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January 1, 2019 – Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: There are parts ofour lives and relationships that are difficult, disappoint-ing, and messy. God understands that and wants to giveus new life through his love and blessing. For the timeswe fail to come to God, open to his healing, we ask forcourage and forgiveness.

LITURGY OF THE WORD:

• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, the people of Israelprepare to set out for their homeland. They begin thejourney with a special blessing from the Lord.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul speaks ofGod’s grace. We are no longer bound by sin but enjoythe freedom that comes from being God’s children.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, the shepherds quicklygo to Bethlehem to announce to Mary and Joseph andall those present the Good News about the identity oftheir newborn child.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

1) That all political and Church leaders heed their callto promote policies of love, mercy, and liberation,

2) That those who are struggling or suffering this day hear the voice of God, claiming them as his beloved children,

3) That those gathered here be attentive to God’s bless-ing in a special way this week,

4) That all believers, inspired by Mary’s discipleship,become bolder in our outreach to those sufferingfrom grief, depression, addiction, or oppression,

January 6, 2019 – Epiphany of the Lord

INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: Today's feast cele-brates the manifestation of Jesus to the magi. For thetimes we have ignored God's manifestation to us, we askforgiveness.


• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, a prophet has won-derful news for a weary people. They will receive giftsGod alone can give them.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul the apostleis grateful for the privilege of bringing the Gospel to thegentiles.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, magi from the East, sym-bolizing the gentiles, are guided by a star to payhomage to the newborn king of the Jews, who will berejected by his own people.


1) For a peace based on justice in the land where Jesus lived,

2) For all those who are seeking God,3) For all those displaced from their homeland,4) For all those preparing for the birth of or adoption

of children,

January 13, 2019 – Baptism of the Lord

INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: This liturgy con-cludes the Christmas season. As we prepare to hearGod’s word, let us call to mind our faults and sins, ourfrustrations and disappointments in life. We ask our lov-ing God to bless our lives and restore us to a state ofgrace.


• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, a prophet intro-duces God’s special servant. This servant will teach thenations the way of the Lord.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, the apostlePeter preaches the Gospel for the first time to a house-hold outside the Jewish tradition.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, John the Baptist testifiesthat Jesus is the Christ, and a voice from heaven con-firms this by declaring, “You are my beloved Son; withyou I am well pleased.”

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Editor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA; Exegesis: 1 and 2: Rev. Timothy Schehr, PhD, SSL; G: Rev. Eugene Hensell, OSB, PhD.

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Lectern GuideINTRODUCTIONS TO PENITENTIAL RITE AND READINGS, MODELS FOR GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

The INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE is a model which can also be adapted for use as an introduction to

the liturgy itself. The INTRODUCTIONS TO THE READINGS, if read by priest or lector before the respective read-

ings, are intended to focus the attention of the listeners. The MODELS FOR GENERAL INTERCESSIONS relate to

the theme of the homily outline and may be used to supplement the usual petitions.

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1) For Pope Francis as he leads us in the way of theGospel,

2) That political leaders, both local and global, work for the common good of all,

3) That our brothers and sisters who are ill, in the hos-pital, or in nursing care receive from the Holy Spirit strength and healing,

4) That those who have died this week live in theglory of God’s presence for all eternity,

January 20, 2019 – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: The mystery ofGod’s love for us is cause for both celebration and hum-ble repentance. We are blessed to receive this abundant,unmerited love and challenged to live in such a way as toshare that blessing with others. For the times we havefailed to do that, we ask forgiveness.


• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, a prophet cele-brates a restored relationship between God and peo-ple.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul celebratesthe many different gifts enjoyed by the community offaith. All these gifts are given by the same Spirit.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, Jesus turns six stonejars full of water into choicest wine as a sign that Jesushimself brings to believers an abundance of salvation.


1) That the Church throughout the world heed thewords of the apostle Paul and accept the service ofthose who have diverse gifts,

2) That those recently sworn into public office, bothstate and federal, serve the public good and payspecial attention to those in our society who areoften neglected and overlooked,

3) That for married couples and those preparing for marriage their commitment to each other growever stronger,

4) That the human dignity of all who are terminally ill,the unborn, and those condemned to death beupheld and their rights protected,

5) That this eucharistic community prepare to meet theLord at the banquet feast of God’s kingdom,

January 27, 2019 – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: Father, we some-times resist the grace that tells us we’ve sinned. For allour sins, we ask forgiveness.


• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, the people hearproclaimed the law of God. They are attentive to everyword.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul empha-sizes the unity of the Church. All its members belong tothe one Body of Christ.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, Luke explains in a pro-logue his motive for writing this narrative while Jesusdemonstrates this during his first and only visit toNazareth, his hometown.


1) For the grace to realize our sins and be grateful forGod’s forgiveness,

2) For the strength to make amends for the harm oursins have done,

3) For the vision to see the goodness that lives in us inspite of our sins,

4) For those who have been scandalized by the sins ofChristians,

5) For those who cannot accept the seeming paradox-es of faith,

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Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Numbers 6:22–27Aaron and his sons had special privileges among theLevites. Among other things, they alone were permit-ted to draw close to the ark of the covenant within thesanctuary and prepare it for transport (Nm 4:5–15). Inthis reading they receive yet another privilege fromGod.

1) Journey. Final preparations are underway forIsrael’s journey to the promised land. They havebeen at the base of Mt. Sinai for nearly a year, learn-ing what it means to be God’s covenanted people.God has given them advantages to make the journeywithout hindrance. They have the discipline andorganization of an army; they have the law of Moses;they have a sacred calendar to keep them focused onGod. Most importantly of all, they have God in theirmidst, secured by the presence of the ark of thecovenant within the community.

2) Blessings. Aaron and his sons are permitted toinvoke the name of God over the people, bestowingupon them God’s blessing. The wording of the bless-ing demonstrates just how favorable God is to Israel.God’s face shines on them to assure them they havedivine protection. They also enjoy benefits that Godalone can give, including life, increase, and lastingpeace. It seems their advance to the promised landwill be without incident. Whatever difficulties theyencounter along the way, God will be looking afterthem. In later chapters God will continue to nourishthem with the manna, protect them from attack, andslake their thirst with water from the rock.

Exegesis of the 2nd Reading: Galatians 4:4–7

1) God’s Son. Paul is mindful of God’s great love forus. The Father sent his only Son into the world to ran-som those who were once under the law of Moses.

2) God’s children. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we canpray to God as our heavenly Father. We are no longerslaves but God’s children.

Exegesis of the Gospel: Luke 2:16–21Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus is characterized by thesimplicity and reserve the evangelist employs in nar-rating such a magnificent event. The major surprise ispresenting the total ordinary setting in a peasant envi-ronment as a fitting place for such a remarkable divineintervention into human history. The story containsthree parts.

1) The setting. Over the centuries Luke’s story of thebirth of Jesus has been buried in popular devotion.This has tended to cover up the very ordinary environ-ment the evangelist provides. A peasant couple travel-ing to Bethlehem to fulfil a secular mandate from thekingdom of Caesar finds shelter and hospitality in abarn or cave. This is how peasants traveled. They pro-vided for one another. Luke makes special mention ofthe manger not to emphasize poverty or the lack of asuitable place for a newborn child. He is really think-ing about Isaiah 1:3: “An ox knows its owner, and anass its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know; mypeople has not understood.” With this newborn child,Israel can reverse that pessimistic prophecy.

2) The announcement. The shepherds find everythingto be just as they were told by the angels. They quicklyannounce to Mary and Joseph the good news aboutthis child. He is the Savior who is Messiah and Lord.The kingdom of God has directly intervened into thekingdom of Caesar. What is divinely extraordinary hasappeared in and through the most ordinary people.Peasant shepherds are the first to proclaim the goodnews about Jesus.

3) The reaction. The first and most suitable responseto this remarkable message of the shepherds is pureamazement on the part of everyone present. The tradi-tion from which Luke is drawing for this portion of hisstory seems not to know the tradition about the annun-ciation to Mary and the virginal conception. The re-sponse of Mary is very calm and cautious. She willhave to think about all this and ponder its possiblemeaning in her heart. In the meantime, she simplydoes the next thing. She has the child circumcised andgiven his official name, Jesus. He is now an officialmember of the chosen people.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

January 1, 2019

Annual Readings

Lectionary #18


Editor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA. Exegesis: 1 and 2: Fr. Timoithy Schehr, PhD, SSL;. G: Fr. Eugene Hensell, OSB, PhD.

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PURPOSE: To inspire discipleship in the way ofMary.

SUMMARY: Life can be hard. Mary’s example as adisciple shows us a path of real-life discipleship in asuffering world, inspiring us to claim God’s love

and blessing, bringing it to the places most in need.

A) ATTENTION GETTER: In small town

Appalachia or in bustling New York City, her imagecan be found. Across seas and winding roads, imagesof Mary often accompanied poor immigrants as theycame to America in search of a better life. ManyAmerican Catholics turned to Our Lady of Fatima dur-ing the Cold War for protection, just as farm workers inCalifornia drew close to Our Lady of Guadalupe asthey fought injustice. Unlike any other disciple orprophet in salvation history, Mary uniquely appeals to

believers in their struggles and difficulties.

