This Week's Gospel

Jesus sent His disciples out to spread the news that God’s age of love and forgiveness was beginning.

2010-07-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

July 4 - Fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
Jesus had several disciples, not just His twelve apostles. In this chapter, Jesus sends seventy-two of His disciples out, in pairs, to spread the good news. The good news for the people was that the kingdom of God was now within their reach. He sent them out “like lambs among wolves.” They were to be peaceful men, gentle in a rough world. Jesus instructed them to leave earthly distractions behind and depend on the kindness of God to care for them: “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals.”
He told them to go into a town and stay the whole time at the first house they go to, so it won’t seem that they are fishing around for the nicest house. He told them to go into the towns, and if welcomed, to eat what is offered to them, cure the sick and spread the good news. If they are not welcomed, shake it off and move on...don’t take it personally. Towns that reject the good news will be worse off because of it.
When the disciples returned to Jesus they were delighted at the success they had. They told Jesus they were even able to conquer demons (the hatred and fear spread by Satan) in His name.
Jesus told them that He could see the defeat of Satan as His ministry met with more and more success. He told them they could conquer all foes and demons because of Him. But He warned them not to feel great about this power as if it were their own, but to feel good that they are acting on behalf of their heavenly Father.
Read the actual text for the fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time

“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

2010-06-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

June 27 - Thirteenth Sunday in ordinary time

Luke 9:51-62

Jesus was making His last journey, to the city of Jerusalem. It was a long trip, and they needed to stop for the night a few times along the way.

As they approached a town in Samaria (Samaritans were enemies of the Jews) some of Jesus’ friends went ahead to prepare for His arrival. But the Samaritans there would not welcome Jesus, because He was headed for Jerusalem. The disciples thought the town should be punished and asked Jesus if He would call down fire from heaven to destroy the town. Jesus told them that that is not how He does things, they would just go to another town.

When one person along the way said he would follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus warned him it wouldn’t be a glamorous path. He said, “Foxes have dens, birds have their nests, but the Son of Man (God made flesh) has nowhere to lay His head.”

When Jesus invited another man to follow Him, the man said he had to bury his father before he could follow Jesus. But following Jesus was more important, and Jesus told him to let the people who were spiritually dead bury the dead man; choosing life with Jesus was more important.

Another man said he couldn’t follow Jesus yet, he wanted to say goodbye to his family. Jesus told him that regretting your past life without Jesus is not the way to follow Jesus. To be fit for the kingdom of God, you have to put following Jesus first before all of these things.

Read the actual text for the thirteenth Sunday in ordinary time

Jesus asks His friends if they know who He is, and tells them about the hard road ahead.

2010-06-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

June 20 - Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 9:18-24

Jesus was alone with His close friends, His disciples. It was a quiet time. Jesus was silently praying to His Father. Jesus broke the silence, asking His friends, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

People had a lot of different impressions and expectations about Jesus, and the disciples had heard most of them. One of them answered Jesus, “Some say you could be John the Baptist.” Another answered, “I’ve heard people say you are Elijah.” And another, “One of the ancient prophets, risen again.”

Jesus had heard a lot of these, too. Then He asked His friends, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter had thought about this question on his own, and had his answer ready. He answered first, he answered for the group, “You are the Messiah of God.”

Jesus was pleased that His friends were well on their way to understanding who He was. But He warned them to keep it among themselves, not go telling this to anyone outside of their small circle. He told them two things.

“The Messiah, the Son of Man, must suffer greatly, and be rejected by the top men of the church, and be killed, and rise again on the third day.”

“If you want to follow me, you’ll find a similar path. You’ll have your own cross to bear daily. Whoever tries to keep his life for himself, will lose his life. But whoever gives his life to me and what I’ve taught you, will save it.”

Read the Actual Text for the twelfth Sunday in ordinary time

Jesus fed the five thousand people with just five loaves and two fish.

2010-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

June 6 - Corpus Cristi

Luke 9:11b-17

It was a day in His ministry when many had heard about Jesus and were coming to Him. Jesus had a huge crowd of five thousand people around Him. They came for healing, and He healed them. They came to learn from Him, and He taught them. As the day drew to an end, the apostles told Jesus, “It’s getting late. The people are hungry and there’s nothing out here to eat. You ought to send them to their homes for supper.”

