Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 9/26/21

 

 

 

First Reading (Numbers 11:25-29)

A reading from the Book of Numbers.

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Are we called to be prophets? If so how? How does God send down His spirit on everyone?


Second Reading (James 5:1-6)

A reading from the Letter of St. James.

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Is there anything wrong with having a lot of material things? How can we make sure those things don't consume us?

Gospel (Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ, 
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How can we fix division among the faithful? In what ways can we be misled away from Christ?

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 9/19/21

First Reading (Wisdom 2:12, 17-20)

A reading from the Book of Wisdom.

The wicked say:

    Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;

        he sets himself against our doings,

    reproaches us for transgressions of the law

        and charges us with violations of our training.

    Let us see whether his words be true;

        let us find out what will happen to him.

    For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him

        and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

    With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test

        that we may have proof of his gentleness

        and try his patience.

    Let us condemn him to a shameful death;

        for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why are people often persecuted for doing the right thing? How does God deliver us from the hands of our foes?


Second Reading (James 3:16-4:3)

A reading from the Letter of St. James.

Beloved:

Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,

there is disorder and every foul practice. 

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,

then peaceable, gentle, compliant,

full of mercy and good fruits,

without inconstancy or insincerity. 

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace

for those who cultivate peace.

Where do the wars

and where do the conflicts among you come from? 

Is it not from your passions

that make war within your members? 

You covet but do not possess. 

You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;

you fight and wage war. 

You do not possess because you do not ask. 

You ask but do not receive,

because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why is jealousy so harmful to us? How can we make sure we are not wrapped up in our passions?

Gospel (Mark 9:30-37)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,

but he did not wish anyone to know about it. 

He was teaching his disciples and telling them,

“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men

and they will kill him,

and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” 

But they did not understand the saying,

and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,

he began to ask them,

“What were you arguing about on the way?” 

But they remained silent.

They had been discussing among themselves on the way

who was the greatest. 

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,

“If anyone wishes to be first,

he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 

Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,

and putting his arms around it, he said to them,

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;

and whoever receives me,

receives not me but the One who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How can we be servants of all? What is Jesus trying to say about the child? 

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 9/12/21

 

First Reading (Isaiah 50:5-9a)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;

and I have not rebelled,

    have not turned back.

I gave my back to those who beat me,

    my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;

my face I did not shield

    from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,

    therefore I am not disgraced;

I have set my face like flint,

    knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

He is near who upholds my right;

    if anyone wishes to oppose me,

    let us appear together.

Who disputes my right?

    Let that man confront me.

See, the Lord GOD is my help;

    who will prove me wrong?

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How should we respond to persecution? Why are people in today's world often against faith?


Second Reading (James 2:14-18)

A reading from the Letter of St. James.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,

if someone says he has faith but does not have works? 

Can that faith save him? 

If a brother or sister has nothing to wear

and has no food for the day,

and one of you says to them,

“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”

but you do not give them the necessities of the body,

what good is it? 

So also faith of itself,

if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,

“You have faith and I have works.” 

Demonstrate your faith to me without works,

and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What are the "works" we need to do to keep our faith alive?

Gospel (Mark 8:27-35)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus and his disciples set out

for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. 

Along the way he asked his disciples,

“Who do people say that I am?” 

They said in reply,

“John the Baptist, others Elijah,

still others one of the prophets.” 

And he asked them,

“But who do you say that I am?” 

Peter said to him in reply,

“You are the Christ.” 

Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them

that the Son of Man must suffer greatly

and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed, and rise after three days. 

He spoke this openly. 

Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 

At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,

rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. 

You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me. 

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake

and that of the gospel will save it.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? Who would you say Jesus is? Why was Jesus mad at Peter? In what ways are we supposed to lose our lives for the Gospel?

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 9/5/21

First Reading (Isaiah 35:4-7a)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD:

    Say to those whose hearts are frightened:

        Be strong, fear not!

