The Sunday Gospel In today’s Gospel Reading (Luke 4: 21-30) we continue last Sunday’s story of Jesus returning to his home town, Nazareth, where he preached in the local synagogue. After reading from Isaiah about the power of the Holy Spirit inaugurating a time of liberation and a new way of seeing life, he handed…
The Sunday Gospel The Gospel according to Luke will be read at Sunday Mass this year. Today’s Gospel might well be called ‘introductions’. In two separate extracts we have Luke’s introduction to his writing (Luke 1: 1-4), followed by his introduction to the public ministry of Jesus (Luke 4:14-21). In classical style he addresses his…
The Sunday Gospel Christmas may be gone but we are still celebrating the Epiphany, that is the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus. There were three great moments of revelation. First was the adoration of the Magi and the three symbolic gifts. Next was last Sunday’s reading of the Baptism of Jesus when the voice…
The Sunday Gospel This Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, marking the beginning of his public ministry. He has emerged from the 30 years of what we call his hidden life. Since Jesus was without sin, he did not need to submit himself to the ceremonial bathing that John the…
The Gospel for this Sunday is the prologue of the Gospel of John. For the past week we have had the stories of the birth of Jesus and the events of his early life. But John begins with a vast timescale of God’s action, going back to the eons before creation and then advances through…
The Sunday Gospel Have we forgotten why we celebrate Christmas? A friend told me she got a card wishing her a very merry ‘Winter Festival’? Could you beat that! People tell me they have to search in shops for cards that portray the nativity but there is no shortage of fir trees, snow, red robins…
The Sunday Gospel Children are counting down the days. After this Sunday, only six more days till Christmas. Excitement is bubbling up. I could feel it myself when watching the television commercial where a little boy keeps asking “Will he really come?” Of course, we all think that he is waiting for Santa Claus. But…
The Sunday Gospel The entrance antiphon for Mass on the Third Sunday of Advent sets the tone for coming closer to Christmas. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” Today is known as Gaudete Sunday, a day of special rejoicing. The second reading is worth repeating in full…
The Sunday Gospel “The Word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.” I really love Advent. Each season of the liturgical year has its own rich spirituality, but I think Advent has the message that is most relevant at the moment, at least in the state of the Church in Western…
The Sunday Gospel T he First Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year. The Gospel of the day is about the end of time (Luke 21:25-28.34). It might seem odd that Advent begins, not with preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas, but his coming for us at the end of…