B) APPLICATION: Mary leads us into a radical

form of discipleship rooted in trust in God’s promises.As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to help the

Good News of God’s love be born into a broken world.

1) Life is difficult. a) We all experience suffering, loss, fear, and disaap-

pointment. You cannot buy your way out of it orescape it—and disciples of Jesus are certainly notexempt.

b) Mary’s bold discipleship displayed early in theGospel narratives—her yes to God at the An-nunciation and her giving birth to Jesus in thestable—as well as her moments at the foot ofthe cross, remind us that Mary, mother and dis-ciple, knew pain, suffering, and difficulty.

c) We can relate to Mary’s struggles. For example,we can imagine her fear as a mother seekingrefuge, giving birth far away from home. Manyparents directly can connect to Mary at the foot ofthe cross. If we are honest, our discipleship, likeMary’s, is set in the context of our personalsuffering and communal struggle.

2) God wants to break into our lives, specifically inthe most difficult, damaged, and unsettled places. a) Our Savior chose to enter this world through a

young woman: unmarried and in a precarioussituation.

b) The King of Kings chose to be born in a manger,on the run, and among the poor, signaling anundeniable characteristic of God’s way. It is inthe very places that are most insecure, difficult,and often messy that God wants to be born.

3) Life’s difficulties are no match for God’s grace. Inthe midst of our struggles, God claims us as blessed and beloved. a) Blessed: we heard in Moses’ blessing, God

desires to meet us, especially in our trials, andbless us, lift us up, protect us, draw us close, andgive us peace. Whether we recognize it or not,like Mary, we are enfolded by God’s blessing.

b) Beloved children of God: Just as Mary “holds inher heart” and reflects on the awesomeness ofGod’s promise being delivered in the manger, sowe are likewise invited to reflect deeply on the magnitude of what God has done in calling us his beloved children.

c) This means that our life and identity are not mea-sured by our successes or difficulties, victories, orfailures, by our popularity or wealth. Instead, inthe eyes of God, our identity stands singularly asbeloved children.

4) As disciples we go into the brokenness of this world and proclaim the magnitude of God’s bless-ing and love. This means: a) Walking with our loved ones in their grief;b) Accompanying immigrants and refugees, of-

fering safety, hope, and security;c) Bringing God’s justice into places of injustice; and

d) Leading all Christians to radical discipleship.

C) CONCLUSION: Life is hard. And yet God em-

braces us in our suffering and claims us as blessedand beloved. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we arecalled, like Mary, not to flee from the brokennessand difficulties of our world, but rather to trust inGod’s promises and bring the Good News of God’slove and blessing to people and places in distress.

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST:As his beloved children, God invites us to gatheraround his table. So, let us come, trusting that God willbless us and nourish us.

(Joshua van Cleef)

Mary, Mother of God January 1, 2019

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Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Isaiah 60:1–6In the preceding oracle, Isaiah announced that Godwould soon come to redeem Zion and its repentantpeople (59:20). That oracle is fulfilled here: Things areabout to change dramatically for God’s faithful people.The exile proved to be a time of awakening for thenation. With all their illusions stripped away, they canat last focus on the one thing that really matters: obedi-ent service to God and the standards of heaven.

1) Jerusalem. The opening verses display a definiteupward sweep. Jerusalem arises from the depths ofsorrow and dismay; she also raises her eyes to see herchildren making their way back from exile. Nursescarry the children in their arms: a clear promise thatthis return will include generations to come. The dark-ness of sin and ignorance still envelopes the surround-ing nations. But in their midst stands Jerusalem like abeacon of light. This light is not generated from anyearthly source; it comes from God whose glory nowshines on the holy city. Jerusalem and its people nowserve God’s purpose without compromise.

2) The nations. The other nations can at last count onGod’s holy people to light up the way that leads themto God. Thankful to Jerusalem for showing them theway, the nations stream toward the city, bringing withthem priceless gifts. They come by land and sea. Cara-vans of camels make their way along the trade routesleading to Jerusalem. Ships laden with treasure anchorat ports along the seashore. These gifts are not given toenrich the people but to enhance their praise of God.There is gold to beautify the temple; there is incense tomix with the sacrifices offered on its altar.

Exegesis of the 2nd Reading: Ephesians 3:2–3a, 5–

6

1) Privilege. Paul expresses profound gratitude forthe wonderful privilege God has entrusted to him. Hehas been chosen to reveal even more about God’s planof salvation.

2) Promise. Earlier generations did not understandthe full extent of God’s saving plan. But Paul and oth-ers can now say that the gentiles are “copartners in thepromise of Christ Jesus.”

Exegesis of the Gospel: Matthew 2:1–12 Epiphany identifies Jesus as the newborn king of theJews. The broad strokes of the story show that he willbe rejected by his own people, the Jews, and he will beaccepted by foreigners, the gentiles. Matthew modelsthe intrigue of this story on the Exodus story of thebirth of Moses (2:1–10). For Matthew it is important tounderstand this story as the fulfilment of Scripture andso a wide variety of scriptural references make thispoint, emphasizing Jesus as the Messiah.

1) The cast of characters. The story begins by introduc-ing the main characters. Jesus has been newly born inBethlehem of Judea. King Herod ruled between 37 and4 BCE. Persian astrologers show up from the east, seek-ing this newborn king of the Jews. They have beenguided along their sacred journey by a mysterious star.The magi know who Jesus is and want to do himhomage.

2) The plot of king Herod. Herod is depicted as beingcaught totally off guard. If Herod is the king of theJews, how can another king of the Jews be newly born?Herod and those surrounding him are made to lookalmost comical in their response to the presence of themagi. They do not understood the Scriptures or thelong quote from the prophet Micah. Herod is con-cerned not so much about the theological aspects of allthis as he is the political implications. He does his bestto fool the magi into telling him what they know inorder that he might do away with this contender to thethrone.

3) The gentiles pay homage to Jesus. The magi find thelocation of the newborn child through the divine guid-ance of the star that has accompanied them all alongtheir journey. Their recognition of Jesus is immediate.They offer gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.Because there were three gifts, tradition has concludedthat there were three magi. These gifts also symbolizeroyalty; thus these magi are later on designated as thethree kings. Having found the newborn king of theJews and paid him homage, the magi have completedtheir mission. The real identity of Jesus has been mademanifest. The Jews will reject this, but the gentiles willaccept it.

Epiphany of the Lord

January 6, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #20





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Editor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA. Exegesis: 1 and 2: Fr. Timothy Schehr, PhD, SSL. G: Fr. Eugene Hensell, OSB, PhD.



PURPOSE: Fear shadows the light and skews ourthinking; light allows for life, creativity, and hope.

SUMMARY: The magi are the first of many gen-tiles who will follow in their footsteps, includingyou and me. From the start of his life on earth, Jesushas come for all people but his kingdom will not beone that Herod—or anyone who covets power—willseek. The latter will only pretend to see the light,and their sight will be shadowed with fear.

A) ATTENTION-GETTER: A recent family game

of Blindman’s Bluff began playfully and then turnedsour when players questioned the leader. He keptchanging the rules midstream so that he would neverbe the loser. Threatened in his position, he was deter-mined to place himself as winner, regardless of thefrustration and confusion imposed on family andfriends who were part of the game. Even with hisblindfold removed, the leader was still in the dark. Theother players moved on to enjoy one another’s compa-ny whereas the leader was left to himself. Where wasthe delight in posting himself winner when he had totrick the players to guarantee that?

B) APPLICATION: We have all experienced Epi-

phany: times when our night sky has been brightly lit,when our minds have been illumined, and when ourhearts have been enlightened. When we live in thelight, we are able to see that our lives, our families, ourcommunities, no matter how humble, are gloriousblessings. We respond to the light as the magi did—with gratitude, with honor, with gift. Unlike Herodwho had worldly power, we are not weak with fearthat we will lose our power. Because of his fear, hecould only pretend to see the light that the magi were

willing to share with him.

1) Herod offers a flip side of Advent. Whereas wesee in the magi the gifts of waiting, seeking, anddiscovery, Herod offers us a story of rejection,fear, and refusal of the light.a) The fears of change, loss, and comfort often

hinder us from opening our eyes to the light ofChrist all around us. How do we gain strengthto put aside our fears and stay open to the ex-periences of light God offers us?

b) Our furtive attempts at self-preservation candamaage ourselves and others.

2) God bends over backward to reach out to those who live far away from him. a) To the shepherds, he sent an angelic choir; for the

magi, he provided a star; to Herod there ap- peared curious sages who brought wisdom andgifts worthy of a king.

b) How has God reached out to each of us, revealinghimself in and through humanity in the flesh? Perhaps it was the day you bathed your firstgrandchild or the day you said “I love you”and knew that it was about more than romanceand physical attraction—or the time you sat vigilwith a dying loved one and knew that you wereon holy ground.

c) How do we pay forward this gift of light in ourday-to-day experiences? Are we conscious of ourresponsibility to share the light, or do we hordeit so that we may outshine others? Do weattach ourselves to power so that we become little Herods of our own kingdom?