Jesus told them to feed them instead. But the apostles only had five loaves of bread and two fish. Nevertheless, Jesus told His disciples, “Organize the crowd and have everyone sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

The apostles followed Jesus’ instruction. When they were all seated, Jesus took the meager amount of food they had and said grace over it, praising God for His power and goodness. Then Jesus gave the food to His disciples to serve to everyone there.

All of the five thousand hungry people ate until they were full. There was even some food left over, and the leftovers were collected. There were enough leftovers to fill twelve food baskets.

This was the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Read the actual text for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Gospel.

Jesus prays that we will all be one in His love.

2010-05-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

May 16 - Seventh Sunday of Easter

John 17:20-26

Before the crucifixion, Jesus was praying for God to look after His friends, the apostles, after He died. Then Jesus continued to pray, extending His prayers for the apostles to include all of us.

“I pray for all those who believe in me. I pray that they will all be connected by love. The love that starts between me and you, Father, will spread by their faith in Me, by their faith that you sent me, and my love for all of them. The people who believe in me give their human love to us, and I return my glorious love, love only God can give, to them.

“I share the glorious love that we share, Father and Son, to all these believers. By this love they can all be one with me, one with you. Let this love spread among them, so that by their faith in me, the whole world can become perfect when all people love one another. This is how I’ve taught them they can love God.

“Father, all these faithful people are your gift to me. I wish that they all come to have faith that I am God made flesh among them: God whom they can see. Let me be the connection between these earthly people and their heavenly Father, so that they can know you through me.

“I’ve told them all about your perfect love, your love for me. And I love all of them. Now they will all have your perfect love in them, through me.”

Read the actual text for the Seventh Sunday of Easter Gospel

“...the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all the nations...”

2010-05-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

May 13, Ascension Thursday

Luke 24:46-53

When Jesus’ time on Earth, as a man risen from the dead, was done, He said goodbye to his friends. He told them, “It’s all happened just like it says in the bible, your Savior suffered and died, and rose back to life on the third day.” They could know for sure, now, who He was.

He said, “I’ve taught you my message of love and forgiveness for everyone who wants to turn away from sin. Now it is time for you to bring my message to the whole world. You are the ones who saw all that I’ve done and taught. And you are the ones I choose to start the work of spreading my love and forgiveness, starting here in this town, and spreading out all over the world. I am giving you an important part to play in keeping my Father’s promise. But stay here in this city to prepare for this mission. Stay here until you feel the Holy Spirit in you, stay until you have the strength for this mission.”

Then Jesus walked with His friends out of the walled city. Jesus held His hands over each and blessed them, and left this world, taken into heaven.

The apostles were filled with happiness from their time and experience with Jesus. They returned to the center of Jerusalem, and spent almost all their time in the temple, to prepare for their mission: spreading the word of Jesus.

Read the actual text for the Ascension Thursday Gospel

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."

2010-04-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

May 9 - sixth Sunday of Easter

John 14:23-29

Jesus continued to prepare His apostles for His death. The apostles tried to understand where Jesus was going, and how they could come to know God.

Jesus told them, “Whoever loves me will keep my word...” and that will bring God closer to them. Jesus reminds them that His words are God’s words. Jesus’ message of love and forgiveness is God’s message. Jesus came and shared this message with us, and the Holy Spirit will continue to bring us that message.

Jesus leaves His disciples with one last gift: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Jesus gives His gift of peace with no strings attached, expecting no gift in return. He gives His peace as only God can give.

Jesus promises to return after His death, and tells the disciples that this is a happy occasion. He is on His path to rejoining His Father in heaven. After He died, He would raise Himself up from death, and return to His friends, the apostles. He would then return to His spiritual union with God the Father.

Jesus tells them this ahead of time so that when it happens they will understand it better. Jesus tells them this so that when He comes back to them after His death they will not only accept that He is God, they will believe.

Read the actual text of the sixth Sunday of Easter Gospel

"Where I go, you cannot come."

2010-04-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 2 - Fifth Sunday of Easter

John 13:31-33a, 34-35

After Judas left to go and betray Jesus, Jesus spoke to the remaining eleven apostles at the last supper. He wanted to prepare them for His death, and let them know what they should do after He is gone.

Jesus didn’t talk about His crucifixion in terms of dying. Instead He talked about God made human, Himself, ending His time in a living human body. He would become pure God again, and join God His Father in heaven, in pure spirit.

