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The Word today, Easter2C

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Apr 26, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Apr 27, 2025



April 28 - May 03, 2025


St Peter Chanel, priest and martyr St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, priest


Acts 2:14, 22-33 The cross was a shock to the first Christians and so was the resurrection. In this speech of Peter, we “overhear” the first disciples using the Old Testament—especially the psalms—to understand what had taken place. The primary proclamation is focused on Jesus of Nazareth.


Matthew 28:8-15 The central proclamation—Jesus’ appearance to the women at the tomb—is unique to Matthew. In effect, it places the previous proclamation of the angel on the very lips of Jesus himself. In this way, Matthew—ever the teacher—make the implicit explicit.


St Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor


1 John 1:5-2:2 The reading, with its emphasis on writing, is suitable for feast of St Catherine. It is also suitable for Eastertide, taking us to the message of love and forgiveness at the heart of it all.


Matthew 11:25-30 This wonderful reading is also suitable for the feast, given the simplicity and humility of St Catherine. These verses, also present in Luke, give us a window on the prayer of Jesus himself.


St Pius V, bishop of Rome


Acts 5:17-26 This miraculous anecdote (not lacking in humour) illustrates how irrepressible the preaching of The Way was and how its bearers were and are still today under God’s protection.


John 3:16-21 The opening words in this Gospel are justly famous—surely one of the greatest affirmations in Scripture. They echo the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. The rest of the Gospel is difficult for us, until we remember that we are overhearing the robust dialogue between the Church and Synagogue from about AD 90. It may be best to understand the harsh line on judgment to refer to full believers who have walked away.


St Joseph the Worker


Acts 5:27-33 In this passage, Peter responds to those who would silence him. The clarity of his defence might help us today: obedience to God comes before obedience to humans.


John 3:31-36 Our reading of John 3 moves forward to the teaching on the lips of John the Baptist. The writer is looking back with the 2020 vision of (theological) hindsight. While it is very unlikely that the historical John the Baptist expressed himself in the vocabulary of the Johannine community (!), nevertheless our reading gives us a rich reflection on Jesus and what he means to us today.


St Athanasius of Alexandria, bishop and doctor


Acts 4:1-12 The religious authorities of the time were against the teaching of resurrection at all and very much against saying Jesus was risen. These are the very same people who brought about the crucifixion of Jesus. Here Peter, using the Old Testament, make the case for the resurrection of Jesus.


John 21:1-14 Chapter 21—an early addition to John —reminds us of the three-fold denial of Peter by means of his three-fold restoration. The fishing scene takes us back to the original call of Peter and his brothers. That earlier call is still “valid” and at the same time strengthened in the light of the resurrection.


Sts Philip and James, apostles


1 Corinthians 15:1-8 The witnesses to the Risen Lord are foundational for Paul and among them we find James, one of today’s saints. We are to be witnesses in our day.


John 14:6-14 The Gospel mentions Philip, who is given a relatively high profile in John. He certainly cannot be accused of setting his sights too low — and still, his interjection leads to a rich and invigorating teaching from the Johannine Jesus.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025ai, April 27). Second Sunday of Easter. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042725.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings


 
 
 

The Word today, EasterC

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Apr 19, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Apr 27, 2025



April 21 - April 26, 2025



Acts 2:14, 22-33 The cross was a shock to the first Christians and so was the resurrection. In this speech of Peter, we “overhear” the first disciples using the Old Testament—especially the psalms—to understand what had taken place. The primary proclamation is focused on Jesus of Nazareth.


Matthew 28:8-15 The central proclamation—Jesus’ appearance to the women at the tomb—is unique to Matthew. In effect, it places the previous proclamation of the angel on the very lips of Jesus himself. In this way, Matthew—ever the teacher—make the implicit explicit.



Acts 2:36-41 The opening verse is really the climax of yesterday’s reading. The rest responds to the question: if the Easter proclamation is true, what difference should it make and what should we do?


John 20:11-18 The question in today’s gospel is powerful: “Who are you looking for?” With this question the Gospel comes full circle, because the very first words of Jesus in this Gospel are “What are you looking for? The shift from “what” to “who” marks the Christian journey. We are not looking for philosophy but a person.



Acts 3:1-10 The healing at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. Already in Acts 2:43 we read: Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. This story is not just a healing from the past but a metaphor for the present, offered to us today as believers who may feel paralysed.