    Here is your God,

        he comes with vindication;

    with divine recompense

        he comes to save you.

    Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,

        the ears of the deaf be cleared;

    then will the lame leap like a stag,

        then the tongue of the mute will sing.

    Streams will burst forth in the desert,

        and rivers in the steppe.

    The burning sands will become pools, 

        and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why is fear so common in our world and how does God save us from it?


Second Reading (James 2:1-5)

A reading from the Letter of St. James.

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality

as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes

comes into your assembly,

and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,

and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes

and say, “Sit here, please, ”

while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ”

have you not made distinctions among yourselves

and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.

Did not God choose those who are poor in the world

to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom

that he promised to those who love him?

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why is treating everyone the same so important? What happens when we don't?

Gospel (Mark 7:31-37)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre

and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,

into the district of the Decapolis. 

And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment

and begged him to lay his hand on him.

He took him off by himself away from the crowd. 

He put his finger into the man’s ears

and, spitting, touched his tongue;

then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,

“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —

And immediately the man’s ears were opened,

his speech impediment was removed,

and he spoke plainly. 

He ordered them not to tell anyone. 

But the more he ordered them not to,

the more they proclaimed it. 

They were exceedingly astonished and they said,

“He has done all things well. 

He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How does Jesus open our ears to His voice? What sort of miracles does Jesus work today?

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 8/29/21

First Reading (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8)

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy.

Moses said to the people:

“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees

which I am teaching you to observe,

that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land

which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 

In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God,

which I enjoin upon you,

you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. 

Observe them carefully,

for thus will you give evidence

of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,

who will hear of all these statutes and say,

‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’

For what great nation is there

that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us

whenever we call upon him? 

Or what great nation has statutes and decrees

that are as just as this whole law

which I am setting before you today?”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does living God's commandments help us live a better life?


Second Reading (James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27)

A reading from the Letter of St. James.

Dearest brothers and sisters:

All good giving and every perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 

He willed to give us birth by the word of truth

that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you

and is able to save your souls.

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:

to care for orphans and widows in their affliction

and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

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 a doer of the word?

Gospel (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem

gathered around Jesus,

they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals

with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 

—For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,

do not eat without carefully washing their hands,

keeping the tradition of the elders.

And on coming from the marketplace 

they do not eat without purifying themselves. 

And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,

the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —

So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,

“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders

but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” 

He responded,

“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

    This people honors me with their lips,

        but their hearts are far from me;

    in vain do they worship me,

        teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

He summoned the crowd again and said to them,

“Hear me, all of you, and understand. 

Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;

but the things that come out from within are what defile.

“From within people, from their hearts,

come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,

adultery, greed, malice, deceit,

licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.

All these evils come from within and they defile.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What are things that defile our hearts? How can we avoid negativity? 

Word Wide Open: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (B) - 8/15/21

First Reading (Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab)

A reading from the Book of Revelation.

God’s temple in heaven was opened,

and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,

with the moon under her feet,

and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.

Then another sign appeared in the sky;

it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,

and on its heads were seven diadems.

Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky

and hurled them down to the earth.

Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,

to devour her child when she gave birth.

She gave birth to a son, a male child,

destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.

Her child was caught up to God and his throne.

The woman herself fled into the desert

where she had a place prepared by God.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

    “Now have salvation and power come,

        and the Kingdom of our God

        and the authority of his Anointed One.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What do we learn about Mary from this reading?


Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15:20-27)

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

Brothers and sisters:

Christ has been raised from the dead,

the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since death came through man,

the resurrection of the dead came also through man.

For just as in Adam all die,

so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,

but each one in proper order:

Christ the firstfruits;

then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;

then comes the end,

when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,

when he has destroyed every sovereignty

and every authority and power.

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death,

for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does Christ destroy death? How do we defeat death?

