Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 2 Kings 17:5–8, 13–15a, 18 Why does disaster happen? We usually answer in many ways. We speak of military weakness. We speak of political failure. We speak of economic decline. We speak of bad leadership, poor strategy, or the rise of a stronger empire. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 20:10–13; Romans 5:12–15; Matthew 10:26–33 Once I was bringing fifty Bibles to a friend who lived in a country where Christians were a tiny minority and still faced the possibility of persecution. I was pretending to be courageous, but I was afraid. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time 2 Chronicles 24:17–25 Yesterday, we heard about Joash. He was an infant when he was saved from the hands of the cruel queen Athaliah, and at the age of seven he was crowned king of Judah. It was a beautiful beginning. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time 2 Kings 11:1–4, 9–18, 20 As we continue reading the Books of Kings, we see that the death of Elijah did not end the battle against Baal. The struggle continues. The kings are often unfaithful. Power is often corrupt. And today we meet Athaliah, a woman so hungry for power that she murders the royal family to secure the throne for herself. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Sirach 48:1–14 There is a Jewish tradition that looks for Elijah during the celebration of Passover. Doors are opened. A cup of wine is prepared. The people wait. Perhaps Elijah will come. Perhaps this will be the night when he announces the messianic age of God’s blessing. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time 2 Kings 2:1, 6–14 The story of Elijah being taken up into heaven is unique in the Old Testament. And in a hidden way, it prepares us for the Ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 21:17–29 In any ancient society, few would have questioned the actions of a king or an emperor. Rulers were often seen as the law of the nation and as standing above it. What applied to an ordinary citizen did not apply to them. Thus, in any ancient society, Ahab and Jezebel might easily have gotten away with murdering Naboth and taking possession of his vineyard. However, Ahab was not merely a king in any ancient society; he was the king of Israel, and he was bound by the commandments of God: You shall not covet. You shall not murder. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 21:1–16 There are stories in the Bible that still bleed. Naboth’s vineyard is one of them. A small piece of land. A king who wants it. A poor man who refuses. A queen who knows how to bend the law. A court that can be bought. Witnesses who can be arranged. A death sentence written in the language of justice. ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Exodus 19:2–6a; Romans 5:5–11; Matthew 9:36–10:8 A young Asian woman once prepared to leave a house. She packed leaflets, Gospel passages, and a few simple things. Others in the house warned her: “Be careful. If the police catch you, you will be in trouble.” ...
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on SoundOn Readings Here Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary Luke 2:41–51 Every year, Mary and Joseph went up to Jerusalem. It was their family road, their holy rhythm, their way of walking with God. And one year, Jesus went with them. He was twelve. Old enough to listen. Old enough to ask. Old enough for something hidden to begin shining through. ...