Know Before You Go

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Br. Joe Trout, OP breaks open the readings for the Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time with a new take on forgiveness and why we need to do it seventy times seventy times (always).

Fr. Brian Walker, OP breaks open the readings for the Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, reminding us of Jesus' command to work together, always trying to repair our relationships with one another, for the sake of the kingdom.

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.

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP unpacks the readings for the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which Jesus responds to Peter's profession of faith by promising to give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

Br. Joe Trout, OP breaks open the readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which Jesus tells us he is only here for the Children of Israel and Paul tells us he is here for the Gentiles. WHo are we here to serve?

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, reflecting on Jesus as the calm amidst the storm of life.

Jesus was Transfigured on the mountain in order to strengthen Peter, James, and John for the his death and the task that lied ahead of them. Fr. Charles Bouchard, OP breaks open the readings for the Feast of the Transfiguration to say that this vision should strengthen us all to face our own death and the death of those we love with realistic hope and faith.

Breaking open the readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. James Marchionda, OP reminds us that if we have God's plan as our highest goal, whatever befalls us, we can be sure that God will make things well in the end.

Fr. Brendan Curran, OP breaks open the readings for the Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, where Jesus uses a series of agricultural parables to teach how how to grow into true holiness, helping others to grow into it as well.

Unpacking the Parable of the Sower, Fr. Brian Walker, OP reminds us that as we sow, so shall we reap—so we need to watch how we live our lives and how we sow the seeds God has given us.

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP unpacks the readings for the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, with its classic reading, "Come to me all who labor and are burdened, and I shall give you rest." Fr. Scott interprets this using the first reading from the prophet Zechariah, who speaks of a humble saviour, who does not come on a war horse, but on the foal of a donkey, and banishes all of the instruments of war. Embracing this saviour brings peace.

Jesus assures us that even if we just give a cup a water to one of his little ones, we would not be without reward. Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP asks us to think if we work just for ourselves, or do we use our personal influence to help others?

Br. Joe Trout, OP breaks open the readings for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time with a surprising insight into prayer—that God ultimately hears our prayers and vindicates us, but often not right away,. Thus, serving God can be painful and entail suffering, but it is still the path to eternal life and joy, so brace yourself for it if you want to walk this path.

Breaking open the readings for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. James Marchionda, OP advises us to remember what God has done for you, specifically, and to and use that as a gauge for what to do for others. What God has forgiven you, you should forgive others. As God has blessed you without cost, you should bless others without cost.

Fr. Donald Goergen, OP breaks open the readings for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, explaining how the Holy Spirit transforms the bread and wine on the altar into the body and blood of Christ, in order to transform us, as we receive it, so that we can leave Mass being more Christ-like than when we came.

Fr. Brendan Curran, OP breaks open the readings for this Solemnity, showing how the readings don't explain the Trinity so much as they point to a way to live out our faith in a God who is One in Three, Three in One, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Fr. Brian Walker, OP recalls the great events of Pentecost, when the Spirit united believers from different lands and of different languages so that they could come together and understand each other. Yet in the church today, we see many divisions, Catholics against Protestants against Orthodox, liberals against conservatives. We need to reopen our hearts to the Spirit that can unite.

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP unpacks the readings for the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord, explaining why it was necessary for Jesus to leave in his physical form so that he could return in an even better way through the Church, the new body of Christ.