Word Wide Open: The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) 7/3/22

First Reading (Isaiah 66:10-14c)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD:

 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,

 all you who love her;

 exult, exult with her,

 all you who were mourning over her!

 Oh, that you may suck fully

 of the milk of her comfort,

 that you may nurse with delight

 at her abundant breasts!

 For thus says the LORD:

 Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,

 and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.

 As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,

 and fondled in her lap;

 as a mother comforts her child,

 so will I comfort you;

 in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.

 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice

 and your bodies flourish like the grass;

 the LORD's power shall be known to his servants.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does God comfort the persecuted and suffering? How does God bring about prosperity?

Second Reading (Galatians 6:14-18)

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

Brothers and sisters:

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

through which the world has been crucified to me,

and I to the world.

For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,

but only a new creation.

Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule

and to the Israel of God.

From now on, let no one make troubles for me;

for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,

brothers and sisters. Amen.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What is the new creation Paul is talking about? 

Gospel (Luke 10:1-12, 17-20)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others

whom he sent ahead of him in pairs

to every town and place he intended to visit.

He said to them,

"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.

Go on your way;

behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.

Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;

and greet no one along the way.

Into whatever house you enter, first say,

'Peace to this household.'

If a peaceful person lives there,

your peace will rest on him;

but if not, it will return to you.

Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,

for the laborer deserves his payment.

Do not move about from one house to another.

Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,

eat what is set before you,

cure the sick in it and say to them,

'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'

Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,

go out into the streets and say,

'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,

even that we shake off against you.'

Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.

I tell you,

it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."

The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,

"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."

Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.

Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and  scorpions

and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. 

Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,

but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

 

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How are we called to be laborers for the harvest? How do we bring the Good news every where we go? What do we have to do?

Word Wide Open: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (C) - 6/19/22

First Reading (Genesis 14:18-20)

A reading from the Book of Genesis.

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,

and being a priest of God Most High,

he blessed Abram with these words:

            "Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

                        the creator of heaven and earth;

            and blessed be God Most High,

                        who delivered your foes into your hand."

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

The word of th
e Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why is offering the Church some of our material goods so important?

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

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

Brothers and sisters:

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,

that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,

took bread, and, after he had given thanks,

broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What is the new covenant? What does it mean to proclaim the death of the Lord?

Gospel (Luke 9:11b-17)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,

and he healed those who needed to be cured.

As the day was drawing to a close,

the Twelve approached him and said,

"Dismiss the crowd

so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms

and find lodging and provisions;

for we are in a deserted place here."

He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."

They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,

unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."

Now the men there numbered about five thousand.

Then he said to his disciples,

"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."

They did so and made them all sit down.

Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,

and looking up to heaven,

he said the blessing over them, broke them,

and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

They all ate and were satisfied.

And when the leftover fragments were picked up,

they filled twelve wicker baskets.

 

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? Why is this miracle so significant? How does God multiply whatever we offer Him? What is the kind of nourishment Christ offers us?

Word Wide Open: Pentecost Sunday (C) - 6/5/22

First Reading (Acts 2:1-11)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,

they were all in one place together.

And suddenly there came from the sky

a noise like a strong driving wind,

and it filled the entire house in which they were.

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,

which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak in different tongues,

as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven

staying in Jerusalem.

At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,

but they were confused

because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,

“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?

Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?

We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,

inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,

Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,

Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,

as well as travelers from Rome,

both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,

yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues

of the mighty acts of God.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What does the Holy Spirit enable us to do? Why is this moment often referred to as the birthday of the Church?

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13)

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

Brothers and sisters:

No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;

there are different forms of service but the same Lord;

there are different workings but the same God

who produces all of them in everyone.

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit

is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts,

and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,

so also Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,

whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,

and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does the Holy Spirit unite the Church?

Gospel (John 20:19-23)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

On the evening of that first day of the week,

when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,

for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,

and whose sins you retain are retained.”

 

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? Why is it so tempting to hide our faith? What does it mean to be sent out by the Lord?