Word Wide Open: The First Sunday of Lent (A) - 2/26/23

 

First Reading (Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7)

A reading from the Book of Genesis.

The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground 

and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, 

and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, 

and placed there the man whom he had formed.

Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow 

that were delightful to look at and good for food, 

with the tree of life in the middle of the garden 

and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals 

that the LORD God had made.

The serpent asked the woman,

"Did God really tell you not to eat

from any of the trees in the garden?"

The woman answered the serpent: 

"We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 

it is only about the fruit of the tree 

in the middle of the garden that God said, 

'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"

But the serpent said to the woman:

"You certainly will not die!

No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it

your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods 

who know what is good and what is evil."

The woman saw that the tree was good for food, 

pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.

So she took some of its fruit and ate it; 

and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, 

and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, 

and they realized that they were naked; 

so they sewed fig leaves together

and made loincloths for themselves.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What are the lies of the devil people often believe?

Second Reading (Romans 5:12-19)

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

Brothers and sisters:

Through one man sin entered the world,

and through sin, death,

and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—

for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, 

though sin is not accounted when there is no law.

But death reigned from Adam to Moses, 

even over those who did not sin 

after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, 

who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression.

For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, 

how much more did the grace of God 

and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ 

overflow for the many.

And the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned.

For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; 

but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal.

For if, by the transgression of the one,

death came to reign through that one, 

how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace

and of the gift of justification 

come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just as through one transgression 

condemnation came upon all, 

so, through one righteous act,

acquittal and life came to all.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man

the many were made sinners, 

so, through the obedience of the one, 

the many will be made righteous.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What changed after sin entered the world? How does Christ heal the wounds of sin? 

Gospel (Matthew 4:1-11)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew .

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert

to be tempted by the devil.

He fasted for forty days and forty nights,

and afterwards he was hungry.

The tempter approached and said to him, 

"If you are the Son of God, 

command that these stones become loaves of bread."

He said in reply,

"It is written:

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth

from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took him to the holy city, 

and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 

and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.

For it is written:

He will command his angels concerning you

and with their hands they will support you,

lest you dash your foot against a stone."

Jesus answered him,

"Again it is written, 

You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test."

Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain,

and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, 

and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, 

if you will prostrate yourself and worship me."

At this, Jesus said to him,

"Get away, Satan!

It is written:

The Lord, your God, shall you worship

and him alone shall you serve."

Then the devil left him and, behold,

angels came and ministered to him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How does the devil usually tempt us? How does Jesus show us to respond to temptation?

Word Wide Open: The Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 2/19/23

First Reading (Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18)

A reading from the Book of Leviticus.

The LORD said to Moses,

"Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

"You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.

Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,

do not incur sin because of him.

Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

I am the LORD."

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why does holding a grudge hurt us so much? How does anger lead us away from God?

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 3:16-23)

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

Brothers and sisters:

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,

and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person;

for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

Let no one deceive himself.

If any one among you considers himself wise in this age,

let him become a fool, so as to become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,

for it is written:

God catches the wise in their own ruses, 

and again:

The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,

that they are vain.

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, 

Paul or Apollos or Cephas,

or the world or life or death,

or the present or the future:

all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How can we destroy the temple of our bodies? In what ways do we deceive ourselves?

Gospel (Matthew 5:38-48)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew .

Jesus said to his disciples:

"You have heard that it was said,

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.

When someone strikes you on your right cheek,

turn the other one as well.

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,

hand over your cloak as well.

Should anyone press you into service for one mile,

go for two miles. 

Give to the one who asks of you,

and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

"You have heard that it was said,

You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I say to you, love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your heavenly Father,

for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,

and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

Do not the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet your brothers only,

what is unusual about that?

Do not the pagans do the same?

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? Why is mercy the root of the Christian life? How can we effectively love our enemies? How can we be perfect like our Heavenly Father?

Word Wide Open: The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 2/12/23

First Reading (Sirach 15:15-20)

A reading from the Book of Sirach.

If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;

if you trust in God, you too shall live;

he has set before you fire and water

to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.

Before man are life and death, good and evil,

whichever he chooses shall be given him.

Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;

he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.

The eyes of God are on those who fear him;

he understands man's every deed.

No one does he command to act unjustly,

to none does he give license to sin.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why does God allow us to choose evil and death? Why does He give us them?

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 2:6-10)

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

Brothers and sisters:

We speak a wisdom to those who are mature,

not a wisdom of this age,

nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.

Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden,

which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,

and which none of the rulers of this age knew;

for, if they had known it,

they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written:

What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,

and what has not entered the human heart,

what God has prepared for those who love him, 

this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What is the wisdom St. Paul is talking about? What does the last line of this reading mean?

Gospel (Matthew 5:17-37)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew .

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,

not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter

will pass from the law,

until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments

and teaches others to do so

will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments

will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses

that of the scribes and Pharisees,

you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,

You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.

But I say to you,

whoever is angry with his brother

will be liable to judgment;

and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,'

will be answerable to the Sanhedrin;

and whoever says, 'You fool,'

will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,

and there recall that your brother

has anything against you,

leave your gift there at the altar,

go first and be reconciled with your brother,

and then come and offer your gift.

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.

Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,

and the judge will hand you over to the guard,

and you will be thrown into prison.

Amen, I say to you,

you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

"You have heard that it was said, 

You shall not commit adultery.

But I say to you,

everyone who looks at a woman with lust

has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to sin,

tear it out and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one of your members

than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.

And if your right hand causes you to sin,

cut it off and throw it away.

It is better for you to lose one of your members

than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

"It was also said,

Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.

But I say to you,

whoever divorces his wife -  unless the marriage is unlawful - 

causes her to commit adultery,

and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

"Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,

Do not take a false oath,

but make good to the Lord all that you vow.

But I say to you, do not swear at all;

not by heaven, for it is God's throne;

nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;

nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Do not swear by your head,

for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'

Anything more is from the evil one."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? In what ways does Jesus fulfill the law? How can we make sure our yes means yes and no means no?

Word Wide Open: The Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) - 2/5/23

First Reading (Isaiah 58:7-10)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD:

Share your bread with the hungry,

shelter the oppressed and the homeless;

clothe the naked when you see them,

and do not turn your back on your own.

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

and your wound shall quickly be healed;

your vindication shall go before you,

and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,

you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

If you remove from your midst

oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;

if you bestow your bread on the hungry

and satisfy the afflicted;

then light shall rise for you in the darkness,

and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why does serving others make us holier?

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

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

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,

proclaiming the mystery of God,

I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you

except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,

and my message and my proclamation

were not with persuasive words of wisdom,

but with a demonstration of Spirit and power,

so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom

but on the power of God.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we get to know Jesus? Why do our own words fall short of revealing God’s glory?

Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew .

Jesus said to his disciples:

"You are the salt of the earth.

But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?

It is no longer good for anything

but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world.

A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;

it is set on a lampstand,

where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your heavenly Father."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What does the comparison to salt and light mean? How do our good deeds and faith reveal God’s glory?