3) Rather than return to Herod with word of theChrist Child, the magi returned home by anotherroute.a) What routes to Christ are available to us?b) Are we active in our parishes in being good stew-

ards of our time and talent—or might we find aroute to Christ through our family members whorub us the wrong way or in our communitieswhere we can be that light of Christ to others?

c) We all have a good deal to fear in a world that isever-changing, in a Church in which we may have lost trust, in loved ones who turn on us.But the light is not extinguished if we rememberthe magi and their journey to follow the light.We are hope-filled; we are a source of hope

for others.

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST: The magi find their way to the Christ child and “payhim homage.” The world recognizes the heavenly inthis tiny child. And the child recognizes the people ofGod in them. Let us come before the Lord with ourown homage to him and celebrate together the lightwithin each of us.

(Mary Ann Nicholls)

Epiphany of the Lord January 6, 2019

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Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Isaiah 42:1–4, 6–7Many of the prophet’s oracles in this part of the bookencourage the people to embrace the truth and let go ofillusions. For too long they have been distracted byfalsehoods from their duty as God’s holy people. Whatis true is that they belong to God. If they attach them-selves to anyone or anything other than God, they willbe disappointed. This is precisely what the people ofGod discovered when they trusted in earthly resourcesfor security. Ultimately, they ended up exiled in a for-eign land.

1) Servant. In this reading God presents a special ser-vant as the one who will make things right again. Godhas chosen this servant, who enjoys the gift of God’sspirit. This servant represents the ideal people of God.Years of exile have made them stronger and wiser.Now they are ready to embrace the plan God has hadfor them all along. Their attachment to the standards ofheaven will introduce justice for the nations. The ser-vant will teach this new lesson by example rather thanby loud proclamation “in the street.” The servant willnurture “a bruised reed” back to strength. Likewise,the servant will fan “a smoldering wick” back intoflame. In other words, even the smallest amount offaith will grow stronger because of the tireless effortstaken by this ideal servant.

2) Light. With God’s help, the servant will become abeacon of light for the rest of the world. The nationswere once blind to the ways of God. They were con-fined to limited thinking. They walked in the darknessof sin and ignorance. With the servant to guide them,they will see God’s ways, break free of limitations, andwalk by the light of faith.

Exegesis of the 2nd Reading: Acts 10:34–38

1) Every nation. God’s plan of salvation extends to allthe nations as Peter proclaims the Gospel to the house-hold of a Roman centurion.

2) Jesus Christ. The apostle reviews for his gentileaudience “what happened all over Judea” when Godanointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Lord of all.

Exegesis of the Gospel: Luke 3:15–16, 21–22 Today’s Gospel for the baptism of the Lord is Luke’sversion of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.Here the Church focuses on two major points. First,Jesus is the Messiah, and John the Baptist is not. Asgreat as John the Baptist is, Jesus is even greater. Thesecond point is the identity of Jesus as God’s belovedSon, affirmed by a divine voice from heaven.

1) Is John the Baptist the Messiah? Luke dedicatesalmost all of chapter three of his Gospel to describingthe ministry and preaching of John the Baptist. John isa powerful and persuasive preacher, and it is under-standable why those who heard him were convincedthat he was the Messiah. Historically, scholars pointout that when the Gospels were written, there werestill disciples of John the Baptist actively proclaiminghim to be the Messiah rather than Jesus. To counter thismovement, all the Gospels make a special effort to pro-claim that Jesus is the Messiah and superior to John theBaptist by divine plan and dictate.

2) Water versus Holy Spirit and fire. John the Baptistforcefully proclaims that one mightier than himself iscoming. John’s mission is to prepare for this event byproclaiming the need for repentance and symbolizingthat through a baptism with water. Jesus, the Messiah,will surpass John the Baptist by baptizing with theHoly Spirit and fire. This imagery of the Holy Spiritand fire reminds us of the Pentecost experience (Acts2:1–4). The symbolism is intended to stress that Jesus’ministry will have purifying characteristics that farsurpass the mission of John the Baptist.

3) You are my beloved Son. The actual baptism of Jesusby John is not described. An important point Lukemakes is that, following his baptism by John, Jesus waspraying. Prayer is a strong theme in Luke’s Gospel. Itis generally the context for divine revelation, and suchis the case here. After Jesus has been baptized, twothings happen. First, the heavens open, and the HolySpirit descends upon Jesus. Second, a voice from heav-en affirms Jesus as God’s beloved Son. Empoweredwith the Holy Spirit and affirmed as God’s Son, theway has now been prepared.

Baptism of the Lord

January 13, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #21


Editor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA. Exegesis: 1 and 2: Fr. Timoithy Schehr, PhD, SSL; G: Fr. Eugene Hensell, OSB, PhD.



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PURPOSE: This feast of the Baptism of the Lordcloses the Christmas season liturgically. We reenterOrdinary Time at sunset today. Jesus is baptized byJohn and affirmed by a voice from heaven and sobegins his mission on earth.

SUMMARY: Isaiah encourages his people to placetheir trust in God, not in earthly illusions. God’splan of salvation is for all the people of earth. Wehear Luke’s version of Jesus’ baptism by John.

A) ATTENTION-GETTER: Many people are fin-

ished with Christmas on December 26. Christmas isnot simply a day; it is a season. Almost four weeksafter Christmas Day, this glorious season concludes.We are only a few weeks into winter. We walk in faith;the hand of the infant Jesus holding our hand becomesthe hands of the adult Jesus with his arms around ourshoulders.

B) APPLICATION

1) Baptism is our gateway into the sacramental life ofthe Church. Through this sacrament we carry on the mission of Jesus in our day-to-day lives. a) Just as Jesus’ ministry began with his baptism by

John, so our ministry to others begins as wegrow in the life of the Church. Baptism is thebeginning; through the sacraments we are called to be Church to those around us. We are theChurch. We are the Body of Christ.

b) As Jesus went off to pray after his own baptism,we find strength and solace through our person- al and public prayer lives. We need this sacredquiet time with our Lord to replenish ourspirits and fortify our bodies and souls.

c) Just as our bodies need nutrition to grow and stayhealthy, so our souls need prayer and God’s graceto thrive.

d) Occasionally we get “snowed in” during the win-ter months, and we are afforded a bit of free time. We ought to become “graced in” even moreduring this quiet time of year.

2) We are making the liturgical transition from the joy-filled Christmas season to Ordinary Time. a) Throughout these “numbered” coming weeks

and cold winter days and nights, we ponder thegenuine presence of Jesus in our daily lives.We can ask ourselves: How is God presentin my life and those of my family and friends?

b) All of us work hard at supporting ourselves andour families. We all need the basic necessities in life: a place to live, food on the table, employ-ment. How about our spiritual basic necessities in life?

c) Are we aware of gentle touch and whisper ofthe Holy Spirit in our daily lives? How committed are we to constantly enrichingour lives as Roman Catholic Christians? How vibrant is our sacramental life?

d) After a good day’s work, it feels great to slipunder the blankets and ready ourselves for arestful sleep, especially on a cold and snowy

night. This is one of my favorite times to en-joy quiet prayer time as I wind down and pre-pare to drift off to sleep. The house is quiet; thelights are out, and I imagine myself in God’sloving embrace.

3) Jesus gives us a beautiful example of a vibrantprayer life. a) After his baptism by John, and before his public

ministry begins, Jesus retires alone to a private place for sincere prayer. He prepares himself for what is to come.

b) How many of us pray before we begin somethingnew and life-changing, such as a new job, start-ing a new home, beginning a new family? Ourbaptismal promises urge us to nurture our sac-ramental lives.

c) Prayer has the power to transform our lives. Howmuch time we spend and where we choose to bewhen we pray is always up to us. For some, sitting in a quiet church or chapel is ideal. Forothers, the kitchen table, the garden, or a quiet place in the woods—even your car on the way to or from work. Every place and time can be a good place to pray.

d) Jesus is fully human and fully divine. He knowsour wants and needs before we can even ask.Jesus knows our hurts, trials and tribulations.Take a bit of time to be “graced in” this winter.Create time simply to “be” with God.

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST:As we close the Christmas season and prepare to enterinto liturgical Ordinary Time, may we be at peace aswe share Communion: the Real Presence of Jesus intoour hearts, minds, and souls.

(David Kobak, OFM)

Baptism of the Lord January 13, 2019

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Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Isaiah 62:1–5The concluding oracles of this prophetic book celebratethe wonderful transformation within God’s holy peo-ple. At one time the people had grown so spirituallyweak that their kingdom collapsed into exile. But nowthey are spiritually strong again.

1) Victorious. The prophet wants everyone to knowwhat God has accomplished for the people of Jeru-salem. The people of God always had the potential todo great things. But that potential was obscured bymisguided thinking and bad choices. At last, they havebroken free of the limitations that once held thembound. Now their light shines forth. It is like the dawnof a new day bringing new light for the nation and forthe world. Their victory over sin and ignorance can becarried “like a burning torch” to scatter the darknessthat once enveloped the world.

2) New name. The second part of this reading cele-brates the close bond between God and people. So inti-mate is this restored relationship with God that theprophet declares God to be the groom and Jerusalem,the bride. The bride is called by “a new name.” In for-mer times, when her connection with God was shat-tered by sin and ignorance, Jerusalem carried the titles“Forsaken” and “Desolate.” But now she is known as“My Delight” and “Espoused.” These names are notgiven her by others, but they are pronounced “by themouth of the Lord.” As this bride walks beside herGod, the prophet describes her as a “glorious crown”and a “royal diadem” in God’s hands.

