Living Word - A Reflection on the Sunday Readings

When Jesus tells his disciples that he will suffer and die in Jerusalem, Peter cannot accept it. But what does it mean for us to take up the cross and follow Jesus?

In Matthew's Gospel Jesus now begins his journey to Jerusalem. His focus is the formation of the disciples. As the journey begins, Jesus gives Peter the keys, the symbol of authority to teach in his name.

In the exchange between Jesus and a Canaanite woman, it can seem that at first Jesus was not prepared to help her. But to understand the significance of what happened, we need to recall the wider context in Matthew's Gospel.

As we continuing reading from Matthew's Gospel we are invited to reflect on the scene that follows the feeding of the crowd. As the disciples struggle in the boat Jesus comes to them walking on the sea.

The readings this Sunday are about the generosity of God. In his account of the feeding of the crowd, Matthew links the old and the new. Just as the People of Israel were fed in the wilderness, Jesus feeds the crowd and continues to feed us.

The Gospel this Sunday concludes the Parables of the Kingdom. The parable of the dragnet again reminds us that God is patient. There will be a harvest in the future but what about now? This Sunday we explore that tension: the now and the future.

In another parable, the parable of the wheat and the weeds, we hear Jesus reflecting on what it means to follow him. In Matthew's Gospel that is the call to be one with him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

This Sunday, as we begin to listen to the Parables of the Kingdom, we hear Jesus describing how a farmer sowed seeds in a field. We will also hear that the essential message of the parable is that there is always a harvest.

In Matthew's Gospel, we hear that Jesus is the one who comes to lift the burden and calls us to trust in the mercy and compassion of God.

This Sunday the Gospel reading concludes the second discourse of Jesus. It is about the Mission Jesus entrusted to his disciples. It is also about giving priority to the Mission.

On this Twelfth Sunday we continue to read from the discourse in Matthew's Gospel where Jesus is instructing his disciples about their Mission. We too are called to share in that Mission.

As we return to the Ordinary Sundays of the Year, we are also returning to our reading of Matthew’s Gospel. On this Sunday, we begin to read the second of the five discourses that we find in Matthew’s Gospel. in the second discourse, the focus is on the Mission of the disciples and it is also about our Mission.

The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is transferred to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. It is still sometimes known by its previous Latin title of Corpus Christi. It celebrates the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

On the Sunday after Pentecost we celebrate the feast of the Trinity. When we call God Father, Son and Spirit, we are attempting to put into human words our experience of God's revelation.

Pentecost Sunday concludes the Easter Season. Each year the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents Luke's account of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Luke wanted his community to understand that the gift of the Spirit was given to them because they too share in the Mission of Jesus.

In our calendar, the Ascension of the Lord replaces the seventh Sunday of Easter. The Ascension recalls that the Risen Jesus returned to the Father. That leaves us with a question. How do we encounter the Risen Lord?

On the sixth Sunday of Easter, as we continue to read chapter 14 of John's Gospel, we hear how Jesus prepared his disciples for his return to the Father. He tells them that they will receive another Advocate, the Spirit of Truth.

On this Fifth Sunday of Easter we continue to read from John's Gospel (14:1-12). It is part of the discourse at the Last Supper where Jesus prepares the disciples for what it to come. For us it is about trusting that God is with us on our journey.

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter the Gospel reading is from John 10. In it Jesus declares that he is the Good Shepherd. As we will hear, Jesus begins with the image of the sheep-gate. It is about our relationship with him.

As we continue to explore the appearances of the Risen Jesus to the disciples, we turn to Luke's account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

On the second Sunday of Easter we continue to encounter the Risen Lord. In John's Gospel, the gift of the Holy Spirit is an essential part of the Easter event.

At Easter, we not only remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, we also celebrate our faith that we are one with him and already share in his victory over death.

Palm Sunday recalls the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and we also listen to Matthew's Passion, his account of the suffering and death of Jesus. It also is the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent.

On the fifth Sunday of Lent we listen to the account in John's Gospel of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. We are being called to believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and the life.

As we continue to read from John's Gospel, we hear the encounter between Jesus and a man who was born blind. It is also about how we come to see with the eyes of faith.

On this third Sunday of Lent the Gospel reading presents the encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. It is also about how we encounter Jesus.

On this second Sunday of Lent the account of the Transfiguration is an invitation to us to reflect on our experiences of God's presence.

Each year on this first Sunday of Lent we are invited to go with Jesus into the wilderness, not to escape life but to choose life.

In this Sunday's Gospel we continue to read Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount. We hear how Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfil the Law.

We continue to follow Matthew's Gospel as Jesus instructs his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount.

As we continue to read from Matthew's Gospel, we listen to the Beatitudes, the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.

On this Third Sunday of Ordinary Time we hear Matthew's account of the beginning of the Ministry of Jesus.

On this Second Sunday of Ordinary Time we listen to John's Gospel as we continue to explore the Mission and the Ministry of Jesus.

This week we explore the meaning of the feast of Baptism of the Lord.

The Epiphany is part of the Christmas Season. Each year we are invited to reflect on Matthew's account of the coming of the wise men from the East.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus. As we reflect on Luke's account, we again are invited to ponder the question: who is this child for me?

In this episode Paul Crowley reflects on the readings for the Third Sunday of Advent in Year A of the three year cycle of readings in the Liturgy of the Catholic Church.

In Australia this Sunday is a National Day of Reflection following the shootings that killed and injured many innocent people at Bondi Beach last Sunday. The readings for this Fourth Sunday of Advent focus on the coming feast of Christmas. They also invite us to reflect on how we can respond to acts of violence and hatred.