Then Jesus told the apostles that His time to be with them as a man is almost at an end, and that they cannot join Him in His suffering and His death. Jesus had to die alone to pay for our sins. The burden of the cross was not a burden He could share with anyone.

Jesus left the apostles, and us, with one final commandment: Love one another. Jesus told us to love one another as richly and fully as He has loved us. It is by loving one another that we remember Jesus. It is by our love for one another that people will know that we are followers of Jesus.

Read the actual text of the fifth Sunday of Easter Gospel

"The Father and I are one."

2010-04-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 25 - Fourth Sunday of Easter

John 10:27-30

Jesus is the Son of God. God the Father and Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are three persons, and one God. It is a hard idea to understand even for grown-ups, but it is a mystery that we believe just with faith. God is too big for us to understand completely, but in this teaching here, Jesus makes clear to us what we must know about Him, even if we don’t understand it all.

Jesus calls us His sheep, because the apostles understood how a shepherd cares for his sheep and how his sheep depend on the shepherd to help them through things they don’t understand themselves.

Jesus tells us that He is the one who gives life forever. God the Father has made Jesus, the Son, our shepherd, and we are in His love forever.

This is Jesus’ relationship with us. As for Jesus’ relationship with God; Jesus says plainly, “The Father and I are one.”

Read the actual text of the fourth Sunday of Easter Gospel

Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?"

2010-04-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 18 - Third Sunday of Easter
John 21:1-19 or 21:1-14
The third time the apostles saw the risen Jesus alive after His death on the cross, they were fishing in a boat. They were trying to fish, anyway. They tried all night and caught nothing. In the morning light they saw Jesus standing on the shore. Jesus called out to them, “Try throwing your net over the right side of the boat, see what you get!” Of course they did what Jesus said. And sure enough the apostles pulled in a net filled with fish. Jesus told them, “Bring them over here, we’ll have some breakfast.” Jesus was already cooking some fish and bread on the shore. The apostles joined Him.
As they sat eating, Peter the Rock had a sin weighing on his heart: the three times he denied knowing Jesus during His trial. He didn’t speak about it, but Jesus knows what is in our hearts, and He knew Peter needed a chance to make it up to Him. So just as Peter had denied Him three times, Jesus asked Peter a question three times.
“Peter,” Jesus said, “Do you love me more than these three?”
“Yes, Jesus, you know I love you.”
Jesus told Peter, “Care for my people. Peter, do you love me?”
A second time, Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
Jesus held his gaze and told Peter, “Take care of my people.” And a third time He asked Peter, “Do you love me.”
Peter did not back down, did not stammer, but this time held strong to his stolid love for Jesus and told Him, “Jesus, you know everything in my heart. You know that I love you.”
And Jesus told Peter again, “Care for my people.”
Holding steadfast his love for Jesus, Peter had finally earned the nickname that Jesus gave him when they met, “The Rock.”

Read the actual text of the third Sunday of Easter Gospel

“Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

2010-04-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 11 - Second Sunday of Easter
John 20:19-31

It was Monday evening, after Jesus had died on the cross. The disciples were laying low, in a room with the doors locked and the windows closed. They were afraid that the priests who demanded Jesus’ death might come after them next. Even though the doors were locked and the windows shut, Jesus showed up there in the room with them.

“Peace be with you,” He said to His friends. His friends forgot their fear and jumped up and gathered around the risen Jesus. They were so happy to see Him, it almost didn’t seem real. Jesus showed them it was really Him. He showed them His wounds from His death on the cross.

When they settled down, Jesus breathed on each of them, so they could feel the Holy Spirit. He told them that He was sending them out with His message of love and forgiveness, just as His Father had sent Him.

The disciple Thomas wasn’t there, and missed seeing Jesus. When the others told him they saw the risen Jesus, Thomas said he couldn’t believe it unless he put his finger in Jesus’ wounds himself.

A week later Jesus visited the disciples again. This time Thomas was there. Jesus spoke to Thomas, “Come here and see the holes in my hands, put your hands in my side. Come believe in me, Thomas.” Thomas immediately accepted Jesus and said to Him, “My Lord and my God.”

“So do you believe in me because you see it’s me, Thomas? Blessed are those who have never seen me, but believe.”

