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Showing posts with the label Confession

‘O wondrous gift indeed! / the poor and lowly may / upon their Lord and Master feed.’ Sunday Reflections, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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Pope Benedict elevating the Body of Christ [Wikipedia;  photo ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 22:1-14   For the shorter form (22:1-10), omit the text in Brackets.]  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,   “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,   and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.   Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’   But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,   while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.   The king was angry, and he sent his t

The door of the confessional is the door to the heart of Jesus. Sunday Reflections, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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  Woman Holding a Balance Johannes Vermeer [ Web Gallery of Art ] Because the whole world before you is like a speck that tips the scales  (Wisdom 11:22; First Reading). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Luke 19:1-10 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.   And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.   And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature.   So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.   And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him,  “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”   So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.   And when they saw it, they all

'Let us restore to the centre the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a true space of the Spirit . . .' Sunday Reflections, 5th Sunday of Lent, Year C

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Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery   Rembrandt   [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 8:1-11  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)    Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.   Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.   The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst   they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.   Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”   This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.   And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them,  “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw

'I baptize you with water for repentance.' Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A

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Linaioli Tabernacle: St John the Baptist Blessed Fra Angelico  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Matthew 3:1-12 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’     This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord,      make his paths straight.”’ Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sin

'God’s mercy is infinitely greater than any guilt of ours.' Sunday Reflections, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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Zacchaeus , Willem Isaacsz van Swanenburg   [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 19:1-10 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it.  A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich.  He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.  When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’  So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.  All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’  Zacchaeus stoo

‘Neither do I condemn you.' Sunday Reflections, 5th Sunday of Lent, Year C

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From   The Gospel of John   (2003) directed by Philip Saville Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   John 8:1-11 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them,  they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.  Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’  They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened