2012-2013 Calendar
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Sunday, July 21
Sunday, July 28
Sunday, August 4
Sunday, August 11
Sunday, August 18
Sunday, August 25
Fall Offerings
Sunday, September 1
Sunday, September 8
Sunday, September 15
Sunday, September 22
Sunday, September 29
Friday, October 4
Sunday, October 6
Sunday, October 13
Sunday, October 20
Sunday, October 27
Sunday, November 3
Sunday, November 10
Sunday, November 17
Sunday, November 24th
Thursday, November 28th
- 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (105)
- Gospel: The Greatest Commandment (Lk 10:25-28) is a summary for how to live our daily lives: love of God, neighbor, and self.
- Gospel: The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37) expands on this, addressing how fear or reluctance may hold us back from living the Gospel. "Go and do likewise."
Sunday, July 21
- 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (108)
- Gospel: Mary and Martha (Lk 10:38-42) reminds us that we are not just called to busyness, activity, worry, and anxiety, but to a personal relationship with Christ (and others).
Sunday, July 28
- 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (111)
- Reading 1: Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (Gn 18:20-32) addresses the sinfulness of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a sensitive reading, as people associate this sinfulness with homosexuality and this can contribute to hatred and discrimination. While there is some Scriptural basis for this (Genesis 19:4), Israelite tradition for what the sinfulness of this sinfulness was varied: lack of social justice (Isaiah 1:9, 3:9), disregard for the poor (Ezekiel 16:46-51), or general immorality (Jeremiah 23:14). We have some responsibility to address this sensitive issue.
- Gospel: The Lord's Prayer (Lk 11:1-13) makes particular reference to Sabbath/Jubilee values: daily bread (looking back to the manna experience) and forgiveness of debts (jubilee), as well as the call for the coming kingdom (the Church's mission). Those in Jesus time would have understood these references, so it is important for us to do so today, especially since we say this prayer every Sunday.
Sunday, August 4
- 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (114)
- Gospel: Saying Against Greed/Parable of the Rich Fool (Lk 12:13-21) directly addresses hoarding of possessions and resources. We need to address the "how much is enough?" question when we read this from a First World point of view. We can't say that we are poor or that we don't store up resources when we compare ourselves to the rest of the world, or even those others in our own society that we rarely come in contact with.
Sunday, August 11
- 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (117)
- Gospel: Dependence on God/Vigilant and Faithful Servants (Lk 12:32-48) encourages to not be afraid, sell our belongings, and store up treasure in heaven: "for where your treasure is, there will also be your heart." It concludes with a parable of a steward: "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."
Sunday, August 18
- 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (120)
- Reading 2: God Our Father (Heb 12:1-4) calls us to overcome sin to remain focused on "running the race" of discipleship and "keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus."
- Gospel: Jesus: A Cause of Division (Lk 12:49-53) presents discipleship as divisive, particularly within families. This is an opportunity to address the cost of discipleship, and the counter-cultural nature of the gospel message.
Sunday, August 25
- 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (123)
- Gospel: The Narrow Door; Salvation and Rejection (Lk 13:22-30) is a challenging reading that speaks to the difficulty of living out discipleship and how our actions matter to God (just attending mass is not going to cut it).
Fall Offerings
- Small Groups: Consider offering small groups focusing on a gospel value or daily life issue.
Sunday, September 1
- 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (126)
- Gospel: Conduct of Invited Guests and Hosts (Lk 14:1, 7-14) urges us to "take the lowest place" of honor and to "invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind" to our banquets. It ends with the stewardship message that we would be blessed "because of their inability to repay you." Yes, we can read this reading to try to live this out by being nice to other people in our own socio-economic circles or just give to charities. But what happens if we take Jesus at face value, where he is asking us to be intimate with those who are the invisible and outcast.
- Labor Day: This is the day before Labor Day, which is a great opportunity to recognize work and occupation. Some churches choose to move it to the following Sunday if attendance may be low with the long weekend. Learn more.
Sunday, September 8
- 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (129)
- Gospel: Sayings On Discipleship (Lk 14:25-33) returns to the divisive nature of discipleship ("without hating father and mother"), the cost of discipleship, and the renunciation of possessions.
- Labor Day: This could be recognized on this day, the Sunday following.
Sunday, September 15
- 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (132)
- Reading 1: The Golden Calf (Ex 32:7-11, 13-14) addresses idolatry head-on amidst the "stiff-necked' people of Israel. What are our idols that we put in the place of God today?