Read the actual text of the Second Sunday of Easter Gospel

“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

2010-03-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 28 - Palm Sunday

Luke 23:1-49

The day that Jesus died, he was surrounded and betrayed by the top priests of His own people. They had religious authority over the Jews, but not the authority to punish and put men to death. So they took Jesus to the Roman authorities to get them to put Jesus to death.

First they took Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of all of Judea. They accused Jesus of trying to seat himself as the king of the Jews. Pilate questioned Jesus directly, asking Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus, hands tied and seeming helpless answered only, “You say so.”

Pilate found no guilt in Jesus. But the priests kept insisting on Jesus’ death. Pilate was bothered by all these bickering Jews, and declared that Herod should decide this matter.

So the awful crowd led Jesus to Herod, the Roman ruler of Galilee, a part of Judea. The heartless Herod had heard about Jesus and His miracles, and wanted Jesus to amuse him. Herod wanted Jesus to do a trick. Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus horribly, beating Him and making fun of Him. But Jesus stood in quiet dignity, refusing to answer Herod’s foolish demands. This turned out to be no fun for the cruel Herod, so he sent Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate was not happy to see them back.

Pilate said he had already questioned Jesus and found Him not guilty, but to satisfy the priests he would have Jesus beaten and whipped and released. But the priests still insisted on Jesus’ death, shouting, “Crucify Him!” Pilate didn’t care, but he was tired of all this, so he gave in to their demand, condemning Jesus to death on the cross.

The crowd driving Jesus to His death grabbed a man named Simon, and made him help Jesus carry the cross to the execution. Mixed in the angry crowd were women mourning and crying for Jesus. Even while Jesus was being driven to His death, He turned to comfort them.

“Don’t weep for me; weep for yourselves and your children.” He told them that things are bad now, but there will soon be harder times to come.

Two real criminals were being put to death that day, on crosses on each side of Jesus. One of them said to Jesus, “If you’re the king of the Jews, save yourself and us, too.”

The criminal on the other side told the first to be quiet, they deserved their punishment, but Jesus was innocent. He asked Jesus to remember him in heaven.

Jesus answered the repentant criminal’s faith with forgiveness. He told him they would be together in heaven.

At noon of that day, the world grew dark, and Jesus died on the cross, crying out, “Father, into your hands I give my spirit.” The moment Jesus died, so many things changed.

A Roman soldier realized Jesus was innocent. The  angry crowd went home feeling guilty and horrible.  Jesus’ friends stood far away, watching from a distance.

Read the actual text of the Palm Sunday Mass Gospel

Let the one of you who has not sinned throw the first stone.

2010-03-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 21 - fifth Sunday of Lent

John 8:1-11

The Pharisees and scribes were jealous of Jesus, and hated His message of forgiveness and love. They looked for a way to trip Him up, and thought they found a way to force Jesus to be unforgiving and cruel.

Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and scribes brought a woman to Jesus, and told Him, “Well, you’re supposed to be the teacher. Here’s a woman who was caught in a terrible sin. Our law tells us the punishment for this is that we must kill her by throwing stones at her. So, Jesus, what do you say?”

Jesus crouched down, quietly writing in the sand with His finger. But they kept insisting that Jesus announce a verdict. They thought they had Him trapped. But Jesus quietly stood back up, and spoke when the crowd quieted down.

“So then, let the one of you who has never sinned throw the first stone.” And He crouched back down and returned to silently writing in the sand.

The crowd that had been so ready to follow the Pharisees and scribes, and kill this woman with stones, felt ashamed. They realized they were ready to punish this woman for her sin, when they all carried the burden of their own sin. One by one, they dropped their stones, and slinked away.

Nobody was left but Jesus and the woman when Jesus stood up again. He asked her, “Hasn’t anyone condemned you?”

She answered, “No one, sir.”

Jesus told her, “Then neither do I. Go, and from now on don’t sin any more.

Read the actual text of the fifth Sunday of Lent Mass Gospel

This son of mine was lost and has been found.

2010-03-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday, March 14 - fourth Sunday of Lent

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

The high-society people were criticizing Jesus for welcoming sinners. So Jesus told them the story of the prodigal son. (Prodigal means wasteful.)

