In the past weeks, we have become acquainted with many of Jesus’s parables, and we have learned that parables were one of Jesus’s favorite ways of teaching. Instead of telling people what to think, what to believe and what to do, Jesus offered stories with many layers of meaning so people could reflect on their…
Proper 14 (C) – Genesis 15: 1-6 – Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16 – Luke 12: 32-40
What would you say faith is? Sometimes the most simple questions are the most difficult! There is an easy answer though. You could say that every Sunday, after the sermon, we often announce at church that we “confess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed”, so this is probably what it is, right?…
Proper 13 (C) – Colossians 3: 1-11 – Luke 12: 13 -21
If you remember from last week, we talked with the Lord’s prayer about the way Jesus used to teach. One of the things we noticed about Jesus’s teaching is that it was simple. Jesus made religion accessible to all the people, even to children. He used everyday language that all could understand. Now we also…
Proper 12 (C) – Genesis 18 : 20-32 – Luke 11:1-13
Today we hear in our Gospel the words of what we call the “Lord’s prayer”, the “Our Father”, a prayer that of course most of us know very well. What is really striking to me is the simplicity of this prayer. It’s even more simple in this version of Luke – you may have notice…
Proper 9 (C) – Galatians 6:1-16 – Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
The passage of the Gospel this week is the continuation of what we have heard last Sunday. If you remember, we talked about the freedom Jesus gave to the people to receive him, or not; to follow him, or not. With our reading of the letter of Paul to the Galatians, we also talked about…
Proper 8 (C) – Galatians 5:1, 13-25 – Luke 9: 51-62
In her memories, a famous writer tells the story about how, as a young girl, she decided she couldn’t believe in God anymore. Before she completely made up her mind though, she says that she went in her room, told God about her intentions and summoned Him to manifest Himself in case He wanted her…
Lent 1(C) – Luke 4: 1-13
A few days ago, we noticed that we start Lent with the same reading every Ash Wednesday, and it is true also for our First Sunday in Lent – although we read each time from a different Gospel; Mark, Matthew or Luke – we always start with the famous stories of Jesus in the wilderness…
Ash Wednesday – Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Each year, at the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday, we hear this passage from Matthew’s Gospel, an extract of the famous “Sermon on the Mount” where Jesus reminds the crowd of the basics of Jewish piety: Giving alms, praying and fasting. If you remember from last Sunday, we said that Jesus was the “new…
Last Sunday of Epiphany (C) – Exodus 34: 29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12- 4:2; Luke 9: 28-43
Today is transfiguration Sunday and it’s also the last Sunday of the season of the “Epiphany”, the manifestation of Christ. We conclude our season with this great manifestation that splits the Gospel in the two (This same story is told right in the middle of the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke). The transfiguration…
Epiphany 7 (C) – 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6: 27-38
This is our last Sunday with the First Letter to the Corinthians and the passage we have is a very important one as it presents Paul’s understanding of the Resurrection – by the way, it is also the official doctrine of the church on Resurrection, which we don’t know that well. Actually, it is strange…