Fourth Sunday of Lent
Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.
Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.
The Israelites quarreled there and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.
A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
PSALM 51:10
Ash Wednesday launches the Season of Lent, a season of reflection and preparation for Easter.
For gracious and merciful is God, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.
PSALM 103:8
Returned Maryknoll Lay Missioner Micheal Leen reflects on loving our enemies under difficult circumstances
Sr. Dee Smith, Maryknoll Sister in Guatemala, reflects on gospel righteousness: Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'
This article was previously published on Feb 5, 2017
“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.” These are the words we hear in today’s Gospel. You don’t need a lot of salt in your kitchen, but a little bit sure does make the food taste better. We are called to be like salt.
The Gospel reading for today is more challenging and terrifying than many others in the Bible. Jesus turns our entire way of thinking upside down. The Beatitudes would have had the same effect at the time as they do today, which is to strike at the heart of our humanness and our fears. The Beatitudes could be called “radical” in any age. They contradict what society teaches.
What strikes me most about the readings for this Sunday’s liturgy — the gospel from Matthew in particular — is the way mission is to be carried out following the example of Jesus. He begins his OUTREACH to the people on the margins, the people in Capernaum. These people seem to be on the outskirts of Jewish (mainstream) society and bear a history of marginalization.
In this re-issued 2017 reflection, Sr. Roni Schweyen, MM, reflects on the readings in relation to her mission work in Tanzania
Debbie Northern, Maryknoll Lay Missioner in El Paso Texas reflects on the many epiphanies that stemmed from her mission work