There was a man who had two sons. One son asked his father, “Let me have my inheritance now so I can go make my way in the world.” The father gave this son a share of his wealth, and the son went off into the world. The son didn’t do anything good with the money, but bought everything he wanted, wasting it all. Before long he was broke. He took a lowly job feeding pigs on a farm, and his pay was so low he wished he could eat the pigs’ food. The son remembered that at his father’s house the servants lived better than this, and he went back.

He told his father, “I’ve sinned against you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore.”

But his father was overjoyed to have his son back, and ordered his servants to cook the fattest calf and set up for a party,

“…because my son was dead and is now alive, he was lost and now is found!” And the party began.

When the other son, the one who had stayed and kept working hard for his father, came back from his work in the fields, he was angry at his brother’s special treatment, and refused to join the party. He told his father, “I’ve always been good, but you never threw me any party. But this good-for-nothing wastes all he has and gets a big celebration.”

His father told him, “Everything I have has always been yours. But your brother was dead, and has come back to life, he was lost and now he’s found. I’m so happy to have him back.”

Jesus tells us here how God feels when a sinner repents and comes back to God. God always loves those who stay with Him, but when a sinner returns, He rejoices!

Read the actual text of the fourth Sunday of Lent Mass Gospel

God is willing to give more time, and another chance, to those He cares for.

2010-02-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday, March 7 - third Sunday of Lent

Luke 13:1-9

Some people were speaking with Jesus. In conversation they brought up tragedies in which Jews in Galilee and Siloam had died. One was when the ruthless Roman ruler of Galilee lashed out at some Jews who had dared to complain to him. Another was a time when a stone tower collapsed and fell on eighteen people who were close by.

Jesus knew what they were getting at. He took what they were hinting about and asked them back, plainly, “Do you think those people who died in these tragedies were more sinful than other people? Of course not!” Instead of discussing the sins and guilt of those who died tragically, Jesus brought the conversation back around to what mattered; the lives of those still living right there. “But if you continue on a path of sin, if you don’t accept the love and forgiveness that God offers and turn to a good life, sooner or later death waits for you, too.”

Jesus then made His message simpler for them in a story. “There was a person who grew and cared for a fig tree for three years, but it never bore fruit. So he told his gardener, ‘Cut it down, why should I keep wasting good soil on this tree?’ But the gardener asked for patience, and asked to give the tree another year to give fruit, and cut it down only if it doesn’t bear fruit after another chance.”

God is like the patient gardener, willing to give more  time, and another chance, to those He cares for. He hopes that with His care, we will bear fruit. He hopes we will love one another.

Read the actual text of the third Sunday of Lent Mass Gospel

This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.

2010-02-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 28 - second Sunday of Lent

Luke 9:28-36

It was a short time after Jesus told His friends about the death He would suffer and how He would return from death. Jesus asked Peter, John and James to come up the side of a mountain to pray. After Jesus had been praying a while, His friends dozed off. All three woke up again at about the same time, and all three of them saw a magnificent change come over Jesus as He prayed.

They saw that Jesus’ face looked different, and His robe looked so amazingly white that it should have hurt their eyes. They also saw that He was no longer praying alone. He was standing talking to two other men: Moses, who brought God’s laws to man, and Elijah, God’s prophet. They seemed to be talking about Jesus’ coming death and resurrection in Jerusalem.

Peter was amazed. He started blabbering about this being so great that they should put monuments here on this spot where this was happening. While Peter was still trying to speak, a cloud enveloped the men there on the mountainside. It was sudden, thick, and eerie. The three friends of Jesus were frightened until they heard God’s voice coming from the cloud all around them. He said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.”

The voice finished, the cloud lifted, and Jesus was once again alone. God had sent Moses as the one to listen to, and then Elijah. But now it is plainly Jesus, sent by God for us to listen to.

Read the actual text of the second Sunday of Lent Mass Gospel

Jesus went into the desert for forty days.

2010-02-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 21 - first Sunday of Lent

Luke 4:1-13

After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was filled with spiritual strength of the Holy Spirit. Jesus set out into the desert alone to prepare for His ministry. He chose to spend this time alone to pray to God His father in preparation. He stayed out there for forty days; which can also be an expression meaning, “for long enough.”

During this time He was visited by the Devil, who tried to tempt Jesus away from His mission on Earth.

The Devil saw that Jesus hadn’t eaten, and told Him, “If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.” But Jesus refused, telling him that a man needs more than just food to live.

