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Showing posts with the label Pope Francis

'The glory of the martyrs shines upon you!' Sunday Reflections, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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  The Parable of the Wicked Tenants Abel Grimmer [ Web Gallery of Level ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 21:33:43  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence round it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.   When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.   And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.   Again he sent other servants, more than at first. And they did the same to them.   Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’   But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and

'God chose what is low and despised in the world . . .' Sunday Reflections, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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  Jesus gives the Beatitudes from  The Chosen Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 5:1-12a [or 4:12-17]  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom o

'Rachel weeping for her children.' Feast of the Holy Innocents

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  Joseph's Dream Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt (Mt 2:13) . Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs 28 December Gospel   Matthew 2:13-18 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Now when the wise men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”   And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt   and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time tha

'In the human family, gathered by Christ, "the image and likeness" of the Most Holy Trinity has been restored.' Sunday Reflections, Trinity Sunday, Year C

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  The Two Trinities   Murillo [ 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   John 16:12-15 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)    Jesus said to his disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.   When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.   He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.   All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ” Léachtaí i nGaeilge Holy Family and Trinity Jacob de Wit [ Web Gallery of Art ] During my kindergarten, primary and secondary school years, 1947 to 1961, my brother and I had breakfast and dinner

'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

'Let us contemplate the Heart of the Father.' Sunday Reflections, 4th Sunday of Lent, Year C

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  The Return of the Prodigal Son ,  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   Luke 15:1-3, 11-32  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)    Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons.   And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.   Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.   And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.   So he went and hired himself out to [ a

'Is it right to hire a hitman to solve a problem?' asks Pope Francis; post-abortion healiing

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  Pope Francis on  15 September 2021 From the  official English translation  of the Pope’s words in Italian  [emphases added  in quotations below ] : Abortion is more than a problem, abortion is a murder.  Abortion... without mincing words: whoever has an abortion, kills. Take any book on embryology, from those who study students at Faculties of Medicine and see that, in the third week of pregnancy – in the third week, and often before the mother is aware of it – the fetus already has all the organs; all, even the DNA. And wouldn't it be a person? It's a human life… period! And this human life must be respected. This principle is so clear…  To those who cannot understand it, I would ask two questions: Is it fair to kill a human life to solve a problem? Scientifically, it's a human life. Second question: Is it fair to hire a hit man to solve a problem? The first sentence above in the original Italian reads: Il problema dell’aborto. L’aborto è più di un problema, l’aborto è u

'Even amid the ravages of terrorism and war, we can see, with the eyes of faith, the triumph of life over death.' Sunday Reflections, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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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?”   But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one anoth

'My father wants the Bread of Life.' Sunday Reflections, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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  Main Altar Gil de Siloé [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  John 6:41-51   (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said,  “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”   They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say,  ‘I have come down from heaven’ ?”   Jesus answered them,  “Do not grumble among yourselves.   No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.   It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—   not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.   Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.   I am the bread of life.   Your fathers