Exegesis of the 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:4–

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1) Same Spirit. Paul wants the community of faith tounderstand what binds them all together. They allshare the same Spirit of God.

2) Many gifts. Each member of the Church has a spe-cial gift from the Spirit. Though very different, thesegifts bind the community together as one.

Exegesis of the Gospel: John 2:1–11The first half of John’s Gospel is structured aroundseven so-called "signs." On the surface a sign is simplyanother term for miracle—except in the Gospel of John,where a sign points to a deeper reality than the surfacemeaning of a miracle. Here a sign reveals the presenceof God in the words and deeds of Jesus. For those whowitness a sign, the response may be acceptance or re-jection. Acceptance leads to salvation, but rejectionleads to self-condemnation. Today’s Gospel featuresthe first sign Jesus performed: turning water into wine.

1) They have no wine. This sign occurs at a weddingfeast attended by Jesus, his mother, and his disciples.Inexplicably, the wine runs short. In a culture of honorand shame, this disaster would have been consideredvery shameful, a terrible way to begin a marriage. Veryquietly Jesus’ mother tells him, “ They have no wine.”

2) My hour has not yet come. Jesus responds to hismother in what appears to be a very odd manner.“Woman, how does your concern affect me?” TheGreek words are not as harsh as the English transla-tions make them sound. There is nothing disrespectfulin Jesus’ response, which enables him to declare thathis “hour” has not yet come. In John’s Gospel the”hour” always refers to Jesus’ death. The high point ofthe entire Gospel occurs when Jesus fully reveals whohe is. His mother does not argue but simply says, “Dowhatever he tells you.”

3) Water changed into wine. What Jesus does is highlysymbolic. He directs that six large stone jars that wereused for Jewish purification rituals be filled with water.No attention whatsoever is given to what Jesus actual-ly does to the water. We are told that the water sudden-ly became wine of the highest quality. Two points areimportant. First, Jesus replaces the water used forJewish purification with the new wine of salvation.Second, salvation was often symbolized by an abun-dance of flowing wine. Jesus has revealed in this signthat God’s presence is manifested in Jesus’ action. Thedisciples grasp this glorious revelation, and they beginto believe in him.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 20, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #66





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PURPOSE: To understand the miracles of Jesus as1) signs of God’s presence in the world and 2) arestoration of the abundance of God’s blessed cre-ation.

SUMMARY: At Cana, Jesus performed the first ofhis miracles and, in doing so, revealed himself as asign of God’s presence in the world and as the wineof salvation.

A) ATTENTION GETTER: In his 1942 novel, TheRobe, Lloyd C. Douglas created Marcellus, a Romansoldier who supposedly won Jesus’ robe in a dicegame at the foot of the cross. Impressed by the stoiccourage of Jesus, Marcellus remained highly skepticalof the claims made for this “Messiah” and advancedrationalistic explanations for all his miracles. He spec-ulated that the jars at the Cana wedding had been pre-viously used to store wine so that when water wasadded to that residue, the already-tipsy guests took itfor good vintage. Yet the harder Marcellus tried toexplain away this miracle, the more he realized that“changing hearts” is a more compelling act than thewater-to-wine transformation.

B) APPLICATION: Down through the centuries,some Christians have succumbed to the temptation touse Gospel miracles as “proofs” of Jesus’ divinity—and perhaps weapons against doubters. This approachcan slip into an excuse of “Let Jesus do it.” Father JohnShea says that when we do this, we risk shifting Jesusfrom “the challenge of God who demands free re-sponse“ to the “divine hero who rescues us.” The keyline in today’s Gospel might be: “And his disciplesbelieved in him.” At Cana, Jesus effected more thansimply a change in the water; he changed people—andthis impressed even a dedicated skeptic like Marcellus.

1) John’s Gospel calls miracles “signs” and portraysthem as revelations of God’s presence in the person and ministry of Jesus. a) In Letters to Malcolm, C.S. Lewis noted that the

world is “crowded” with the presence of Godwho “walks everywhere incognito. We may ig-nore, but we cannot evade the presence of God.”

b) In Jesus, God is not incognito but often goesunrecognized.

c) It is not, says Frederick Buechner, an “objectiveproof of God’s existence that we want but an ex-perience of God’s presence; that is the miracle we are really after.”

d) By that standard, the guests at the Cana wedding

experienced a miracle even before Jesus did any-thing about their lack of wine.

2) God’s presence is often symbolized by naturalabundance. a) French actress (and now vintner) Carole Bouquet

is credited with saying, “Wine is connected withabundance.”

b) In the Hebrew Scriptures, salvation was oftencompared to an abundance of “flowing wine.”

c) Science tells us that nature is lavish, extrava-gant—even wasteful—in its manifestations.Some scholars argue that miracles are not a“suspension” of the natural order but rather a ”restoration” of its abundance.

d) The original “paradise” and the one we believeourselves to be destined for are both character-ized by abundance—of peace, health, and life.

3) The “signs” of Jesus present a choice to those whowitness them: acceptance—and commitment—or rejection, which brings condemnation. a) At Cana, Jesus publicly began, along with his

disciples, to alter the face of religion in Galilee and later, the whole world—by changing peo-ple’s hearts.

b) Yet even in the face of this great “sign,” therewere those who remained skeptical and wouldnot believe.

c) St. Augustine once said, “I never have any diffi-culty believing in miracles, for I experienced themiracle of change in my own heart.”

C) CONCLUSION: So maybe Marcellus got it right

after all. The real miracle is that Jesus can take thewater of our weak efforts and make it into somethingtruly fortifying and capable of bringing joy, peace, andlove to the world.

D) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST:

We prepare now to eat the bread and drink the wine ofsalvation, filling ourselves out of God’s abundance.

(Jim Johnston)

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time January 20, 2019

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Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Nehemiah 8:2–4a, 5–

6, 8–10Together with its companion piece (Ezra), Nehemiahrecounts the efforts taken to rebuild the community offaith after the exile. As governor of Judah, he encour-ages rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to assure securi-ty. As priest and scholar of the law, Ezra understandsthat something more must be done; true security forJudah requires faithful service to the Lord God.

1) Proclamation. This reading recounts Ezra’s procla-mation of the law of Moses before the people. Obedi-ence to this law will promote faithful service to God.The reading paints a very dramatic scene. Adults andolder children gather around a raised wooden plat-form built especially for the occasion. The chosen loca-tion is a plaza in front of the Water Gate. The name forthis gate appropriately suggests that the law is a sourceof life for the community as important as water. WhenEzra unrolls the Torah scroll, the entire congregationrises to its feet. When Ezra blesses the people, theyextend their hands and respond with a resounding"Amen." Then they bow to the ground in a gesture ofrespect for the word of God they are about to hear.

2) Celebration. The reaction of the people to the wordthey hear is not immediately disclosed. Only after Ne-hemiah and Ezra speak up, do readers realize that thereading of the law has had a profound effect on them:they are all weeping. No reason for this response isgiven in the text, but it is quite likely that, as the peoplelistened to the law, they were reminded of all the spir-itual failures in the past that led to the collapse of thekingdom and to exile in Babylon. Nehemiah and Ezra,on the other hand, insist the people make it a day ofcelebration. After all, they have truly heard the word ofGod that leads the way to a brighter future.


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1) Many parts. Each of the Church’s members hassome special gift from God.

2) One body. These many gifts contribute to the unityof the Church because its members have been baptizedinto the one Body of Christ.

Exegesis of the Gospel: Luke 1:1–4; 4:14–21Only the Gospel of Luke opens with a literary prologuethat clearly sets forth the author’s motive for writingthis narrative (1:1–4). In classic Hellenistic Greek, theprologue is a single sentence. The author claims tohave examined the many previous attempts to com-pose a Gospel narrative to ensure that his narrative willbe complete and accurate. He is most interested inshowing how the promises made to Israel have beenfulfilled in Jesus. The recipient of this new attempt is aperson named Theophilus, perhaps Luke’s patron.

1) Jesus is a success in Galilee. Before getting to hismain point, Luke uses a summary statement aboutwhat Jesus has been doing, marking a transition fromone subject matter to another. Such statements alwaysgive a positive report. Here we are told that Jesus hasreturned to Galilee, filled with the power of the Spirit.The power of the Spirit is a strong theme runningthroughout Luke’s Gospel. He is a very successfulteacher praised by all.

2) He came to Nazareth. Luke bases his version ofJesus' return to his hometown of Nazareth on Mark’saccount (6:1–6). Luke, however, expands the story intoa programmatic statement outlining the mission Jesuswill undertake in his earthly ministry. The setting is asynagogue service, and Jesus has been asked to read alesson from the prophet Isaiah. He chooses Isaiahchapter 61, which describes a prophet anointed by theSpirit to bring good news to the poor and embrace thecorporal works of mercy. So far, so good.