Luke 24:13-35 The disciples on the road to Emmaus is a powerful account. At the centre stands a recognition/ accusation of “slowness of heart”, that is, resistance to the Easter proclamation. As we listen, we hear the stages or marks of an authentic journey to spiritual insight and faith.



Acts 3:11-26 Sometimes Christians today feel that the God of the Old Testament is somehow a different God. In contrast, the early Christians felt a very strong desire to show that the surprising outcome of Jesus life and ministry—his death and resurrection—was actually and in fact a fulfilment of things foreshadowed in the Old Testament. God’s continued fidelity was an important part of their faith.


Luke 24:35-48 Our Gospel today evokes several resurrection themes: failure to recognise the risen Lord, the gift of peace and the confirmation of the reality of the resurrection. Perhaps, however, the very last lines speak directly to us today: in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.



Acts 4:1-12 The religious authorities of the time were against the teaching of resurrection at all and very much against saying Jesus was risen. These are the very same people who brought about the crucifixion of Jesus. Here Peter, using the Old Testament, make the case for the resurrection of Jesus.


John 21:1-14 Chapter 21—an early addition to John —reminds us of the three-fold denial of Peter by means of his three-fold restoration. The fishing scene takes us back to the original call of Peter and his brothers. That earlier call is still “valid” and at the same time strengthened in the light of the resurrection.



Acts 4:13-21 The early Christians experienced opposition—but this only strengthened their courage. Anyhow, it looks as though those who were against them were “flummoxed” as we say!


Mark 16:9-15 These few verses—a very late addition to the Gospel text and not from Mark— form a kind of late synthesis of disparate material. Nevertheless, the Great Commission is repeated, for them and for us.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025ag, April 20). The Resurrection of the Lord. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042025.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings


 
 
 

The Word today, Lent5C

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Apr 5, 2025
  • 3 min read


April 07 - April 12, 2025



Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 This dramatic reading follows on extremely well from yesterday’s Gospel about the woman caught in adultery. Many dimensions could help us, but perhaps the courage and intelligence of Daniel could be underlined.


John 8:12-20 The theme of judgement unites the two readings—by which standards do we judge? In the discussion with the Pharisees, the Fourth Gospel offers us a deep and still challenging understanding of Jesus. Who was he? Who is he?



Numbers 21:4-9 We know from our human experience that when something is harming us, we need to face it. Something of that ordinary experience lies beyond this extraordinary story. The image of the serpent lifted up is found on the lips of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, speaking of his own death and resurrection.


John 8:21-30 The image of “lifting up”—so central to John’s Gospel—is taken from the story of the bronze serpent. The evangelist reminds us of our need the healing that God provides in Jesus.



Daniel 3:14-20, 24-25, 28 In this dramatic illustration, faithfulness to the one true God is a deadly risk— and yet God shows himself to be faithful to all who are faithful to him.


John 8:31-42 In early Christian reection, Abraham was in everyone’s mind—notably in Paul’s but also as we see in John’s gospel. The big question being answered is, who is Jesus?



Genesis 17:3-7 The reading today picks out an emblematic story about Abraham, as a preparation for the Gospel, where Abraham is mentioned again. He was the original man of faith, our father in faith, as Hebrews puts it, who put his trust in God and in a way God puts his trust in Abraham.


John 8:51-59 In the Fourth Gospel, there are seven I AM sentences, usually qualied by some image or afrmation such as the good shepherd. The I AM in today’s reading is without qualication, an absolute claim to identity with God. While clearly “theological, it may have a grounding in history: Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am.” (Mark 14:61–62).



Jeremiah 20:10-13 Right up to today, good people are made to suffer when they tell the truth and say it like it is. This was true also in the past: Jeremiah suffered greatly for his convictions and prophecies, in the same way as Jesus would, much later.


John 10:31-42 As often in John’s gospel, we are overhearing later disputes about the identity of Jesus and the arguments for and against. Only in the light of the resurrection did the early Christian really grasp who Jesus was and who the risen Jesus is today.



Ezekiel 37:21-28 This short reading was written a time of national disaster and disgrace. As we listen, we might keep in mind what picture of God comes out of this picture? Can it help me or us today?


John 11:45-56 Today, our reading takes us to the consequences of the story of Lazarus. John’s Gospel is looking back after many year’s of prayer and reection. The evangelist see that the cause of Jesus’ death was really who he was — the Messiah and the Son of God. Ironically, Caiaphas speaks the a deep truth, even if he doesn’t know what he is really saying: it is better for one man to die for the people.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025ac, April 6). Fifth Sunday of Lent. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040625-YearC.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings


 
 
 
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