Gospel (Luke 1:39-56)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

“Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

    “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

        my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

        for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

    From this day all generations will call me blessed:

        the Almighty has done great things for me

        and holy is his Name.

    He has mercy on those who fear him

        in every generation.

    He has shown the strength of his arm,

        and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

    He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

        and has lifted up the lowly.

    He has filled the hungry with good things,

        and the rich he has sent away empty.

    He has come to the help of his servant Israel

        for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

        the promise he made to our fathers,

        to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months

and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What does the Holy Spirit reveal to Elizabeth about Mary? What does Mary say about God in this reading?

Word Wide Open: The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 8/8/21

First Reading (1 Kings 19:4-8)

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert,

until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. 

He prayed for death saying:

“This is enough, O LORD! 

Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 

He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree,

but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. 

Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake

and a jug of water. 

After he ate and drank, he lay down again,

but the angel of the LORD came back a second time,

touched him, and ordered,

“Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” 

He got up, ate, and drank;

then strengthened by that food,

he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What are the missions God sends us on?


Second Reading (Ephesians 4:30-5:2)

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

Brothers and sisters:

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,

with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling

must be removed from you, along with all malice. 

And be kind to one another, compassionate,

forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,

as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us

as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does bitterness and anger draw us away from God? What does it mean to live in love?

Gospel (John 6:41-51)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,

“I am the bread that came down from heaven, ”

and they said,

“Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? 

Do we not know his father and mother? 

Then how can he say,

‘I have come down from heaven’?” 

Jesus answered and said to them,

“Stop murmuring among yourselves. 

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,

and I will raise him on the last day. 

It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. 

Not that anyone has seen the Father

except the one who is from God;

he has seen the Father. 

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes has eternal life. 

I am the bread of life. 

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;

this is the bread that comes down from heaven

so that one may eat it and not die. 

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? Why do the followers initially question Jesus? How does the Eucharist give us eternal life? What does the Eucharist enable us to do in everyday life?

Word Wide Open: The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 8/1/21

First Reading (Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15)

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 

The Israelites said to them,

“Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt,

as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! 

But you had to lead us into this desert

to make the whole community die of famine!”

Then the LORD said to Moses,

“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. 

Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;

thus will I test them,

to see whether they follow my instructions or not.

“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. 

Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,

and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,

so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.”

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. 

In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,

and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert

were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. 

On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?”

for they did not know what it was. 

But Moses told them,

“This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why do we often blame God for our problems and sufferings? How does the manna in the desert prefigure the Eucharist?


Second Reading (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24)

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

Brothers and sisters:

I declare and testify in the Lord

that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,

in the futility of their minds;

that is not how you learned Christ,

assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him,

as truth is in Jesus,

that you should put away the old self of your former way of life,

corrupted through deceitful desires,

and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

and put on the new self,

created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How are we called to live differently than non-Christians? What are things we need to live behind to follow Christ?

Gospel (John 6:24-35)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,

they themselves got into boats

and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 

And when they found him across the sea they said to him,

“Rabbi, when did you get here?” 

Jesus answered them and said,

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

you are looking for me not because you saw signs

but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 

Do not work for food that perishes

but for the food that endures for eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give you. 

For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 

So they said to him,

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” 

Jesus answered and said to them,

“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” 

So they said to him,

“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? 

What can you do? 

Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

    He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

So Jesus said to them,

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;

my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 

For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.”

So they said to him,

“Sir, give us this bread always.” 

Jesus said to them,

“I am the bread of life;

whoever comes to me will never hunger,

and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What earthly things we settle for instead of God? What does the Bread of Life discourse teach us about the Eucharist?

Word Wide Open: The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 7/25/21

First Reading (2 Kings 4:42-44)

A reading from the Second Book of Kings.

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,

twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,

and fresh grain in the ear. 

Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” 

But his servant objected,

“How can I set this before a hundred people?” 

Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” 

“For thus says the LORD,

‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” 

And when they had eaten, there was some left over,

as the LORD had said.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What is the food God provides for us and what does it do for us?


