Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Two Sundays ago we encountered the first of three special traditions about Simon Peter, traditions found only in the Gospel of Matthew. That first tradition was Peter’s attempt to walk on water at the invitation of Jesus. On this Sunday we have the second of these traditions – Jesus bes...Read full story »
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In Matthew 10:5 we read this, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans.” But at the end of his gospel, Matthew ascribes to Jesus these words, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Gentiles)….” Before Matthew’s gospel wa...Read full story »
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The context of this gospel selection is the feeding of “five thousand men, besides women and children” in the wilderness with five loaves of bread and two fish.” Matthew’s catechesis in that story could have been a proclamation that Jesus was the Messiah. Why? Because there...Read full story »
Thursday, August 10, 2017
The Transfiguration of Jesus
Mark, Matthew, and Luke all have their version of the transfiguration of Jesus. Mark’s version is thought to be the oldest. The Gospel of Mark was composed about the year 70 A.D. Matthew and Luke wrote their documents about fifteen to twenty years later. Here we are concerned with MatthewR...Read full story »
Thursday, August 03, 2017
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A MATTHEW 13:44-52(1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Ps.119:57,72,76-77,127-128, 129-130; Rom. 8:28-30) The third gospel selection taken from Matthew 13, the Parable Chapter, adds three more parables to the collection the author gathered from oral and written tradit...Read full story »
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
More parables! More puzzles! Last Sunday’s gospel selection was taken from the opening of Matthew 13, the third of five great sermons Matthew constructed in his gospel from traditions about Jesus and to meet the needs of his Christian Community. Last Sunday’s parable: the Sower and the...Read full story »
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This gospel selection begins a series of three Sundays on the 13th chapter of Matthew. This chapter is the third of the five great sermons of Jesus which Matthew constructs from oral and written tradition for the catechetical needs of his Christian Community. Matthew begins, “On that da...Read full story »
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The gospel of this day is Jesus’ hymn of praise and thanksgiving to his heavenly Father for the gift of revelation. Many of the thoughts expressed in this hymn are similar to thoughts and expressions found in Old Testament Wisdom Literature and in various Old Testament Prophets. Matthew begin...Read full story »
Thursday, July 06, 2017
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel selection is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel – instructions for Christian missionaries in the eighties of the first century of Christianity. The author of the Gospel accord-ing to Matthew gradually moved his catechesis from specific instructions for missionar...Read full story »
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The context of this gospel selection is the second of five great sermons the author of Matthew’s gospel constructed from traditions about Jesus. This sermon is called “Missionary Instructions.” The headline: “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Pray, therefore, t...Read full story »
Thursday, June 22, 2017
