Scripture Reflections

By Julie Lawler Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary TimeSeptember 7, 2025Wisdom 9:13-18b; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Lk 14:25-33 Today’s Gospel reading leads us to reflect on and examine our priorities. What is most important? It is hard to choose between God and other commitments, but God is inviting us to choose God above all else, possessions and relat...

By John Siyumbu M.M.  Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary TimeAugust 31, 2025Sir. 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Heb. 12:18-19, 22-24a; Lk 14:1, 7-14 I lived in Cochabamba, Bolivia, as part of my formation and preparation for ordination to the Maryknoll missionary priesthood. Having lived with the Dazas, a wonderful host family, during my language school pr...

By Connie Krautkremer, M.M. Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary TimeAugust 24, 2025Is 66:18-21 | Heb 12:5-7, 11-13 | Lk 13:22-30 Who is saved? Jesus was asked if the saved will be many or a few. “You might be surprised,” Jesus responds. Don’t be too sure of yourself. There is a door in this week’s Gospel story; it is open for some and closed fo...

By Mary Ellen Manz, M.M. Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary TimeAugust 17, 2025Jer 38:4-6, 8-10/Heb 12:1-4/Lk 12:49-53 When I read today’s Scripture readings, at first I found them rather grim, but it didn’t take too much thinking about it for me to realize how very appropriate they are for us in our world, today. In the first reading, Jeremiah – j...

By Joanne Miya Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary TimeAugust 10, 2025Wis 18:6-9 | Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 | Lk 12:32-48 Today’s readings made me ask myself, “What exactly is faith?” How would you define faith? Christians often reference Hebrews 11:1 which offers this explanation: “Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction...

By Heidi Cerneka Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 27, 2025Gn 18:20-32 | Col 2:12-14 | Lk 11:1-13 What parent among us will give our child a snake when she asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? We are called today by these scripture readings, by the Gospel, by Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, and by our own communitie...

By Louise Locke Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeJuly 20, 2025Gn 18:1-10a | Col 1:24-28 | Lk 10:38-42 This Sunday’s Gospel story of Mary and Martha has long been one of the passages of Scripture I have identified with the most. Martha complains to Jesus that her younger sister, Mary, has chosen to sit at his feet listening to him instead of assis...

By Helen Graham, M.M. Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary TimeJuly 13, 2025Dt 30:10-14 | Col 1:15-20 | Lk 10:25-37 Our readings today are concerned with interpretation. The phrase “it is not in heaven” from Deuteronomy (30:12) served as a kind of watchword for the ancient rabbis. There is a famous story in the Talmud of a discussion concerning proper ...

By John Keegan, M.M. July 6, 2025Is 66:10-14c | Gal 6:14-18 | Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 “The Lord appointed a further seventy-two and sent them in pairs before him. … He said, “Say to them, ‘The reign of God is at hand.’” — Luke 10: 1, 9 The seventy-two, sent in pairs by Jesus, are to say: “The reign of God is at hand.” What can that phra...

By Gabe Hurrish Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, ApostlesJune 29, 2025Acts 12:1-11 | 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18 | Mt 16:13-19 “For this we toil and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the savior of all. ” ~1 Timothy 4:10 I have been working in “intentional” mission for much of my life. I say “intentional” because ...

By Delia Marie “Dee” Smith, M.M. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of ChristJune 22, 2025Gn 14:18-20 | 1 Cor 11:23-26 | Lk 9:11b-17 Today we celebrate the feast of the Body of Christ and remember the offering Christ gave to us when he said, ‘Take this and eat for this is my body,’ and later he took the cup of wine and said, ‘T...

By Lance Nadeau, M.M. Most Holy TrinityJune 15, 2025Prv 8:22-31 | Rom 5:1-5 | Jn 16:12-15 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of o...