Word Wide Open: The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 7/2/23

First Reading (2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a)

A reading from the Second Book of Kings.

One day Elisha came to Shunem,

where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. 

Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.

So she said to her husband, "I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.

Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof

and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,

so that when he comes to us he can stay there."

Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.

Later Elisha asked, "Can something be done for her?"

His servant Gehazi answered, "Yes!

She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years."

Elisha said, "Call her."

When the woman had been called and stood at the door,

Elisha promised, "This time next year

you will be fondling a baby son."

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does God always fulfill His promises?

Second Reading (Romans 6:3-4, 8-11)

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

Brothers and sisters:

Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into his death?

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead

by the glory of the Father,

we too might live in newness of life.

If, then, we have died with Christ,

we believe that we shall also live with him.

We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;

death no longer has power over him.

As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;

as to his life, he lives for God.

Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin

and living for God in Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why did we need to be reconciled with God? Why do we need to continue to go to Confession?

Gospel (Matthew10:37-42)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Jesus said to his apostles:

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,

and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

and whoever does not take up his cross

and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,

and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet

will receive a prophet's reward,

and whoever receives a righteous man

because he is a righteous man

will receive a righteous man's reward.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water

to one of these little ones to drink

because the little one is a disciple—

amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What is Jesus saying about our relationship with our families? Why is carrying our cross so essential to being a Christian? 

Word Wide Open: The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 6/18/23

 

First Reading (Exodus 19:2-6a)

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.

While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,

Moses went up the mountain to God.

Then the LORD called to him and said,

“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;

tell the Israelites:

You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians

and how I bore you up on eagle wings

and brought you here to myself. 

Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,

you shall be my special possession,

dearer to me than all other people,

though all the earth is mine.

You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”

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 God’s chosen people?

Second Reading (Romans 5:6-11)

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

Brothers and sisters:

Christ, while we were still helpless, 

yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,

though perhaps for a good person

one might even find courage to die.

But God proves his love for us

in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,

will we be saved through him from the wrath.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,

how much more, once reconciled,

will we be saved by his life.

Not only that,

but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why did we need to be reconciled with God? Why do we need to continue to go to Confession?

Gospel (Matthew 9:36-10:8)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them 

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples,

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples

and gave them authority over unclean spirits

to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

The names of the twelve apostles are these:

first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;

James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;

Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,

“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.

Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How do we help the Lord with the harvest? In what ways are we the lost sheep?

Word Wide Open: The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (A) - 6/11/23

First Reading (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b16a)

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy.

Moses said to the people:

"Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,

has directed all your journeying in the desert,

so as to test you by affliction

and find out whether or not it was your intention

to keep his commandments. 

He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,

and then fed you with manna,

a food unknown to you and your fathers,

in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,

but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.

"Do not forget the LORD, your God,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

that place of slavery;

who guided you through the vast and terrible desert

with its saraph serpents and scorpions,

its parched and waterless ground;

who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock

and fed you in the desert with manna,

a food unknown to your fathers."

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does God always provide for us while we are suffering?

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

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

Brothers and sisters:

The cup of blessing that we bless,

is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?

The bread that we break,

is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Because the loaf of bread is one,

we, though many, are one body,

for we all partake of the one loaf.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why is participating in the Eucharist so important for us?

Gospel (John 6:51-58)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:

"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 Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,

"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 

Jesus said to them,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you do not have life within you. 

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

has eternal life,

and I will raise him on the last day. 

For my flesh is true food,

and my blood is true drink. 

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

remains in me and I in him. 

Just as the living Father sent me

and I have life because of the Father,

so also the one who feeds on me

will have life because of me. 

This is the bread that came down from heaven. 

Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,

whoever eats this bread will live forever."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How is Jesus the bread of life? How does it make us live forever?

Word Wide Open: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (A) - 6/4/23

First Reading (Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9)

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai

as the LORD had commanded him,

taking along the two stone tablets.

Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there

and proclaimed his name, "LORD."

Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,

"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,

slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."

Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.

Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord,

do come along in our company.

This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins,

and receive us as your own."

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we find favor with God?

Second Reading (2 Corinthians 13:11-13)

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

Brothers and sisters, rejoice. 

Mend your ways, encourage one another,

agree with one another, live in peace,

and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the holy ones greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

and the love of God

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What are some of the "ways" we need to mend in today's world? How can we achieve peace in our own lives?

Gospel (John 3:16-18)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,

but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How are the Father and the Son different? How does Jesus save the world?

Word Wide Open: Pentecost Sunday (A) - 5/28/23

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? Do these sorts of miracles still happen today?