Second Reading (Ephesians 4:1-6)

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

Brothers and sisters:

I, a prisoner for the Lord,

urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,

with all humility and gentleness, with patience,

bearing with one another through love,

striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:

one body and one Spirit,

as you were also called to the one hope of your call;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God and Father of all,

who is over all and through all and in all.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we live in a manner worthy of the call we have received? Why should we try to be more patient with others?

Gospel (John 6:1-15)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. 

A large crowd followed him,

because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 

Jesus went up on the mountain,

and there he sat down with his disciples. 

The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 

When Jesus raised his eyes

and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,

he said to Philip,

“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 

He said this to test him,

because he himself knew what he was going to do. 

Philip answered him,

“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough

for each of them to have a little.” 

One of his disciples,

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;

but what good are these for so many?” 

Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” 

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. 

So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,

and distributed them to those who were reclining,

and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 

When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,

“Gather the fragments left over,

so that nothing will be wasted.” 

So they collected them,

and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments 

from the five barley loaves

that had been more than they could eat. 

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,

“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 

Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off

to make him king,

he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

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 God always provide for us? How does the Eucharist sustain us in faith? 

Word Wide Open: The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 7/18/21

First Reading (Jeremiah 23:1-6)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah.

Woe to the shepherds

who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,

says the LORD. 

Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,

against the shepherds who shepherd my people:

You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. 

You have not cared for them,

but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. 

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock

from all the lands to which I have driven them

and bring them back to their meadow;

there they shall increase and multiply. 

I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them

so that they need no longer fear and tremble;

and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

    Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,

        when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;

    as king he shall reign and govern wisely,

        he shall do what is just and right in the land.

    In his days Judah shall be saved,

        Israel shall dwell in security.

    This is the name they give him:

        “The LORD our justice.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What makes a leader a good leader? How is Jesus the good shepherd?


Second Reading (Ephesians 2:13-18)

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

Brothers and sisters:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one

and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,

abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,

that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,

thus establishing peace,

and might reconcile both with God,

in one body, through the cross,

putting that enmity to death by it. 

He came and preached peace to you who were far off

and peace to those who were near,

for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does God draw us closer to Himself? How are we reconciled with God?

Gospel (Mark 6:30-34)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

The apostles gathered together with Jesus

and reported all they had done and taught. 

He said to them,

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

People were coming and going in great numbers,

and they had no opportunity even to eat. 

So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. 

They hastened there on foot from all the towns

and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,

his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? Why is private prayer time so important? How does Jesus how us to love others?

Word Wide Open: The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 7/11/21

First Reading (Amos 7:12-15)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos.

Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos,

“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! 

There earn your bread by prophesying,

but never again prophesy in Bethel;

for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.” 

Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,

nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;

I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. 

The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,

Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why does God often call us out of our comfort zone? What are difficult things God asks us to do?


Second Reading (Ephesians 1:3-14)

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

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us in Christ

with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,

as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,

to be holy and without blemish before him. 

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,

in accord with the favor of his will,

for the praise of the glory of his grace

that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we have redemption by his blood,

the forgiveness of transgressions,

in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. 

In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us

the mystery of his will in accord with his favor

that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,

to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

In him we were also chosen,

destined in accord with the purpose of the One

who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,

so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,

we who first hoped in Christ. 

In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,

were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,

which is the first installment of our inheritance

toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

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 chosen before the foundation of the world? How do we achieve the purpose of the One?

Gospel (Mark 6:7-13)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two

and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey

but a walking stick—

no food, no sack, no money in their belts. 

They were, however, to wear sandals

but not a second tunic. 

He said to them,

“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. 

Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,

leave there and shake the dust off your feet

in testimony against them.” 

So they went off and preached repentance. 

The Twelve drove out many demons,

and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What are the powers that Christ gives His people today? Why is relying on God for everything so difficult?