3) Jesus is this prophet. After Jesus finishes reading thepassage from Isaiah, he hands the scroll back to theattendant and sits down. Everyone has their eyes gluedon him, wondering what he is going to say. The expec-tation is that he quote some famous rabbis who haveinterpreted this passage, thereby unfolding the richrabbinic tradition of Judaism. Jesus does not do this.Instead, he utters one sentence: “Today this Scripturepassage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus is proclaim-ing that he is the prophet so designated in Isaiah chap-ter 61. He is the one who is to come. His ministry willdemonstrate this claim.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 27, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #69





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Editor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA. Exegesis: 1 and 2: Fr. Timoithy Schehr, PhD, SSL;. G: Fr. Eugene Hensell, OSB, PhD.Sunday Homily Helps - Print and digital: $55.00 per year ($65.00 for Canada). Digital only: $30.00.


PURPOSE: With the reading from Nehemiah as aspringboard, to explore attitudes toward moral law,sin, conversion, repentance—and ourselves.

SUMMARY: We often easily—but very mistaken-ly—disregard the reality and seriousness of our sins.An insight into them—a less than enjoyable “ahamoment”—is actually a grace we ought to heed.

A) ATTENTION GETTER: While listening to the

CD of a recent retreat talk, I started to realize how ter-ribly distant I was from the ideals presented there andfelt seriously bummed about it. So, I called my spiritu-al director. To be honest, I had quite a few sniffles as Iexplained how terrible I felt. When I finished, hepaused and said: “Stop! Stop sniffling all over yourphone; you’ll get germs on it! Now listen up and fol-low these directions: Go to _____ [pricey restaurant],order a 14 oz. filet mignon, a Maine lobster, and a bot-tle of excellent wine. Bring a friend who feels asbummed as you do but can’t afford steak and lobster.”

B) APPLICATION: This fictional scenario is amodern reenactment of the scene in our first read-ing, which invites us to look at what we shouldthink and do when we get a fresh insight into thefact that, yes, we are indeed sinners.

1) What’s happening in the scene from Nehemiah?a) The author cleverly leaves us wondering why

Ezra and Nehemiah tell the people to stop weep-ing. Over so many laws?

b) The answer lies in the elders’ response. When thelaw of Moses, the ideal, was fully laid out, thepeople realized two things: 1) how far short theyhave fallen from who they should be, and 2) thisis serious.

c) The response of Ezra and Nehemiah is a shocker:Celebrate! Eat and drink festive food—not nor-mal fare, the good stuff! Why? We’ll return to that shortly.

2) We, too, get unexpected revelations and unpleas-ant aha moments about our sins. a) Almost anything can trigger such a moment.

Sometimes a failure from the past simply floatswithout warning to the surface of our conscious-ness. The reality of its seriousness becomes dis-turbingly clear.

b) Perhaps without being deadly serious about it,we ask God—or another person—to let us knowwhere we’ve been wrong, and the request isgranted frankly and in full detail.

3) What to do with that aha moment.a) The worst thing is immediately to distract our-

selves with something else, such as checking forsales at Rolls Royce dealerships or watchingJudge Judy reruns. The aha moment, howeverunpleasant, is a moment of grace, a gift. It’s notto be wasted.

b) Two other misguided responses: 1) “Oh, well, sowhat—no big deal.” That’s also wasting grace.2) Beating ourselves up and letting the darkaha moment blind us to everything good in us.

c) Instead, we should be grateful for the insight andmake plans for doing better and for makingamends. Notice the word plans, not resolu-tions. A plan is concrete; a resolution easilyamounts to merely mental air.

d) And yes, then celebrate at some time, in someway. The plan has a higher chance of bearing fruitif it begins with a ritual.

4) The beautiful topsy-tervyness of the Christian faith and life.a) Are we sinners or saints? Answer: Yes.b) When we see how badly we’ve messed up, the

occasion is holy, and we should celebrate.c) The kingdom of God is at hand, right here, right

now—but not yet. d) Christ has conquered sin and death, yet the world

is full of sin and spiritual death. e) Three Persons in one God. A fully human man

who was also God and who was born of a virginmother. A king who stumbled to his throne. ASavior who died but lives. When we are weak, weare strong (2 Cor 12:12). When we are persecut-ed, we are blessed (1 Pt 4:14 and Mt 5:10).

f) In faith, many things which “logically” appear tobe either/or turn out to be both/and.

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST:We will soon receive the Body and Blood of the Saviorwho was sent into the world by Infinite Love that wemight not perish. Let us be grateful.

(Jim Auer)

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time January 27, 2019

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February 3, 2019 – 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: We ask pardon forthe times when we have insisted on accepting God onour terms instead of on God’s terms.


• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, God appoints aprophet to speak the truth to the people. No matterwhat resistance the prophet encounters, God will bewith him.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul declareslove to be the greatest of all gifts. Without it we gainnothing.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, Jesus claims he is the ful-fillment of Scripture and that God cares for the gentilesas well as the Jews—all of which greatly upsets the peo-ple.


1) For all those preparing for Baptism or a Professionof Faith at the Easter Vigil,

2) For all couples preparing for marriage,3) For all those preparing for the birth or adoption of

children,4) For all those tempted to believe that God has aban-

doned them,


INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: In the Gospeltoday, Peter, James, and John leave everything behind tofollow Jesus. We recognize our failure to leave behindthe things that keep us from following Jesus and askGod’s forgiveness.

• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, a prophet steps for-ward to bring God’s word to the people. He knows thepeople need to know the truth.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul, the least ofthe apostles, was honored to be chosen by God to hand

down the truth of the Gospel.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, Jesus exercises hisauthoritative word in calling Simon Peter and otherfishermen to be disciples.


1) That our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and all our bishops, the successors of the apostles, may havethe courage to lead the Church in leaving every-thing behind to follow Jesus,

2) For all of the world’s hungry people, that they may have secure sources for the food that they need,

3) That all nations may work together to keep cleanthe oceans, lakes, and rivers of this world so thatthese may continue to be abundant sources of foodfor everyone,

4) For all of those throughout the world who workhard every day that food may be available, harvest-ed, and brought to all of our kitchens and tables,


INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: We often choosethings that we think will make us happy but which hurtothers and ourselves. Let us bring our failures to the Lordfor pardon and ask for a change of heart.

• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, a prophet encour-ages the people to make the right choice. Peace willcome only when they put God first in their lives.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul explainsthat if Jesus did not rise from the dead, our faith is invain and our lives hopeless.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, Jesus begins his Sermonon the Plain with a series of beatitudes and woes.


1) That Pope Francis, our bishop, and all those in authority in the Church may rely not on worldlywisdom but on the word of God and the guidance





Lectern GuideINTRODUCTIONS TO PENITENTIAL RITE AND READINGS, MODELS FOR GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

The INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE is a model which can also be adapted for use as an introduction to

the liturgy itself. The INTRODUCTIONS TO THE READINGS, if read by priest or lector before the respective read-

ings, are intended to focus the attention of the listeners. The MODELS FOR GENERAL INTERCESSIONS relate to

the theme of the homily outline and may be used to supplement the usual petitions.

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of the Holy Spirit,2) For God’ s blessing on the meeting that Pope

Francis will have this week with the presidents ofbishops’ conferences from around the world,

3) That our faith in the resurrection of Jesus may not fail, even in the midst of trials and disappointments,

4) That our nation will always be blessed with leaderswho imitate the bravery and integrity of the presi-dents whom we honor this week,

5) That the poor, the hungry, those mourning, and those persecuted may experience the blessednesspromised by Jesus, through justice on earth andeternal happiness in heaven,


INTRODUCTION TO PENITENTIAL RITE: Inspired by theGospel, we pray for the grace to love as God loves, to givewithout counting the cost, to embrace our enemies, toavoid judgment and condemnation, and to forgive oth-ers from our hearts.

• INTRODUCTION: In the first reading, David is mercifultoward his enemy. He values justice and faithfulnessabove all other virtues.

• INTRODUCTION: In the second reading, Paul speaks ofAdam and of Christ. Through Adam we are bound toearth; through Christ we have hope of eternal life inheaven.

• INTRODUCTION: In the Gospel, Jesus sets forth the chal-lenges of living in the kingdom of God with his mandatethat his disciples are to love their enemies and do goodto those who hate them.


1) That Jesus’ message of mercy and healing be heardand used as the standard of action by Church andcivil leaders,

2) For all those who suffer from discrimination, hatred,or persecution,

3) That we promote among ourselves compassionateattitudes, words, and actions in our daily lives,

4) That we never become so accustomed to hearingthe Gospel’s words that we fail to penetrate theirmeaning for our lives.





Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Jeremiah 1:4–5, 17–

19 This prophet brought God’s word to a people unwill-ing to listen. Years of spiritual neglect made the nationso weak it was near collapse in Jeremiah’s time. Yetthrough this prophet God never neglected to showthem the way to healing and restoration.

1) Divine initiative. In these opening verses, Godtakes the initiative and reaches out to a wayward peo-ple. Like a potter working with clay on a wheel, Godknew Jeremiah before he formed him. This potterimagery resurfaces at peak moments in Jeremiah’s ora-cles, most notably in chapter 18 when God sends theprophet to a potter’s workshop. Before Jeremiah waseven born, God dedicated and appointed him topreach to the nations. Three very strong verbs (formed,dedicated, and appointed) clearly exhibit God’s profoundinvestment in the spiritual welfare of the people.

