Word Wide Open: The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 7/4/21

First Reading (Ezekiel 2:2-5)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel.

As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me

    and set me on my feet,

    and I heard the one who was speaking say to me:

    Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites,

    rebels who have rebelled against me;

    they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day.

Hard of face and obstinate of heart

    are they to whom I am sending you. 

But you shall say to them: Thus says the LORD GOD! 

And whether they heed or resist—for they are a rebellious house—

    they shall know that a prophet has been among them.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why do people often turn against God in times of suffering? Who are the messengers God sends today?


Second Reading (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.

Brothers and sisters:

That I, Paul, might not become too elated,

because of the abundance of the revelations,

a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan,

to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. 

Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,

but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,

for power is made perfect in weakness.” 

I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,

in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 

Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults,

hardships, persecutions, and constraints,

for the sake of Christ;

for when I am weak, then I am strong.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What are the thorns in our sides? What does it mean to be strong when you are weak?

Gospel (Mark 6:1-6)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 

When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,

and many who heard him were astonished. 

They said, “Where did this man get all this? 

What kind of wisdom has been given him? 

What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 

Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,

and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? 

And are not his sisters here with us?” 

And they took offense at him. 

Jesus said to them,

“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place

and among his own kin and in his own house.” 

So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,

apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.

He was amazed at their lack of faith.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How do we often underestimate God? How does a lack of faith slow us down? Why is sharing the faith with family so difficult?

Word Wide Open: The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 6/13/21

 First Reading (Ezekiel 17:22-24)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel.

Thus says the Lord GOD:

I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,

    from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,

and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;

    on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.

It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,

    and become a majestic cedar.

Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,

    every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.

And all the trees of the field shall know

    that I, the LORD,

bring low the high tree,

    lift high the lowly tree,

wither up the green tree,

    and make the withered tree bloom.

As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does God reveal Himself through creation?


Second Reading (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)

A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.

Brothers and sisters:

We are always courageous,

although we know that while we are at home in the body

we are away from the Lord,

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Yet we are courageous,

and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.

Therefore, we aspire to please him, 

whether we are at home or away.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,

so that each may receive recompense,

according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What does it mean to be courageous? Why are we away from the Lord?

Gospel (Mark 4:26-34)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus said to the crowds:

“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;

it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land

and would sleep and rise night and day

and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,

he knows not how.

Of its own accord the land yields fruit,

first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,

for the harvest has come.”

He said,

“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,

or what parable can we use for it?

It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,

is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.

But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants

and puts forth large branches,

so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

With many such parables

he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.

Without parables he did not speak to them,

but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What is the Kingdom of God? Where does faith start? Why did Jesus speak in parables?

Word Wide Open: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (B) - 6/6/21

First Reading (Exodus 24:3-8)

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

When Moses came to the people

and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,

they all answered with one voice,

"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."

Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,

rising early the next day,

he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar

and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites

to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls

as peace offerings to the LORD,

Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;

the other half he splashed on the altar.

Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,

who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do."

Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,

"This is the blood of the covenant

that the LORD has made with you

in accordance with all these words of his."

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What does blood typically symbolize in the Bible? What is the purpose of a covenant?


Second Reading (Hebrews 9:11-15)

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews.

Brothers and sisters:

When Christ came as high priest

of the good things that have come to be,

passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle

not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,

he entered once for all into the sanctuary,

not with the blood of goats and calves

but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and bulls

and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes

can sanctify those who are defiled

so that their flesh is cleansed,

how much more will the blood of Christ,

who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,

cleanse our consciences from dead works

to worship the living God.

For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant:

since a death has taken place for deliverance

from transgressions under the first covenant,

those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What is the eternal inheritance? What is the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant?

Gospel (Mark 14:12-16, 22-26)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,

when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,

Jesus’ disciples said to him,

"Where do you want us to go

and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

He sent two of his disciples and said to them,

"Go into the city and a man will meet you,

carrying a jar of water.

Follow him.

Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,

'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room

where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'

Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.

Make the preparations for us there."

The disciples then went off, entered the city,

and found it just as he had told them;

and they prepared the Passover.

While they were eating,

he took bread, said the blessing,

broke it, gave it to them, and said,

"Take it; this is my body."

Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,

and they all drank from it.

He said to them,

"This is my blood of the covenant,

which will be shed for many.

Amen, I say to you,

I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine

until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Then, after singing a hymn,

they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? Why does our redemption require sacrifice? How does the shedding of Jesus' blood wash away our sins? Why is receiving the Eucharist frequently so important?