Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

Know Before You Go

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Join Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP in this Know Before You Go video for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In our first reading, we have a lovely image of God as our Mother. We know that God transcends our human male/female divides, but we don't often use these feminine images of God, so they are to be treasured.

In the Gospel we have Jesus sending out the 72 ahead of him to prepare the way. They are to take nothing for the journey, and are to preach a simple message of peace and to heal those who are willing to accept it. Can we be simply people of peace instead of people who argue for our point of view? Can we measure success by finding signs of the Kingdom of Heaven in our world and bringing it peace rather than using other "worldly" measures?

00:00 Introduction by Fr. Scott
00:10 Return from Exile in Isaiah 66
00:30 Jerusalem as a Ruined but Hopeful City
00:48 Birth Pangs and a New Beginning
01:01 The Mother's Comfort – Jerusalem and God
01:20 God as Mother, Not Just Father
02:17 Gender and the Divine: God Beyond Binary
02:44 Embracing the Feminine Divine
03:02 Renewal and Rejoicing in God's Promise
03:30 The Gospel: Sending of the 72
04:00 Lambs Among Wolves – Mission and Trust
04:34 Instructions: Dependence and Peace
05:05 Staying with People of Peace
05:22 The Kingdom of God is at Hand
05:34 Contrast with Rugged Individualism
06:00 Vulnerability and Peaceful Mission
06:30 Handling Rejection – Shake Off the Dust
07:00 The Kingdom is Coming Either Way
07:16 Mission Means Seeking Peace, Not Arguing
07:43 Rejoicing in Heaven, Not Power
08:03 What True Success Looks Like
08:34 Second Reading – Galatians: No More Arguments
08:55 Paul: Boast Only in the Cross
09:22 Focus on the New Creation
09:37 Interpreting the Readings – Fight or Peace?
10:16 Be People of Peace This Week
10:28 Let Peace Rest, Heal Others, Be Healed
10:42 Final Blessing

Know Before You Go is a ministry of the provincial office to help people prepare to hear the readings and preaching of the approaching Sunday's Mass. We welcome any feedback you have at know@opcentral.org . You can see them all below, or you can see other preaching by a particular person by clicking on his name.

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  • The Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

    Fr. Charles Bouchard, OP breaks open the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time—the healing of lepers, noting that Jesus healed not just people's physical ailments, but their spiritual ailments as well, and anything that isolated them from other people. May we also work to reach out to people who are isolated, bringing them back in communion with others, so that we all might be a part of the Kingdom of God.
  • The Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

    Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, pointing out that life can sometimes be a drudgery, but if we look deeper, we can find God even in there. We simply need to be honest and clear in our view of the world.
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    Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in which God puts King David in his place and the angel Gabriel announces the Good News to Mary that she will bear a son, Jesus, who is the center of salvation.
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    Br. Joe Trout, OP breaks open the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, pointing out that the readings challenge us to try to become whole and holy, and to allow God to heal us.
  • The First Sunday of Advent

    Fr. Brian Walker, OP opens up the readings for the First Sunday of Advent, reminding us not to rush to thoughts of Christmas , but instead, ask ourselves how we need to change to prepare for Christmas, so that we might recognize God's coming in the face of others who are different than us.
  • Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

    Fr. James Marchionda, OP breaks open the word for this great Solemnity, assuring us that God has invited us to participate in his work of bringing about the Reign of God. Our part, if we choose to accept it, it is care for the poor, feed the hungry, and serve those who are in need. Are you on board?
  • The Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the parable of the talents from the scripture for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus left the church to carry on his work, and will come back at the end of time and judge us for what we did with what we were given.
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    Fr. Brendan Curran, OP breaks open the readings for the Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time, with Jesus' famous statement, "call no one on earth your father, for you have one Father in Heaven." Jesus was warning those who would have a role of leadership in the Church not to exploit their privilege, but to humbly serve others for the sake of the Gospel. Today, we might also take the opportunity to name the ways in which our community has been hurt because of these abuses.
  • The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Br. Joe Trout, OP breaks open the readings for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, suggesting that we look to the example of the saints to find real answers to the difficult question of how to love our neighbor in a confusing and broken world.
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    Fr. Brian Walker, OP breaks open the readings for the Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus tells us, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." Each of us has to find our own way to balance that.
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    Fr. James Marchionda, OP breaks open the parable of the Wedding Feast in the Gospel of Matthew and its parallel in Isaiah, pointing out that God is preparing a banquet in heaven and all are invited, but those who want to go are challenged to respond properly to the invitation.
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    Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Twenty Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, in which Jesus reworks Isaiah's parable of the vineyard, making the point that anyone is welcome in the vineyard of the Lord as long as they produce its harvest of justice.
  • The Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Fr. Brendan Curran, OP breaks open the readings for the Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, with Jesus' parable about the vineyard owner who hires people all through the day, but ends up paying them all the same—a full day's wage. In the end, God is equally grateful to everyone who Join in the mission of saving the world, no matter how long they have been doing it.
  • The Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Fr. James Marchionda, OP breaks open the readings for the Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, explaining that to pick up our cross and follow Jesus means more than "suffering, for the sake of the Gospel," but to have the wisdom to know God's particular call for us and to have the courage to act on it.