2) Divine presence. Jeremiah will encounter greathardship as a spokesman for the heavenly court. Kings,princes, priests, and people will all treat him badly.They will place him in a pillory, throw him into a cis-tern, and confine him to a prison. Through all this,Jeremiah will find strength in God’s promise to makehim like “a pillar of iron, a wall of brass.” Of course,Jeremiah faltered at times. He complained from time totime about the burden of serving as a prophet; he eventoyed with the notion of no longer serving God as aprophet at all (ch 20). But such moments of weaknesssoon passed. However his enemies fought against him,Jeremiah knew from God that they would not prevail.The word of God can be ignored, but that cannot takeaway its truth.

Exegesis of the 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians

12:31—13:13

1) Spiritual gifts. Paul identifies spiritual gifts such astongues, prophecy, and generosity. Without the gift oflove, all these amount to nothing.

2) Present limitations. Our present knowledge is onlypartial—our sight, indistinct. Ultimately, throughGod’s love, we will know fully and see “face-to-face.”

Exegesis of the Gospel: Luke 4:21–30Today’s Gospel continues Luke’s programmatic state-ment in 4:16–30. It presents in outline form the majoringredients that will appear in Jesus’ mission and min-istry. Jesus has just finished reading Isaiah 61:1–2. Hethen proclaims to the people that today the promises ofIsaiah chapter 61 have been fulfilled in Jesus himself.The remainder of the Gospel presents the reaction ofthe people to what Jesus said.

1) All spoke highly of him. Before the people have hada chanch to digest what Jesus has just proclaimed, theyseem impressed by his words. However, as soon asthey begin to grasp what he has really said, their admi-ration changes to shock, for he is claiming to be theprophet of Isaiah chapter 61. That cannot be. He isJoseph’s son. Everyone knows Jesus and his family. Heis just one of the folks like everyone else.

2) Take care of your own people first. Jesus is preparedfor the negative response he receives in Nazareth. Thepeople are angry because he cured gentiles as well asJews in Capernaum. Why should he heal gentiles inanother town when Nazareth has plenty of Jews need-ing help? Jesus quotes age-old proverbs that capturewell the moment’s tension. Jesus comes for universalsalvation while these people think only locally.

3) God cares for the gentiles. What Jesus does next doesnot help his cause in the least. He makes reference tothe Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha and twoevents they experienced. During a severe famine, theprophet Elijah was sent by God to help a poor widowof Zarephath. In spite of the fact that many Jews alsoneeded help, God chose this gentile widow. Jesus tellsa similar story about the prophet Elisha sent by God toheal Naaman, a gentile leper, even though there weremany Jewish lepers needing help. Luke has Jesus tellthese stories to the people of Nazareth to emphasizethe important theme of universalism. Jesus will fulfillthe hopes and expectations that God set forth in theOld Testament. However, he will not do this necessari-ly in the way the people desire. As a result, many of thepeople Jesus came to save will reject him. His ownhometown is a good example of this reaction.

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 3, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #72





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Editor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA. Exegesis: 1 and 2: Fr. Timothy Schehr, PhD, SSL; G: Fr. Eugene Hensell, OSB, PhD.

Sunday Homily Helps - $55.00 per year ($65.00 for Canada). Digital Only: $30.00 per year.


PURPOSE: To encourage listeners to do what Jesus’

listeners in today’s Gospel refused to do: Believe.

SUMMARY: Faith is a decision, not the product of

favorable circumstances.

A) ATTENTION-GETTER: Have you ever done

anything valuable in your life that began and ended

with “If only” thinking? Probably not.

B) APPLICATION: “If only” thinking can spur an

inventor, artist, or musician into action if he or sheimmediately adds “I” to that sentence. Most people,however, tend to complete such a sentence by identify-ing someone else who should have acted differently:the director of a play who should have given me amore prominent role, the coach who failed to recognizemy athletic ability, the counselor who did not get meinto my first choice among colleges, or the boss whodid not recommend me for the job that I certainlycould have done well. The list easily goes on and on.“If only” thinking tends to focus on past events, or itexplains my present inaction.

The people of Nazareth in today’s Gospel said tothemselves, in effect: “If only Jesus did the kind of mir-acles here that he did in Capernaum, then we wouldgladly believe in him. If only Jesus came from a moreprominent family, then we would believe in him.”

People prone to “if only” thinking are at the mercy

of favorable circumstances, which are quite rare.

1) Jeremiah became a prophet because he acceptedthat mission from God.a) Genuine prophets never arise in ideal circum-

stances because they are never needed then.b) Jeremiah was opposed by many people in the

kingdom of Judah because they expected a prophet with an easier message, a more consol-ing one.

c) Jeremiah may be the prophet who speaks withthe greatest candor about the temptation toabandon that vocation. His laments are classic.

d) God never abandoned Jeremiah, not even whenJerusalem fell as Jeremiah had prophesied andits temple was destroyed.

2) In today’s second reading, we hear that genuinelove requires action in less than ideal circum-stances.

a) In this reading, Paul addresses a Christian com-mmunity torn apart by factions, by people trying to gain some advantage over others bytheir Christian pedigree (who preached theGospel to them) or by their presumed spiritualgifts that are more important than someoneelse’s spiritual gifts.

b) The adjectives that Paul uses to describe peoplewho exhibit genuine love are positive and proac-tive: patient, kind.

c) The negative adjectives he uses reflect “if only”thinking: jealous, pompous, inflated, rude,seeking one’s own interests, being quick-tempered, brooding over injuries, or rejoicing inwrongdoing.

d) Love is a decision that always requires self-sacrifice. Those who are determined to live apain-free life at all cost end up becoming in-credibly selfish because their world becomesprogressively smaller, for only they matter.

3) Jesus leads genuine disciples into a generous lovethat always becomes wider and deeper.a) The people in Nazareth were looking for special

treatment. Their disappointment at Jesus wasintended to force him into some action thatwould have undercut his mission from God theFather.

b) Many people became interested in Jesus, but fewbecame disciples. Interesting is an extremelynoncommittal word. It may be a factor in amarriage or friendship, but it will never offer afirm foundation for either type of relationship.Someone else may always be more interesting.

c) Being interesting cannot sustain people inrough times. “I never signed up for this,” theysay to themselves under such circumstances.

d) Test this out for yourself: What is the biggest sacrifice you have made for someone who issimply interesting? What is the biggest sac-rifice someone has made for you simply be-

cause you were interesting?

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST:The Eucharist gives us staying power to grow as disci-ples. It helps us grow together, not as people in desper-ate competition with one another.

(Pat McCloskey, OFM)

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time February 3, 2019

SundayHomilyHelps

Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Isaiah 6:1–2a, 3–8

Isaiah began his service as God’s prophet during thereign of King Uzziah. This vision comes in the year ofthat king’s death (742 BC). In the opening chapters ofhis book, Isaiah challenges king and people to changetheir ways because they are on a dangerous path. Withthis vision Isaiah receives instructions to offer the peo-ple promises of proximate deliverance, e.g. the birth ofImmanuel (ch 7). Perhaps such good news will alsomove them to change their ways.

1) Divine king. A mortal king has died. In the sameyear, Isaiah sees the eternal king “seated on a high andlofty throne.” It is quite clear that the people should beserving this king above all others. The scene is filledwith smoke and fire. This suggests that the court ofheaven has been sitting in judgment upon a sinful peo-ple. The seraphim, appearing only here in the Bible,declare God’s holiness. They also declare the earth tobe filled with God’s glory. This declaration probablyanticipates the dramatic work of salvation that God isabout to undertake on earth.

2) God’s prophet. Surrounded by this overwhelmingexperience, Isaiah expresses his complete unworthi-ness to be in God’s presence, for he is unclean andknows his people are unclean. But God takes steps topurify the prophet by removing his sin with cleansingfire. Something comparable must also take place forthe sinful people of Judah. It will be accomplished bythe words that Isaiah will speak in God’s name. Whenthe prophet hears God seeking a messenger, Isaiahinsists that he alone be the one to go. His mortal pres-ence among the people will give them the time theyneed to hear the word of God and change their hearts.


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1) The tradition. Paul reminds the Corinthians about theGospel that they have received. Of first importance isthe truth that Jesus died for the sins of all.

2) Its servants. By the grace of God, Paul is privilegedto be among those called to be an apostle. He is leastamong them. By God’s grace, however, he has workedharder than anyone else.

Exegesis of the Gospel: Luke 5:1–11

Today’s Gospel describes Luke’s version of the call ofthe first disciples. It differs significantly from Mark1:16–20. Luke’s story will strongly emphasize Jesus’authoritative word. That powerful word will attractand capture Simon and the other disciples.

1) Listening to the word of God. The people crowdaround Jesus to hear the word of God. To improve hisspeaking and their hearing, Jesus gets into Simon’sboat, available after a day’s work. Jesus requests thatthe boat move a short distance from the shore. Thisallows the water to amplify his voice so the crowds canhear more easily. So far, Simon has done everythingJesus has asked him to do, but he has not spoken. Wedo not know what he is thinking.