Then the Devil took Jesus to a high mountaintop where they could see all the kingdoms of the world and told Him, “I will make you the earthly king of this whole world if you will worship me.” But Jesus just told him that the bible is very clear, that you will worship God, and serve only Him.

The Devil then stood with Jesus on the highest part of the temple in Jerusalem and dared Jesus to throw Himself over the edge, saying, “If you are the Son of God, God will send His angels to catch you and save you, because the bible says the angels will support the Son of God. They wouldn’t even let you stub your foot against a stone.”

Jesus had enough of the Devil’s stupid dares. He told him, “It also says you shall not do things just to test the Lord your God.”

With this the Devil gave up, and left Jesus, for now.

Read the actual text of the first Sunday of Lent Mass Gospel

Jesus tells us to do a good deed quietly, without making a big show of it.

2010-02-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 17 - Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

One of the things Jesus taught us was to do our good deeds quietly, without looking for a pat on the back.  He told us the reason to do good things for people shouldn’t be for the credit, but because these things are pleasing to God.

Don’t make a big deal when you put money in the basket at church. When you contribute money for the poor, don’t make a big show of it. If you do, the big show is the only reward you’ll receive. But if you do it so secretly that even your left hand doesn’t even know what your right hand is doing, God will know. And God will repay your kindness.

When you pray, try not to do it so other people see how well you are praying. The important thing about your prayer is that it’s between you and God. You could even do it best alone in your room, where no one knows. It is in this quiet, private prayer, that you are most likely to hear God’s answer.

And if you give something up for someone else, don’t look all gloomy and sorrowful. If you act like you’ve given something up and make a show of how much you miss it; you ruin the gesture of giving up. Show the world your happiest face when you are doing without something.  God will know the sacrifices you’ve made. And if your sacrifices are a secret between you and God, and your sacrifices please God alone, God will reward you for what you’ve given up.

Read the actual text of the Ash Wednesday Mass Gospel

Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.

2010-02-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 14 - the sixth Sunday in ordinary time

Luke 6:17, 20-26

Jesus and his friends came down from a mountain where they had been praying together. They came down to the foot of the mountain where the land was flat, and found that a huge crowd had gathered to see and hear Jesus.

There were Jews from Judea and Jerusalem, but also many non-Jews from the fishing villages of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus looked at His friends, perhaps their prayer on the mountain was that many people would hear His message. The crowd all looked at the One they had come to hear, and Jesus spoke His message to them. It was a message to comfort those who were sad, and wake up those who were too comfortable:

“Blessed are you who are poor,  

for the kingdom of God is yours.  

Blessed are you who are now hungry,  

for you will be satisfied.  

Blessed are you who are now weeping,

for you will laugh.  

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they make you feel left out or make fun of you for loving me.

You can be glad when that happens, your reward will be great in heaven.

But there is sadness in store for you who are rich, for you have had your reward in this life.

Those who are filled now will be hungry.  Those who laugh now will one day grieve and weep.

And there is sadness in store for those who are always popular; remember, the false prophets of the past were popular, too.”

Read the actual text of this Sunday's Mass Gospel

They caught so many fish, their nets were tearing.

2010-01-31T22:13:00.001-08:00

Sunday, February 7 - the fifth Sunday in ordinary time

Luke 5:1-11

Once, Jesus was teaching His message of love and forgiveness by the shore of a lake. There were many people gathered to listen, and trying to get closer, and they were crowding in. To keep things orderly so He could continue His teaching, Jesus asked one of His fishermen friends, Peter, to take Him a few feet away from land in his boat. They used the boat as a stage for Jesus to continue His teaching so all those on shore could hear.

After He was done teaching, Jesus told Peter to take the boat out to deeper water and put his nets over the side to catch fish. Peter told Jesus they’d been fishing all night, and it’s been a bad night for fishing. The fish just weren’t biting. But after knowing Jesus for just a short time, Peter had some faith in Jesus; the kind that lead him to do as Jesus said with a sense of ‘what have I got to lose?’.

On this day when there hadn’t seemed to be any fish to catch, Peter saw that his nets were immediately filled with so many fish he had to call James and John over to help. Peter’s nets were starting to tear under the weight of so many fish. After pulling the great catch aboard, the three fishermen realized that this was not just lucky fishing, but a sign of Jesus’ power. Peter fell to his knees in front of Jesus and told Him, “I don’t deserve to have you with me, Lord. I’m a sinful man, I’m not good enough.”

