Posts

Showing posts with the label Rembrandt

Sunday Reflections, 5th Sunday of Lent, Year A

Image
The Raising of Lazarus Caravaggio [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, Scotland, India)    Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 11:1-45   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill. It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’  On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’  Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the ...

Sunday Reflections, 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 15 February 2026

Image
The Sermon on the Mount Carl Heinrich Bloch [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, Scotland, India) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 5:17-37   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the ...

Sunday Reflections, Feast of the Santo Niño (Philippines), 18 January 2026.

Image
Señor Santo Niño de Cebú [ Wikipedia ] First Reading   Isaiah 9:1-6 Second Reading    Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 Gospel   Matthew 18:1-5, 10 At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”   He called a child over, placed it in their midst,   and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." The Sleeping Sto Niño   (There are many versions) THE SLEEPING GOD by  Simeon Dumdum, Jr . This first appeared in  Cebu Daily News  some years ago. It is used here with permission. Simeon Dumdum, Jr, known to his friends as 'Jun...

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 1 January 2026

Image
Adoration of the Shepherds  [London] Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger  (Luke 2:16). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)    Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 2:16-21   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he wa...

Sunday Reflections, Feast of the Holy Family, Year A, 28 December 2025

Image
Flight into Egypt Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ]   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)   Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) When the Magi 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.’ But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the la...

Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 7 December 2025

Image
St John the Baptist Preaching Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,   “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”  (Matthew 3:1; today's Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)   Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 3:1-12   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” ’ Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all th...

Sunday Reflections, Christ the King, Year C, 23 November 2025

Image
A  Taizé  chant by Jacques Barthier (1923 - 1994)   Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom  (Luke 23:42; Gospel) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)   Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 23:35-43   (English Standard Version, Anglicised)   Brothers and Sisters: Let us give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him....

Sunday Reflections, Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, 9 November 2025

Image
Archbasilica of St John Lateran  [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] The full name of the church is:  Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran . It is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, as a feast of the Lord, takes precedence over the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 2:13-22  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) 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 overt...