Journey to Wholeness
… Read the restThen Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
… Read the restAmen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
… Read the restWhat is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?
… Read the restWhen they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
… Read the rest“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Yerushalaim is the transliteration of Jerusalem. Click phonetics for the pronunciation of Yerushalaim.
… Read the restJesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray.
… Read the restJesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
… Read the restWhen Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
… Read the restThen Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
… Read the restThen he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
… Read the restWhen Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
… Read the restSomeone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
… Read the restAt that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
… Read the restAnd many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.
… Read the restAgain, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When
… Read the restThe kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
… Read the restThen, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
… Read the restAnd he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed.
… Read the restHe proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
… Read the restOn the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
… Read the restThe disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He
… Read the restOn that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
… Read the restThen some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
… Read the restNow I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
… Read the restBut the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him to put him to death.
When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.
The Father’s “house of bread” includes the tabernacle (where David fled in Nob), the cosmic tabernacle containing wheat (the Sabbath crowns creation on the seventh day in Genesis), and Jesus himself (the “bread of life” born in Bethlehem which means “house of bread”).… Read the rest
… Read the rest“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
… Read the restAt that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.
… Read the restThen he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.
pneuma: spirit
soma: body, flesh
pleroma: fullness, completion
… Read the restHe is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
… Read the restAre not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
… Read the restBut beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.
… Read the restAs you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
… Read the restThen he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
… Read the restJesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.
… Read the restWhile he was saying these things to them, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died.
… Read the rest“No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
… Read the restAs Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.”
… Read the restHe entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
… Read the restAfter this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
… Read the restAs Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They
… Read the restElijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth.
… Read the restAnd he said to them, “Why were you looking for me?
… Read the restTake my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.
… Read the restWhen the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son.
… Read the rest“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By
… Read the rest“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
… Read the rest“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.
… Read the restDo not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But
“The Lord’s Prayer” (5 panels)
Matthew 6:9-13
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang… Read the rest
… Read the rest“But take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
“Love of Enemies” (3 panels)
Matthew 5:43-48 in a quatrain
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restYou have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For
… Read the restYou have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
One of the best-loved characteristics of St. Barnabas is his gift of drawing out the God-given potential in others. Named Joseph at birth, the Levite from Cyprus became known as “Barnabas,” which means “son of encouragement” or “son of consolation” (Acts 4:36). … Read the rest
The God of Moses on Mount Sinai revealed himself in thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire (Exodus 19:16-18).… Read the rest
… Read the restTherefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
… Read the restDo not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
… Read the restYou are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
“Pentecost” (2 panels)
A reflection on Acts 2:1-4
Pentecost Sunday
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restWhen the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.
The city of monolithic brick
Recedes before the mountain mystic.
… Read the restThe whole world had the same language and the same words.
…your all-powerful word leapt from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed…
Wisdom 18:15 (New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised)
… Read the restDuring those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When
… Read the rest“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And
When a child is begotten
Past travails are forgotten.
… Read the restAmen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When
Yerushalaim is the transliteration of Jerusalem. Click phonetics for the pronunciation of Yerushalaim.
… Read the restHe took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It
Since the time of the early Church Fathers, the Four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, have been associated with the four “living creatures” in Revelation 4:7:
… Read the restThe first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
… Read the restAmen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” So the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Fifth Week of Lent, Wednesday
Daniel 3
Iconic images and words in the Bible interconnect to form a constellation that radiates to the “edges” of infinity. The episode of the three Jews thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image summons iconic connections from Genesis to Revelation.… Read the rest
The new Moses wrote with the finger of God
A New Law in dust by the Spirit of God.… Read the rest
Pommeled by the wind,
Supple beings bend and bloom,
Trained for tribulation.… Read the rest
Fourth Week of Lent, Thursday
Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47
… Read the restHe was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me… For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.
Glowing amethysts
Arise from dark, frosty soil—
Jewels of the King.
Royal crocuses lead the procession of spring blooms, heralding the death and resurrection of the King of Kings. … Read the rest
Fourth Week of Lent, Monday
John 4:43-54
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine.
John 4:46
The Gospel of John calls special attention to Cana, the location of the first and second “signs” (sémeion) revealing Jesus as the Messiah to Israel.… Read the rest
… Read the restTax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Third Week of Lent, Thursday
Luke 11:14-23
… Read the restHe was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Third Week of Lent, Wednesday
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9; Matthew 5:17-19
… Read the restNow therefore, Israel, hear the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
Third Week of Lent, Tuesday
Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), Abednego (Azariah), and Belteshazzar (Daniel) managed to preserve their Israelite heritage intact in the midst of Babylonian power and prestige.… Read the rest
Third Week of Lent, Monday
Man of valor Naaman commanded infantries
But was overpowered by a vile skin disease.
A little girl’s faith—the size of a mustard seed—
Sent the chief to Israel with surefooted speed.… Read the rest
Sir, leave the tree alone this year, I adjure,
Til I dig around it and heap on manure.… Read the rest
… Read the restSo the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God
First Week of Lent, Saturday
… Read the rest“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
First Week of Lent, Friday
… Read the restI tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
First Week of Lent, Thursday
… Read the rest“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
First Week of Lent, Tuesday
Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 4:4b; Matthew 6:7-15
… Read the restYet just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me empty,
but shall do what pleases me,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
Saturday After Ash Wednesday
Luke 5:27-32
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Luke 5:30
The banquet at Levi’s house was a preview of paradise when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will recline with “tax collectors and sinners” at the feast in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:11).… Read the rest
“Lose it all, gain it all” (2 panels)
A reflection on Mark 10:28-31
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restPeter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
… Read the restAs Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus
… Read the restBrothers and sisters:
When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about:Death is swallowed up in victory.