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 can we get better at knowing the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us? How do we strengthen the body of Christ?

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? What is Jesus sending us out to do? How does this passage establish the sacrament of reconciliation?

Word Wide Open: The Ascension of the Lord (A) - 5/21/23

First Reading (Acts 1:1-11)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

In the first book, Theophilus,

I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught

until the day he was taken up,

after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit

to the apostles whom he had chosen.

He presented himself alive to them

by many proofs after he had suffered,

appearing to them during forty days

and speaking about the kingdom of God.

While meeting with them,

he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,

but to wait for “the promise of the Father

about which you have heard me speak;

for John baptized with water,

but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When they had gathered together they asked him,

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons

that the Father has established by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

throughout Judea and Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth.”

When he had said this, as they were looking on,

he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,

suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.

They said, “Men of Galilee,

why are you standing there looking at the sky?

This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven

will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:   Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why is it so easy to worry about time and busyness? What do we know about Jesus returning?

Second Reading (Ephesians 1:17-23)

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

Brothers and sisters:

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation

resulting in knowledge of him.

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,

that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,

what are the riches of glory

in his inheritance among the holy ones,

and what is the surpassing greatness of his power

for us who believe,

in accord with the exercise of his great might,

which he worked in Christ,

raising him from the dead

and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,

far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,

and every name that is named

not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And he put all things beneath his feet

and gave him as head over all things to the church,

which is his body,

the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we grow in wisdom about God? What is our inheritance?

Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,

to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Then Jesus approached and said to them,

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How can we make disciples of all nations? In what ways is Jesus always with us? 

Word Wide Open: The Sixth Sunday of Easter (A) - 5/14/23

First Reading (Acts 8:5-8, 14-17)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Philip went down to the city of Samaria

and proclaimed the Christ to them.

With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip

when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.

For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,

came out of many possessed people,

and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.

There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem

heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,

they sent them Peter and John,

who went down and prayed for them,

that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

for it had not yet fallen upon any of them;

they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid hands on them

and they received the Holy Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How can we bring joy to the places we go? What happens when someone receives the Holy Spirit?

Second Reading (1 Peter 3:15-18)

A reading from the First Letter of St. Peter. 

Beloved:

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

Always be ready to give an explanation

to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,

but do it with gentleness and reverence,

keeping your conscience clear,

so that, when you are maligned,

those who defame your good conduct in Christ

may themselves be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good,

if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,

the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,

that he might lead you to God.

Put to death in the flesh,

he was brought to life in the Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What does it mean that Jesus is the Lord of your heart? Why is sharing our experience with God so important?

Gospel (John 14:15-21)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus said to his disciples:

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father, 

and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,

because it neither sees nor knows him.

But you know him, because he remains with you,

and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

In a little while the world will no longer see me,

but you will see me, because I live and you will live.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father

and you are in me and I in you.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them

is the one who loves me.

And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,

and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What does obeying the commandments show we love God? In what ways is the Holy Spirit an advocate for us? 

Word Wide Open: The Fifth Sunday of Easter (A) - 5/7/23

First Reading (Acts 6:1-7)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

As the number of disciples continued to grow,

the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews

because their widows

were being neglected in the daily distribution.

So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,

"It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.

Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,

filled with the Spirit and wisdom,

whom we shall appoint to this task,

whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer

and to the ministry of the word."

The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,

so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,

also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,

and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

They presented these men to the apostles

who prayed and laid hands on them.

The word of God continued to spread,

and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;

even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How can we grow in faith? How do we increase the number of the faithful?

Second Reading (1 Peter 2:4-9)

A reading from the First Letter of St. Peter. 

Beloved:

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings

but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

and, like living stones,

let yourselves be built into a spiritual house

to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For it says in Scripture:

Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,

a cornerstone, chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.

Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone, and

A stone that will make people stumble,

and a rock that will make them fall.

They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, a people of his own,

so that you may announce the praises" of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions:  Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What does it mean that Jesus is a living stone? How can we build our lives around our faith?

Gospel (John 14:1-12)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.

You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.

If there were not,

would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back again and take you to myself,

so that where I am you also may be.

Where I am going you know the way."

Thomas said to him,

"Master, we do not know where you are going;

how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you know me, then you will also know my Father.

From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him,

"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time

and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.

The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,

or else, believe because of the works themselves.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,

and will do greater ones than these,

because I am going to the Father."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What does this reading reveal about the Holy Trinity? What is the path to heaven? What are the greater works we can perform?