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  First Steps (after Millet) Vincent van Gogh [ Web Gallery of Art ] Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and  whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.  (Mark 30:37; today's gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 9:30-37   (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Jesus and his disciples went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know,   for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them,  “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”   But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them,  “What were you discussing on the way?” ...

  C hrist Driving the Money-changers from the Temple   Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  John 2:13-25 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these t...

Prayer before a Meal, Adriaen Jansz van Ostade[ Web Galle ry For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them (Matthew 18:20). Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel Matthew 18:15-20 ( NRSV, CatholicEdition ) Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever ...

The Repentant Peter , El Greco  [ 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 16:21-27 ( New Revised  Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition )   From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cr...

The Canaanite Woman,  Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry   [ Wikipedia ] For Readings and Reflections for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A,  click on the following:   Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Sunday Reflections  for this Sunday three years ago  links the situation of the Canaanite woman in the gospel with the situation of Christians in war-torn Iraq and Syria. The video above features the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, after it  was liberated from ISIS  last October. The vast majority of Catholics in Iraq and Syria belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church and Syrian Catholic Church. There are  more than twenty Eastern Catholic Churches , though the vast majority of Catholics worldwide are Roman (or Latin) Catholics. All are equally Catholic and all are in full communion with Rome. Archbishop Mouche (also spelled  Moshe ), belongs to the Syrian C...

Religious pendant showing Christ blessing, framed with rubies and pearls [ Wikipedia ] The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matthew 13:45). For Readings and Reflections for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, click on the following: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Chaldean Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows, Baghdad, Iraq [ Wikipedia ] In Sunday Reflections for this Sunday three years ago I highlighted the situation of Christians in Iraq and Syria and included a statement by Patriarch Louis Raphael I of the Chaldean Catholic Church dated 17 July 2014. Below is a video of the Patriarch reopening a Catholic Church in Tel Kaif ( Tel Keppe ), about 12 kms north of Mosul, in January of this year. This area is historically the centre of the Chaldean Catholic community in Iraq. Please pray for all of the Christians of Iraq and Syria,...

Nave of the Archbasilica of St John Lateran Gospel   Luke 21:5-19  When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said,     ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’ They asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’   And he said, ‘Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, “I am he!”   and, “The time is near!”   Do not go after them. ‘When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.’   Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;   there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs fr...