… Read the restIn those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And
… Read the restJesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. The
The salt of the Spirit purifies the eye
Of the heart like fire, the Church to unify.
… Read the rest“Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt
Whoever slakes the thirst of a Christ-bearer,
Honoring the Name, is with us a sharer.
… Read the restJohn said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” But
… Read the restAs Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John and approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
… Read the restBrothers and sisters:
It is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being,” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. But
… Read the restAfter six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then
… Read the rest“Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
… Read the restNow Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They
“The Blind Man of Bethsaida” (3 panels)
Mark 8:22-26 in a tercet
Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
©2022 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restWhen they arrived at Bethsaida, they brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. He
… Read the restThey had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. He enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They
… Read the restAnd people brought to Jesus a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He
… Read the restThus says the Lord:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
… Read the restIn those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, he summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If
… Read the restAgain he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And
… Read the restJesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon
… Read the restHe summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”
… Read the restNow when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For
… Read the restAfter making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They
… Read the restThe apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
… Read the restKing Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
… Read the restAnd he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
The glory of the Lord entered the temple by the eastward gate,
and the house of God was filled with his splendor.… Read the rest
… Read the restWhen Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One
… Read the restThey came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
… Read the restBrothers and sisters: Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
… Read the restOn that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was.
… Read the restHe said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It
… Read the restJesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?
… Read the restOn another occasion Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
… Read the restNow Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
… Read the restThe scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”
… Read the restSince many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.
… Read the restJesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.
… Read the restAnd whenever unclean spirits saw Jesus they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known.
… Read the restJesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing
… Read the restAgain he entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He
… Read the restAs he was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At
… Read the restThe disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to him and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
… Read the restOn the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus
… Read the restOnce again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post.
… Read the restWhen Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.
… Read the restA leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved
… Read the restOn leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
… Read the restAfter John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment.
… Read the restThe people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.
… Read the restIn the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
… Read the restThere was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
… Read the restWhen the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
… Read the restWhen the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you.
… Read the restOn the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
The shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,… Read the rest
with the child cradled in a manger.
… Read the restNow there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.
This couplet was inspired by icons of the Theotokos of the Unburnt Bush and medieval titles of the Immaculate Virgin Mary as a pure fountain or wellspring.… Read the rest
… Read the restAs he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He
This Jubilee series began with wonder about the inscription on the Liberty Bell at the Pennsylvania State House from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof.”
Biblical freedom has as its final aim liberation from slavery to sin and communion with God, and thus ultimately transcends this world and its political systems.… Read the rest
… Read the restYou shall count seven weeks of years—seven times seven years—such that the seven weeks of years amount to forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month let the ram’s horn resound; on this, the Day of Atonement, the ram’s horn blast shall resound throughout your land.
… Read the restThen the Lord said to Moses: I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On
… Read the restBut during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath of complete rest, a sabbath for the Lord, when you may neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. The aftergrowth of your harvest you shall not reap, nor shall you pick the grapes of your untrimmed vines.
Then the Lord said to Moses: Go to Pharaoh and tell him: Thus says the Lord: Let my people go to serve me.
Exodus 7:26 (NABRE; 8:1 in other translations)
… Read the restFor the Israelites belong to me as servants; they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, I, the Lord, your God.
True freedom is not autonomy, but fidelity to the Lord. The Anointed One who came to “proclaim liberty to captives” in Jubilee fashion (Luke 4:18) took the form of a slave and became obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). … Read the rest
The year of Jubilee looked forward to the restoration of God’s kingdom, like the Our Father prayer Jesus taught to his disciples:
… Read the restOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
The laws of the Sabbath day, Sabbatical year, and Jubilee year give shape to our total existence as humans interdependent with the land, animals, and plants. Setting aside one day out of seven, one year out of seven, and one year out of seven times seven years to rest from labor, allowing even the land to rest, declares the sovereignty of God and the primacy of worship.… Read the rest
Shalom Snail is embarking on a novena of reflections on the year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, and the meaning of liberty derived from it. This series was inspired by the inscription on the Liberty Bell at the Pennsylvania State House.… Read the rest
… Read the restThen he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He
… Read the restAs it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
… Read the restAs he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
… Read the restIn those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called out to her, “Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”
… Read the restI tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
… Read the restThen he also said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.
… Read the restThe tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
… Read the restGreat crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them, “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he led me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me in the center of the broad valley.… Read the rest
… Read the restOne of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”
… Read the restOn a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.
… Read the restOn a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
… Read the restSo then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
… Read the restHe passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
… Read the restAgain he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”
… Read the restHe was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
… Read the restThey came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging.
… Read the restSome people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
… Read the restHe also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain—and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is.
… Read the restI have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
… Read the restBe sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
… Read the rest“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
… Read the restBeloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one with me.
… Read the restThen James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
… Read the restI tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
… Read the restI tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more.
… Read the restWoe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. Therefore,
… Read the rest“Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
“Hey, wazzup?”
Luke 11:37-41 “in a snailshell”
Tuesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restAfter he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat.
… Read the restWhile still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
“For God All Things Are Possible” (3 panels)
Mark 10:17-30 (and Matthew 19:16-30) “in a snailshell”
Sunday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restAs he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
… Read the restWhile he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.”
… Read the restSome of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
“Our Lady of the Rosary”
In commemoration of the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571
Photos from the Mary Garden at the Passionist Monastery in Jamaica, NY
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang
From the Liturgy of the Hours for the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary:
… Read the restThis commemorative feast was established by Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto.
… Read the restHe was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
… Read the restAs they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
… Read the restThere was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
… Read the restThe Pharisees approached and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him.
… Read the restAt 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.
… Read the rest“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
… Read the restAfter this the Lord appointed seventy[-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
