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Showing posts with the label Sunday Reflections

Their only words were: 'Jesus, help me!' Sunday Reflections, 1st Sunday of Lent, Year B

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  The Repentant Peter El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] 'Repent and believe in the gospel'  (Mark 1:16; Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:12-15  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) The Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness.   And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,   and saying,  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”   Léachtaí i nGaeilge Cupola Decoration Early Coptic Painter [ Web Gallery of Art ] One of my teachers in the Columban seminary in the 1960s was a saintly priest, Fr Edward McCormack. Father Ted, as we knew him, spent most of his life as a priest teaching Scriptur

'You died out of love and did not abandon us in our misery.' Sunday Reflections, 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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Yachounomori Garden,Tatebayashi, Gunma, Japan  [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Mark 1:40-45  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) And a leper  came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”   Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him,  “I will; be clean.”   And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.   And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once,   and said to him,  “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”   But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. Léachta

'Her last two years were also full of pain, yet always of love and light . . .' Sunday Reflections, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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  Jan Josef Horemans II A Sick Woman [ Web Gallery of Art ] Now  Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her  (Mark 1:30; Gospel}. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:29-39 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) And immediately Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.   Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.   And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening at sunset they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And

'He taught them as one who had authority'. Sunday Reflections, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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Christ as Teacher (Cristo Docente) Fourth Century Roman Sculptor  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:21-28 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) [Jesus and his disciples] went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.   And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.   And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,   “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”   But Jesus rebuked him, saying,  “Be silent, and come out of him!”   And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.   And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “W

'I waited, waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me.' Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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From   The Gospel of John , directed by Philip Saville Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 1:35-42 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,   and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”   The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.   Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them,  “What are you seeking?”  And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”   He said to them,  “Come and you will see.”  So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.   One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.   He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ)

'Each one of us is wanted and loved by God.' Sunday Reflections, Baptism of the Lord, Year B.

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Baptistry, San Marco, Venice Italian Mosaic Artist [ Web Gallery of Art ]  Where The Epiphany is a holy day of obligation and is celebrated this year on Saturday 6 January, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus is celebrated on Sunday 7 January. Where The Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday 7 January the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus is observed on Monday 8 January. The Feast of the Baptism of Jesus ends Christmas Time and Ordinary Time begins the following day. Readings  (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:7-11 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) [John the Baptist] preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.   I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  

'There were three wise men from afar directed by a glorious star.' Sunday Reflections, The Epiphany.

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  Adoration of the Magi Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ] In most countries where English is widely used The Epiphany is celebrated on this Sunday, 7 January 2024. However, in Ireland, where it is a holy day of obligation, the feast is observed on its traditional date, 6 January, Saturday. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Matthew 2:1-12 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,   saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”   When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;   and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he enquired of them where the Christ was to be born.   They told him, “In Bethleh

Feast of the Holy Family, Year B; Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Year B

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St Joseph and the Christ Child El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 2:22-40 [or 22, 39-40] ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they [the parents of Jesus] brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  [(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)   and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons”.   Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.   And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.   And

Sunday Reflections, 4th Sunday of Advent, Year B; Christmas Day

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  Annunciation Alessandro Allori [ Web Gallery of Art ] And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”   (Luke 1:38; Gospel) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 1:26-38  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,   to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.   And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!”   But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.   And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.   And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.   He will be great and wil