Word Wide Open: The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 10/24/21

First Reading (Jeremiah 31:7-9)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah.

Thus says the LORD:

    Shout with joy for Jacob,

        exult at the head of the nations;

        proclaim your praise and say:

    The LORD has delivered his people,

        the remnant of Israel.

    Behold, I will bring them back

        from the land of the north;

    I will gather them from the ends of the world,

        with the blind and the lame in their midst,

    the mothers and those with child;

        they shall return as an immense throng.

    They departed in tears,

        but I will console them and guide them;

    I will lead them to brooks of water,

        on a level road, so that none shall stumble.

    For I am a father to Israel,

        Ephraim is my first-born.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does God always guide us back to Himself? How can we come back to God when we are far away?


Second Reading (Hebrews 5:1-6)

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews.

Brothers and sisters:

Every high priest is taken from among men

and made their representative before God,

to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,

for he himself is beset by weakness

and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself

as well as for the people.

No one takes this honor upon himself

but only when called by God,

just as Aaron was.

In the same way,

it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,

but rather the one who said to him:

    You are my son:

        this day I have begotten you;

just as he says in another place:

    You are a priest forever

        according to the order of Melchizedek.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How are we all called to be priests? How do priests do the things in this reading?

Gospel (Mark 10:46-52)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,

Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,

sat by the roadside begging.

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,

he began to cry out and say,

"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 

But he kept calling out all the more,

"Son of David, have pity on me."

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."

So they called the blind man, saying to him,

"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 

Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" 

The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." 

Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." 

Immediately he received his sight

and followed him on the way.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How does having faith save us? How should we ask Jesus for things?

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 10/17/21

First Reading (Isaiah 53:10-11)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

The LORD was pleased

    to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,

    he shall see his descendants in a long life,

    and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction

    he shall see the light in fullness

        of days;

through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,

    and their guilt he shall bear.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why must a sacrifice be made in order to pay for sins?


Second Reading (Hebrews 4:14-16)

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews.

Brothers and sisters:

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, 

Jesus, the Son of God,

let us hold fast to our confession.

For we do not have a high priest

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

but one who has similarly been tested in every way,

yet without sin. 

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace

to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How did Jesus experience the weakness of humanity without sinning? 

Gospel (Mark 10:35-45)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,

"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 

He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" 

They answered him, "Grant that in your glory

we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." 

Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. 

Can you drink the cup that I drink

or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 

They said to him, "We can." 

Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,

and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;

but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give

but is for those for whom it has been prepared." 

When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. 

Jesus summoned them and said to them,

"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles

lord it over them,

and their great ones make their authority over them felt. 

But it shall not be so among you.

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;

whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. 

For the Son of Man did not come to be served

but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What is the cup they all will drink? How are true leaders servants to others? 

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - 10/10/21

First Reading (Wisdom 7:7-11)

A reading from the Book of Wisdom.

 I prayed, and prudence was given me;

        I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

    I preferred her to scepter and throne,

    and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,

        nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;

    because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,

        and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.

    Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,

    and I chose to have her rather than the light,

        because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.

    Yet all good things together came to me in her company,

        and countless riches at her hands.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What is the gift of wisdom? Why should we want it over all earthly things?


Second Reading (Hebrews 4:12-13)

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews.

Brothers and sisters:

Indeed the word of God is living and effective,

sharper than any two-edged sword,

penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,

and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

No creature is concealed from him,

but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him

to whom we must render an account.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How is the word of God living and effective? What does the last part of this reading mean?

Gospel (Mark 10:17-30)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,

knelt down before him, and asked him,

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? 

No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: You shall not kill;

you shall not commit adultery;

you shall not steal;

you shall not bear false witness;

you shall not defraud;

honor your father and your mother." 

He replied and said to him,

"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,

"You are lacking in one thing.

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 

At that statement his face fell,

and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,

"How hard it is for those who have wealth

to enter the kingdom of God!" 

The disciples were amazed at his words.

So Jesus again said to them in reply,

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,

"Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said,

"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. 

All things are possible for God." 

Peter began to say to him,

"We have given up everything and followed you." 

Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,

there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters

or mother or father or children or lands

for my sake and for the sake of the gospel

who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:

houses and brothers and sisters

and mothers and children and lands,

with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? In what ways are we like the first man in this reading? Why does having earthly things make it difficult to get into heaven? How does God reward our sacrifices?

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) -10/3/21

 

 

First Reading (Genesis 2:18-24)

A reading from the Book of Genesis.

The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name. 
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
    "This one, at last, is bone of my bones
        and flesh of my flesh;
    this one shall be called 'woman, '
        for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why is not good for us to be alone? What does this reading tell us about God's plan for us?


Second Reading (Hebrews 2:9-11)

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews.

Brothers and sisters:
He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does suffering perfect us?

Gospel (Mark 10:2-16)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" 
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" 
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment. 
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh. 
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate." 
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. 
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
"Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these. 
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? In what ways are our hearts hardened? Why does the Kingdom of God belong to children?

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?