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Showing posts with the label Legion of Mary

There is nothing further for God to say. Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C

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St John the Baptist Preaching Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland) Readings   (English Standard Version; England & Wales, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 3:1-6  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India, England & Wales, Scotland) In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the w...

'She had faith that did not shake.' Sunday Reflections, Ascension, Year B

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The Venerable Edel Quinn 14 September 1907 - 12 May 1944 [ photo ] Solemnity of the Ascension The Ascension is celebrated on Ascension Thursday, 9 May, in England & Wales, Scotland. In the USA it is celebrated on Ascension Thursday in the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha, Philadelphia. In all of these places Ascension Thursday is a Holyday of Obligation. The Ascension is observed on Sunday, 12 May, in Aotearoa-New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Philippines, USA (apart from the jurisdictions mentioned above). Ascension, Year B   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel    Mark 16:15-20     (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, b...

'If ever you take your neighbour's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down.' Sunday Reflections, 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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  The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix) Van Gogh [ Web Gallery of Art ] You shall love your neighbour as yourself (Mt 22:39; Gospel) . Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 22:34-40  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.   And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.   “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”   And he said to him,  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.   This is the great and first commandment.   And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.   On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Léachtaí i nGaeilge Stephen Cardinal Ki...

Postscript on the Samaritan woman at the well

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  Christ and the Samaritan Woman at the Well Johann Zick [ Web Gallery of Art ] At Mass yesterday I was struck by these beautiful words in the special Preface used when the Gospel of the Samaritan woman is read. The Preface is always addressed by the priest to God the Father. For when [Jesus] asked the Samaritan woman for water to drink,  he had already created the gift of faith within her and so ardently did he thirst for her faith,  that he kindled in her the fire of divine love. Please continue at Bangor to Bobbio .

'Would you be willing to work for Our Lady?' Sunday Reflections, 3rd Sunday of Lent, Year A

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  Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well Guercino [ 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 4:5-42  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     [For the shorter form (4:3-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42, omit the text in brackets.] Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered h...

Unknown saints who 'fan into flame the gift of God'. Sunday Reflections, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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  Farmer in a Field Vincent van Gogh [ Web Gallery of Art ] Luke 17:7 (Gospel) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 17:5-10 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”   And the Lord said,  “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you. “Will any one of you who has a servant [  ploughing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?   Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterwards you will eat and drink’?   Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?   So...

'When you give a feast, invite the poor . . . and you will be blessed.' Sunday Reflections, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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  Young Jew as Christ Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 14:1, 7-14 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) . One Sabbath,  when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honour, saying to them,   “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honour, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,   and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person’, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.   But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may s...

'That young Italian's joy has remained with me for 31 years now.' Sunday Reflections, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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  Madonna and Child Francisco de Zurbarán [ Web Gallery of Art ] For thus says the  Lord : “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river  and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;  and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,  and bounced upon her knees.  As one whom his mother comforts,  so I will comfort you;  you shall be comforted in Jerusalem  (Isaiah 66:12-13, 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 10:1-12, 17-20 [or 10:1-9] ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)    After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.   And he said to them,  “The harvest is plentiful, but...