 4:1-6 | Romans 15:4-13 | Luke 21:25-36 Text: Luke 21:25-36 The return of Christ is utterly inconvenient. It ruins our plans for the future. It ruins all of our imagining that life will just continue as is has been. Most of all, it completely obliterates our delusion that we…
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First Sunday in Advent
~ Ad Te Levavi ~ Readings: Jeremiah 23:5-8 | Romans 13:(8-10) 11-14 | Matthew 21:1-9 Text: Matthew 21:1-9 Christ, our Lord, is the promised King who reigns on the throne of David forever. So it is that, as He rode into the City of Peace to be executed as the King of the Jews,…
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Vigil of Easter
Readings: Genesis 1:1-2:3 | Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13 Exodus 14:10-15:1 | Mark 16:1-8 Text: Jonah 3 In our reserved, sterile minds, we might take these words figuratively. That doesn’t really mean that God’s voice comes out in fire or earthquakes. I’ve never seen the earth melt! Because it’s so far removed from our daily…
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Palm Sunday
Readings: Philippians 2:5-11 | Matthew 27:11-54 Text: Matthew 27:11-26 It is a blessing to our faith that we meditate on our Lord’s passion yearly. A Christian faith that has a fuzzy view of the historical, fleshly sufferings of Jesus Christ will easily fall for suggestions that the Christian life is just the best of the…