Search
-
-
"Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Mt 5:10
-
-
-
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day
We gather each Sunday to give praise and thanks to God, to greet the Lord in each other, to hear the Lord through God’s word, and to receive the Lord in the Eucharist. We humbly ask God for forgiveness and for the grace to forgive our neighbor and ourselves for the wrongs we do to each other, trusting that the Lord looks with favor on the humble and merciful.Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
Ordinary Time gives us the opportunity to focus on the ordinary aspects of our faith and realize their continuity through history. Take the value of humility. Centuries before Jesus, Zephaniah told the people of Judah to seek humility. In the early years of Christianity, Paul explained that God chose the lowly to show that the arrogant are nothing before God. Finally, we hear Jesus teach his disciples that the meek and lowly will inherit the land. Now—two thousand years later—may God’s word call us to humility as well.Reflections
- Zephaniah lived during a difficult time for the Jewish nation. Israel had already fallen to the Assyrians and Judah had basically submitted to their control. In an effort to stave off conquest and destruction, the king, Manasseh, had pledged loyalty to pagan gods and abandoned God’s covenant. Out of fear, much of the population did the same. At what scholars suspect was an important temple liturgy, Zephaniah courageously took a stand. He condemned those who had abandoned the faith, starting with the leaders, prophesying that one day the LORD would destroy what was left of their nation. But he assured them that a remnant of the people would remain—those who stayed faithful, who sought justice and humility before the LORD.
- Time and time again, a people and their leaders fall away from the ideals of God’s covenant with humanity. Selfishness or arrogance, fear or hate, sin or evil lead people to turn toward self-preservation or self-aggrandizement. It happened in Zephaniah’s day under Assyrian influence. It happened in Jesus’ day under Roman influence. It can happen in ours. The Beatitudes can turn us back to living right. Poverty of spirit and meekness, righteousness and mercy, peacemaking and purity of heart can do this by shifting the focus away from ourselves and onto others. Empathy teaches us to show mercy, to make peace, to work for justice, to be humble. The kingdom of heaven awaits those who are empathetic.
- This lesson had to be important. Jesus had just called his disciples and traveled with them around Galilee, healing the sick and proclaiming the gospel, as we heard last Sunday. Soon he was drawing huge crowds, people eager to hear the words of the prophets come alive in their presence. But now, he elevates his message. Literally, for he ascends a mountain (not named, but apparently one of significance), symbolizing his authority and his closeness to God. He will go on to teach dozens of lessons—we will hear more over the next few Sundays—but he begins by teaching the people how to live.
Question of the Week
• For whom do I find it difficult to have empathy? How can I strengthen my empathy toward those who are not like me?
-from Pastoral Patterns
-
readings of the mass
LISTEN HERE to the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, January 29, 2023
SELECT HERE for the Readings of Sunday, January 29, 2023
-
Offerings
The Sunday offerings are a portion of our blessings that we give to God (Church) in gratitude to what God has done for us...ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS -
-