- Gospel: The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15:1-7), the Parable of the Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-10), and the Parable of the Lost Son (Lk 15:11-32) all relate God's focus on the joy of the few sinners who repent.
Sunday, September 22
- 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (135)
- Reading 1: Against Greed (Am 8:4-7) has strong words for those who resist sabbath/jubilee directives. The specific language is a great opportunity to educate on those directives.
- Reading 2: Prayer and Conduct (1 Tm 2:1-8) is an interesting reading which argues that prayers, salvation, and the truth of the gospel should not be withheld from those in the highest levels of authority.
- Gospel: The Parable of the Dishonest Steward (Lk 16:1-13) is a curious money stewardship parable, with a steward being commended for forgiving some debts. "Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." It ends with, "You cannot serve God and mammon." Jesus is clearly talking about money here, so how can we apply this at face value to our daily lives?
Sunday, September 29
- 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (138)
- Gospel: The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31) tells of the afterlife torment of a rich man who was oblivious to the poor Lazarus.
Friday, October 4
- Feast of St. Francis
Sunday, October 6
- 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (141)
- Reading 2: Timothy's Conduct (2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14) exhorts Timothy to be a brave steward of the faith he has been given. "For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice...bear your share of hardship for the gospel."
- Gospel: Saying of Faith (Lk 15:5-6) and the Attitude of a Servant (Lk 15:7-10) are somewhat difficult readings that speak of the obligation of discipleship.
Sunday, October 13
- 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (144)
- Gospel: The Cleansing of Ten Lepers (Lk 17:11-19) focuses on gratitude in receiving a gift (in this case healing), a core stewardship concept.
Sunday, October 20
- 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (147)
- Reading 2: Paul's Example and Teaching (2 Tm 3:14-4:2) holds up the role of Scripture in living our lives and the need for competence in it. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work." An excellent opportunity to provide tools for understanding or building competence in Scripture.
- Gospel: The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Lk 18:1-8) is an encouragement to pray regularly, as apparently we may be able to wear down God like the persistent widow does to the judge in the parable.
Sunday, October 27
- 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (150)
- Reading 1: True Worship of God (Sir 35:12-14, 16-18) presents a God of justice who listens to everyone, including the weak.
- Gospel: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14) calls us to be humble as sinners, rather than being self-righteous. Do we recognize how we are being greedy or dishonest like the humble tax collector?
Sunday, November 3
- 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (153)
- Gospel: Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Lk 19:1-10) tells of a wealthy man who repents by giving half of his possessions to the poor and a promise to repay any extortions four times over. Does our encounter with Jesus drive us to this kind of generosity and justice? Is what we own really ours? Was our country's wealth gained by extortion?
Sunday, November 10
- 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (156)
- Gospel: The Question About the Resurrection (Lk 20:27-38) tells of a trick question put to Jesus about life after death. This is perhaps an opportunity to raise the issue of life after death, and whether we live as if we believe in it. For example, the default for our medical system is to take every possible medical intervention when someone is dying, even if they are frail and ready for death. Hospital chaplains and those in the medical field will tell you that these interventions are often worse than death. If we truly believe in the resurrection, then why are we so afraid of death?
Sunday, November 17
- 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (159)
- Reading 2: Neglect of Work (2 Thes 3:7-12) notes that Paul and his entourage were insistent on working to earn their keep during their visits, and urges the others to do the same. What might this say to us about the importance of work in our own lives?
- Gospel: The Destruction of the Temple Foretold (Lk 21:5-6), the Signs of the End (Lk 21:7-11), and the Coming Persecution (Lk 21:12-19) tell of the cost of discipleship: persecution, hatred, and death. Disciples will be urged to give testimony to those in power. How might we experience this as disciples in a world hostile to the Gospel message, when we evangelize? And why might we be so reluctant to evangelize when the cost is so much lower than it was for the early Church?
Sunday, November 24th
- Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (162)
- Reading 2: The Preeminence of Christ: His Person and Work (Col 1:12-20) references Christ as the firstborn of creation and the firstborn of the dead. This is a potential entry point into firstfruits concepts.
- Gospel: The Crucifixion (Lk 23:35-43) gives a short account of events preceding Jesus' death.
- Gratitude: Since most parishioners do not attend liturgy on Thanksgiving Day, the topic of gratitude could be addressed this Sunday prior.
Thursday, November 28th
- Thanksgiving Day (943)
- Gratitude: A good opportunity to address the stewardship topic of gratitude and where that leads us. Learn more.