2) Put out into deep waters. The intrigue increaseswhen Jesus tells Simon to move the boat into deeperwaters and lower the fishing nets. Simon has justwashed and stowed his nets for the day. He mildlyobjects—while at the same time he recognizes the au-thority of Jesus’ command. His obedience to the wordof Jesus results in a huge catch of fish. The catch is sobig that it fills both boats, and the nets can barely holdall the fish without tearing.

3) Do not be afraid. All of this is far more than Simoncould accept. Nevertheless, he recognizes that Jesus issomeone special who speaks the word with authority;he pays Jesus homage by falling on his knees, confess-ing his unworthiness. Not only Simon but all thosewith him recognize the special power Jesus has justdemonstrated. What is really happening here is thatJesus is calling Simon and his companions to disciple-ship. This call begins with the divine mandate, “Do notbe afraid.” The goal of their fishing is going to switchfrom fish to humans. In effect, this represents Jesuscommissioning Simon and his companions as disci-ples. The story closes with the comment that these newdisciples have left everything and followed Jesus. Thefocus on “leaving everything” is a special emphasischaracteristic of Luke. Possessions often symbolizepower in Luke’s writings. Giving up power and thequest for it are required for following Jesus. It is anabsolute for a disciple.


February 10, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #75





SundayHomilyHelps

00911





PURPOSE: To put us into the story of the call ofPeter, James and John to be apostles.

SUMMARY: Recasting the idea of a “fish story,”we can see that Jesus comes to us wherever we maybe, helping us see God’s abundant love for all of us,inviting us to share that love with others.

A) ATTENTION-GETTER: Most fish stories are

about “the one that got away”: a very big fish, or astruggling fish that dislodged itself from the hook—oreven bit the fishing line in two, and at the very lastminute escapes to live another day. Today’s fish storyis about fish caught—along with the fishermen.

B) APPLICATION: Jesus had spent the night pray-

ing alone while Simon (later known as Peter) with thebrothers James and John had spent the night at theirusual work, fishing on the Lake of Gennesaret (alsoknown as the Sea of Galilee). When morning came, sodid a number of surprises.

1) Jesus spent the night in solitude and prayer.a) In the Gospels, Jesus alternates between private

prayer and public ministry. Luke relates that the day before this incident, Jesus had taught in thesynagogue, then healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and a number of other sick people.For Jesus and his followers, private prayerand public ministry are a bit like taking a breath in and letting it out.

b) Jesus went to a deserted place, but the crowdsfollowed him, fearing that he would leaveCapernaum and move to another place.

c) After the crowds found Jesus and pressed in on him, today’s Gospel continues the story.

d) Because Jesus knew that his voice would carryover the lake’s still waters, he asked Simon Peter to help him proclaim the Gospelmessage by the use of his boat, even before heasked Simon to follow him.

2) Simon Peter, James and John had fished all night,their usual way of trying to make a living.a) But it had not been a good night. They had

caught nothing. Maybe that happened from timeto time, or maybe it was unusual, but in eithercase, they had to be disappointed.

b) The morning talk by Jesus on the shore may well

have been at first only a diversion to take the fishermen’s minds off all the fish that got

away the night before. c) But what Jesus said, along with remember-

ing the healings in the synagogue and atSimon’s house the day before, began to shiftthings in the fishermen’s hearts and minds sothat they could recognize that something im-portant was happening around them.

d) By the time that Jesus finished speaking to thenearby crowd on the beach and dismissed them, he had “hooked” Simon Peter enough that hewas willing take his boat out into the lake tolook for fish that should not have been there atthat time of day.

3) The dawn of the new day of Christ brings newlight and new life.a) God knows us better than we know ourselves

and never has to rush or force us into anything.Instead, God patiently gets us ready to real-ize God’s own presence in our lives, just asSimon Peter came to see it in those unexpectedbut abundant fish. And Peter reacted first on thehuman level, calling for help so that the fishwould not get away!

b) But then Simon Peter realized the spiritual sig-nificance of what had happened physically.God had come to Peter to show him that he wasloved by God. Undoubtedly, God is at workright now, using physical things to tell spiritualstories in our lives also.

c) Peter cannot believe that he is worthy of suchlove; very often we also are afraid to believe it,yet God is never reluctant but is always loving us in ways beyond our imagining.

d) With all of those fish, Jesus also caught SimonPeter, James, and John. What is God using right

now to catch us?

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST:We heard in the Gospel passage today about a greatcatch of fish. We know that early Christians used asimple line drawing of a fish to symbolize Jesusbecause the letters in the Greek word for fish are theinitial letters for the phrase “Jesus Christ, God’s Son,Savior.” So now in the Eucharist, Jesus is not the fishthat got away, but the One who catches us.

(Jack Clark Robinson, OFM)


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Exegesis of the 1st Reading: Jeremiah 17:5–8

This passage places two very different scenes beforethe people. They have a choice to make. In which scenedo they want to be included? The proper choice shouldbe obvious. But that was certainly not the case in Jere-miah’s day. Although he has spent many his years ofserving God and speaking the truth, Jeremiah’s audi-ence has consistently acted on falsehoods. The truth isthat, as God’s chosen ones, king and people should putGod first in their lives. When God’s standards prevailin their lives, the nation will gain the security that thepeople desperately seek.

1) Emptiness. The first scene Jeremiah describes is adesolate one. A barren bush stands in the desert, sur-rounded by nothing that can sustain life. The earth isdry and salty, totally lacking nourishment. There is nohope of a change in season to bring much needed rain.Such are the prospects of a nation that puts its trust inmortals only. This is exactly what king and people aredoing when Jeremiah preaches his message. They areconvinced they can find lasting security in an alliancewith a powerful nation such as Egypt. Their hope isthat Egypt will win for them deliverance from Baby-lonian oppression.

2) Abundance. The second scene is a pleasant one. Abeautiful fruit tree stands beside a stream. With itsroots well-watered, this tree has nothing to fear fromheat or drought. It will enjoy abundance even in thedriest season. This tree represents a people who trust inGod. Jeremiah wants his people to understand that analliance with God will bring them the security theylong for. When God’s agenda comes first, there is everyreason to hope for peace and prosperity.

Exegesis of the 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12,

16–20

1) Death. Paul marvels at the denial of the resurrectionof Christ. If Christ is not raised, faith is vain. Sin wouldstill prevail, and we would be “the most pitiable peo-ple of all.”

2) Resurrection. But Paul assures his readers thatChrist has been raised from the dead. And so thosewho have fallen asleep will wake to eternal life.

Exegesis of the Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20–26Today’s Gospel is taken from the first portion of Luke’sSermon on the Plain (6:20–49). Both Luke and Mat-thew had access to similar material, but Matthewshaped his Sermon on the Mount to better fit his Jewishaudience while Luke configured his for a mostly gen-tile audience. Luke always prefers to have Jesus onlevel ground with the people. Luke also seems to beaddressing the concrete economic and social problemshis small communities are experiencing.

1) He stood on level ground. Jesus has just spent thenight on a mountain in prayer as he often does beforeevery big event in his ministry. He then calls the disci-ples who will assist him in his ministry. He comesdown from the mountain and gives his Sermon on thePlain. Luke likes to have Jesus surrounded by crowdsof people who come from far and wide. He is oftendepicted as being one with the people he serves.

2) The beatitudes. The sermon begins with a series ofbeatitudes with which many Christians are familiar.Commentators often point out that the first beatitude is“Blessed are you who are poor.” Although Matthewhas “poor in spirit,” Luke makes it more concrete byaddressing people who are economically poor. This isfollowed by references to the hungry, the weeping,those who are hated and suffer evil on account of theSon of Man. All of the beatitudes are about reversal offortunes. Diminishment is blessed because of what itleads to: blessing, happiness, and good fortune in thekingdom of God.

3) The woes. Luke includes a series of woes that clear-ly address those who seem to be prospering at the pre-sent time—but at the expense of the poor and margin-alized. For the rich, the satiated, those who are laugh-ing, and those who receive constant praise, the warn-ing reminds them that their luxury is only temporary.In many ways for these people, the current situation isas good as it gets—and it will not last. Their false senseof prosperity will diminish, and they will end up inworse shape than the poor, the oppressed, and the mar-ginalized. There is an edge to Jesus’ sermon because itaddresses a topic about which Luke is passionate:God’s care for the poor and the marginalized.


February 17, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #78





SundayHomilyHelps

01011





PURPOSE: Making right choices is important.

SUMMARY: The prophet Jeremiah and Psalm 1 pre-

sent us with images that describe good and bad choic-es. Jesus tells us about choices that lead to blessing orwoe. St. Paul teaches that there is an eternal result ofour choices. The right choices do not always makesense to human calculation.

A) ATTENTION-GETTER: Every red-blooded

American believes in freedom of choice. Thanks toleaders such as those we honor on this Presidents’ Dayweekend, we are proud to declare: “I can do what Iwant; it's a free country!“ Today’s Bible readings re-mind us that all choices are not the same. Some bringblessing, some woe.

1) Jeremiah was trying to get the leaders of his day toavoid making a big mistake.a) Israel was beset with enemies. Strong neighbor-

ing nations constantly threatened to annihilate God’s people with military force. Things have notchanged much since then.

b) The leaders of the country sought to solve thesethreats by making an alliance with a strong pro-tector country. Things haven’t changed much inthis matter either, if you substitute the USA forEgypt.

c) Jeremiah had a different idea: “Cursed is the onewho trusts in human beings.“ He is a barrenbush. “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.“He is a fruitful tree. The leaders did not listen toJeremiah, and disaster followed.

