Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 55:10–11; Romans 8:18–23; Matthew 13:1–23 The summer heat was nearing forty degrees. It was another day without a drop of rain on Timor Island. The soil had turned to stone. The trees had lost their leaves. The grass had dried out. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Saturday, Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot Isaiah 6:1–6 Isaiah’s vision of God is one of the most unforgettable passages in the Bible. It has entered songs. It has inspired poetry. It has shaped Christian liturgy. It has moved painters, writers, and theologians. Above all, it has given us a glimpse of God’s holiness. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Hosea 14:2–10 Today, we conclude our encounter with Hosea on a positive note. After all the condemnations, after all the predictions of destruction, the Lord and Israel reconcile. Just as Gomer finally decided not to run after the one with whom she was infatuated, ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Hosea 11:1–4, 8e–9 Today’s reading begins with one of the most tender lines in the book of Hosea: “When Israel was a child, I loved him.” Israel was like a child in Egypt. Weak. Enslaved. Unable to save himself. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Hosea 10:1–3, 7–8, 12 In today’s reading, Hosea speaks about a strange danger: prosperity that leads to idolatry. He preached when the northern kingdom of Israel was enjoying wealth and success. But as prosperity increased, so did the altars of idols. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Hosea 8:4–7, 11–13 The night before his wedding, his friends teased him: “After tomorrow, you will have no say anymore.” He protested. So they challenged him: “Then prove it. When the priest asks you, do not answer immediately.” For reasons hard to understand, he listened. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Hosea 2:16, 17c–18, 21–22 The Bible begins with marriage. Adam sees Eve and says: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” And the Bible ends with marriage: the wedding feast of the Lamb. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Zechariah 9:9–10; Romans 8:9, 11–13; Matthew 11:25–30 Today, we are given a glimpse into one of Jesus’ prayers. It begins with an intimate word: “Father.” “Abba.” Then Jesus reveals this Father as “Lord of heaven and earth.” In biblical language, “heaven and earth” means everything created. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Amos 9:11–15 It was five in the morning. I was standing in a queue for bread. The bakery would not open until seven, but the line was already long. I had brought a book with me, to escape for a while from the harsh reality of life into a fictional world of adventure, where good still triumphed over evil. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle John 20:24–29 The Gospel story chosen for today’s feast brings us back to Easter. We know it very well. It is the evening of the first Easter Sunday. The risen Lord comes to His frightened disciples. But Thomas is not with them. ...