Association Of Catholic Bloggers

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,

Chaldean Catholic Church ܥܕܬܐ ܟܠܕܝܬܐ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܝܬܐ Ecclesia Chaldaeorum Catholica Emblem of the  Chaldean Catholic Church Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel   Matthew 13:44-52 [or 13:44-46]  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, 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. [“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;   when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.   So it wil