2) Jesus inaugurated his ministry in the Gospel ofLuke with a Sermon on the Plain, corresponding to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Jesus began his discourse with beatitudes and woes.a) Like Jeremiah, Jesus had a strange idea of what

would lead to blessedness. “Blessed are you whoare poor, who are hungry, who weep, who arehated and persecuted.“

b) Jesus also had a strange list of things that wouldbring woe: riches, having a full stomach, laugh-ter, popularity. Don’t these things constitute theAmerican dream?

c) Jesus promotes a different dream: the kingdomof God, a great reward in heaven.

3) St. Paul wrote enthusiastically about this dream. a) The Corinthians doubted the resurrection of the

body, which did not fit their ideas about bodyand soul. They may also have been experiencingthe same misgivings people have felt in everyage. Is God a fairy tale? Is religion “the opiate ofthe people,“ as Karl Max claimed?

b) St. Paul based his message and staked his life onthe resurrection of Jesus. Dead people do notcome back to life. But, if it didn't happen forJesus, our faith is worthless.

c) St. Paul insists: “Christ has been raised from thedead.“ He adds: “the first fruits of those whohave fallen asleep.“ We, too, who believe canshare in the resurrection.

4) We find blessing in woe.a) Believing in life through death gives us a different

way of looking at how we use our freedom. Itmeans that the American dream may not be themost important thing for us to chase.

b) This could make our leaders pay more attention to the warnings of Jeremiah than to the advice ofweapons salesmen.

c) It could also give us hope when all seems hope-less, we can turn what seems to be barrenness

into a fruitful harvest.

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST:At this Eucharist we celebrate the death and resurrec-tion of the Lord. As Jesus takes us into his saving act ofdying and rising, we say “amen“ to St. Francis’ Prayer:“It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.“

(Rev. Paul J. Schmidt)


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Exegesis of the 1st Reading: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7–9,

12–13, 22–23

Jealous over David’s rise in power, Saul continues tohunt him down. More than 10 chapters earlier, theprophet Samuel told Saul that God was replacing himwith another (15:28). This had to happen because Saulnever placed any value on things spiritual. Respect forthings spiritual, however, was precisely what madekingship in Israel distinctive; kingship in Israel wasservice to God first and foremost.

1) Mortal ways. Saul’s reliance on material thingsalone for security is evident from the fact that he sleepsclose to his spear rather than close to God. When Daviddiscovers the site of Saul’s camp, he decides to godown into the camp at night. After David finds Saulasleep and defenseless, Abishai, one of David’s offi-cers, asks permission to take the life of his enemy.David refuses and takes only Saul’s spear and jug ofwater.

2) God’s way. David will not strike down a kinganointed by God. He recognizes that he must leaveSaul’s fate up to God, who has been David’s protectorfrom the beginning. His words here echo the wisewords Abigail spoke to him in the previous chapter (1Samuel 25:28–31). Holding up Saul’s spear, David de-clares his willingness to let God judge between themon the basis of justice and faithfulness. In this readingDavid puts aside vengeance and self-reliance. Saul willnever do this. The “great distance” between Saul andDavid is measured not merely by feet but more signif-icantly by the degree of their reliance on the ways ofGod.


49

1) Adam. The first man became a living being. But hewas of earth and thus doomed to die. We all bear theimage of this earthly one.

2) Christ. Jesus is a “life-giving spirit.” He is fromheaven and has won the victory over death. We alsobear the image of this heavenly one.

Exegesis of the Gospel: Luke 6:27–38

Luke’s Sermon on the Plain continues. Some commen-tators read this section as a profile of kingdom living.Thus, the challenges presented here by Jesus presup-pose that one has a strong faith commitment to thekingdom of God. Piety and devotion are not men-tioned, but strong admonitions repudiating acts ofretaliation, retribution, and actions done solely for per-sonal advantage are. Life in the kingdom of God differsgreatly from life in Caesar’s kingdom.

1) The demands of love. In the Gospel, love is far morethan an emotion. Jesus makes that very clear when headmonishes his followers to love their enemies and dogood to those who hate them. More challenging yet isthe fact that Jesus expects his disciples to put this man-date into practice. Not a philosophical or theologicalidea, it defines a way of living in the world under theguidance of the Gospel. The world, however, encour-ages conduct almost directly contrary to Jesus’ loveethic. The Gospel does not leave room for compromise.

2) Do to others as you would have them do to you. Thisis another version of the Golden Rule. By its nature,love stretches our level of acceptance. Gospel livingdoes not advocate mutual admiration societies as thestandard for loving one another. The real test of king-dom living is found in concrete examples of lovingone’s enemies and doing good to them. This goes waybeyond tolerating people who are different from our-selves. We are to live as children of the Most High.Luke captures this in the statement, “Be merciful, justas your Father is merciful.” This is quite different fromMatthew’s, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Fatheris perfect” (5:48).

3) Stop judging. Here the emphasis is on acceptanceand forgiveness of others. Luke is aware just how diffi-cult it is to avoid judging others. Forgiveness is by nomeans an easy virtue. Jesus, however, slams the ballinto our court. This final sentence says it all: “For themeasure with which you measure will in return bemeasured out to you.” That measure is made in con-crete actions. Our actions in the world will set the stan-dard for how God will assess us in the end. That is howlife in the kingdom of God works.


February 24, 2019

Series C Readings

Lectionary #81





SundayHomilyHelps

11111


Editor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA. Exegesis: 1 and 2: Fr. Timothy Schehr, PhD, SSL. G: Fr. Eugene Hensell, OSB, PhD.



PURPOSE: Jesus says, “Love your enemy. Do good

to those who curse or mistreat you.” We are

required, by our attachment to Jesus, to strive for

unconditional, unlimited love.

SUMMARY: We may be tempted to avenge real orperceived wrongs or return to others evil for evil.We may want to take advantage of others for ourown purposes. Jesus’ instruction on enemy lovedemands that we imitate him in laying down ourlives for others—even if they have offended us.

A) ATTENTION-GETTER: A rich man touring a

hospital in Africa observed a missionary tending to aleper. Struck by her generosity, he commented, “Iwouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” The missionary

replied, “Neither would I.”

B) APPLICATION: A divorce lawyer warned his

potential client to avoid the use of the term fair in nego-tiations because this is often too subjective. Somethought David within his rights to kill Saul, whorepeatedly sought to kill him. Jesus sets a much higherstandard with his command about enemy love. We areto imitate God’s own love for us. With that as our mea-sure, we can never be complacent or think we havedone enough. Ours is no merely human guideline. Donot judge; do not condemn; rather, forgive and givewithout measure. Such is our commitment to follow-

ing Christ.

1) Time and again Saul attacked David, convincedthat David was his enemy and had to be elimi-nated. Saul could not accept that God hadchosen another to be king after him. a) Consumed by jealousy, Saul did not see his own

reign as a gift from God. Saul was not gratefulfor all that he was able to accomplish in his life.

b) Saul demonstrated how destructive self-will is incontrast to basing our lives and actions on God’swill.

c) David reminds Saul, “The Lord will rewardeach for his justice and faithfulness.”

d) The biblical historian portrays Saul as forgettingthe roots of his reign in God’s will as contrastedwith David’s vow to avoid harming the Lord’sanointed.

2) Jesus’ radical command to “Love your enemies” precludes setting limits or conditions to love,which is a mode of action rather than an emotion. a) Luke radicalizes the love command in a number

of ways, including going against the naturalinstinct for self-preservation. Luke calls for theattitude of love, the words of praying andblessing, and selfless actions that go beyond what we are entitled to.

b) Jesus’ culture advocated reciprocity, even infriendship. Jesus commands his disciples toextend kindness and generosity to an extreme:images of turning the other cheek to one whowould slap you, and giving your underwear aswell as your coat to anyone who asks, is as star-tling now as it was then.

c) Enemy love is all inclusive; we naturally lovethose who love us. Enemy love goes out toeveryone else.

d) Enemy love is nondiscriminatory. Luke empha-sizes everyone: those who seek our love andthose who provoke our hatred. God’s rewardfar exceeds expectations, enabling us to actas God’s children.

3) Luke focuses on God’s compassion as the quality we are to imitate in order to show that we belongto God. a) There is sobering advice in the admoni-

tion, “the measure you measure with will bemeasured back to you.” Wisdom advocatesthat we use God’s measure.

b) We are inclined to judge, to condemn, and to holdgrudges. Only grace can break us out of such lim-its to love.

c) Pray in gratitude for God’s love and mercy tous, that these will convert our hearts.

d) In the Gospel’s first line, Jesus invites us to really hear what he says. Let’s listen.

e) What challenge does enemy love offer me today?

C) TRANSITION TO LITURGY OF EUCHARIST: Meditating on the enormous implications of Jesus’command to enemy love, we are at once humbled byour weakness and empowered by God’s grace to beopen and willing, inclusive and generous in the service

of the Gospel.

(Mary Ann Getty)


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