Jesus smiled at Peter and told him not to feel afraid. He told Peter that from now on he would gather people to Jesus instead of fish. This was a lesson in how his success would come from faith in Jesus.

They brought their boats to shore, and Peter, James and John left everything behind to follow Jesus.

Read the actual text of this Sunday's Mass Gospel

No prophet is accepted in his own, native place.

2010-01-25T20:20:00.001-08:00

Sunday, January 31 - the fourth Sunday in ordinary time

Luke 4:21-30

After reading the scripture that promised a savior to God’s people, Jesus said to His old neighbors in the temple, “Isaiah’s promise of a messiah has been kept, right here in front of you.”
At first, those who spoke up were amazed at the grace of Jesus’ words, and spoke up in support of Him. But others were not so accepting. They said, “Savior? Isn’t this just Joseph’s son?”
Jesus understood their hopes, their doubts and their misplaced expectations. He told them, “I suppose you’re going to say I should be healing people here at home instead of all around Galilee. You want to see me cure the sick here in Nazareth like you heard I did in Capernaum.” And He said, “But a prophet is never accepted in his own home town. When the prophet Elijah lived, there were years of suffering in his own home town, but he was sent to help a widow in a far away land, not near his home. When the prophet Elisha came, there were many people sick with leprosy near his own home, but he only healed those far away in Syria.
At this, the people in the temple pushed Jesus outside. They were furious that they were not going to get what they wanted out of Jesus (even though some of them didn’t even believe in Him). They pushed Him to the edge of a cliff. But when they were about to push Him over the edge, Jesus simply walked unhindered through the middle of the crowd, and kept walking, and left them.

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The bible’s old testament’s promise of a Messiah is kept, in Jesus.

2010-01-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 24 - the third Sunday in ordinary time
Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
I write this for you, a friend of God, to take the different descriptions from people who were with Jesus and saw His deeds and heard His words, and write them in a story that you can understand better. I read all those first-hand stories carefully, and I write my story carefully, so you can understand and know for sure that Jesus is God.
Jesus traveled through Galilee filled with the Holy Spirit, teaching His new message of love and forgiveness in the temples of the towns throughout the region. People loved to hear His message and believed what He taught them. Nazareth, Jesus’ home town, was also in Galilee.
When Jesus came to Nazareth, where people knew Him from his boyhood, He found a different reaction.
Jesus went to the weekly service at the Temple in Nazareth, and it came His turn to read aloud from the bible. The attendant passed Him a scroll, and Jesus untied the ribbon, unrolled it and chose a passage to read from. He read from the book of Isaiah, which promises a messiah will come. Jesus read the word of God as if it were His own word. He read, “The Lord has sent me to bring good news to the poor, free the captive, give sight to the blind and begin a time that is acceptable to God.”
Everybody stared at Jesus when He finished. They didn’t think any man should be speaking God’s word as if it were his own.
But Jesus did not back down or worry about being popular. He told them, “Isaiah’s promise of a messiah has been kept, right here in front of you.” He was telling a temple filled with doubters that He was the Messiah.
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You Have Saved the Best for Last

2010-01-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 17 - the second Sunday in ordinary time

John 2:1-11

Jesus and His family were guests at a wedding, and were enjoying the celebration after the ceremony. While all the guests were celebrating, Mary heard that the hosts had run out of wine. She went and told Jesus about it.

Jesus said to her, “What is this to me and to you? It isn’t time for me to step into the public eye.”

But Mary was still His mother, and told the waiters, “Do whatever He tells you to do.”

So there were all the waiters standing helpless looking at Jesus. Jesus relented to His mother’s wishes, and told the waiters, “Go get the big jugs we use for washing our hands and fill them with water.” And the waiters scurried off and filled each one to the brim with water. Then Jesus told them, “Take some out of the jugs and bring it to the headwaiter.” The water that had been poured into the jugs came out as wine. The waiter tasted it and said, “Everyone serves their best wine first, and then the cheaper wine after the people have had their fill. But you have saved the best for last.”

Changing the water into wine was the first miracle that Jesus performed, and it made His disciples realize that He was more than just a great teacher, that there was something special about Him.

After the wedding, Jesus and His disciples rested only a few days in Capernaum before heading out to start His ministry.

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