"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son"

This Sunday, March 18, 2012, is Laetare Sunday,
the joy at one stage of our Lenten journey accomplished and a
foretaste of the joy of Easter, which springs from the Cross of Christ.
Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.



We Rejoice



Every
Mass, every Sunday, even in Lent is an experience of the joys and
splendor of the

"Stop making my Father's house a marketplace."

The Gospel for this Third Sunday of Lent, March 11, 2012,  gives us a shocking picture of Jesus. The gentle savior has turned violent.
He erupts into anger as he sees merchants vend oxen, sheep and doves in
the temple, sees money-changers doing commerce in God’s house.  Our
Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.



The account of the

"Repent, and believe in the gospel."

In this Sunday's Readings, February 26, 2012, we hear the story of the flood and Noah’s ark. Also, the Lenten season
begins, for Jesus, as He is driven out into the desert by the spirit.
Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Escaping the Flood

Fr. John J. Ludvik tells us that finding God in situations like Noah encountered
is

"If you wish, you can make me clean."

Christians often are confused about suffering. Is it ever good for us?
Is it always good for us? Should we feel guilty about wanting to be rid
of it? In the Sunday Gospel for Feb. 12, 2012, the story of Jesus and the leper, we find answers to these questions. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.



Dealing with Suffering



Jewish

"What is this? A new teaching with authority."

In this Sunday's Readings, January 29, 2011, the Gospel finds Jesus going to the synagogue in Capernaum with four of
his disciples where people are astonished that He teaches with such
authority. And then he casts out a demon from a possessed person. Our
Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Jesus - The Holy One of God

What
is

“What are you looking for?”

In this Sunday's Readings - Second Sunday In Ordinary Time (2B), January 15, 2012 - John the Baptist looks hard at Jesus and says, ‘Look there is the Lamb
of God.’ The two disciples with him immediately follow Jesus. Our
Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Behold the Lamb of God

At
the beginning of Advent we received a beautiful

"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."

The joy and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ, born for us, be with you! This Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, we celebrate Christmas, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

The
meaning for us of Luke's Christmas story is completed by the prologue
of John's gospel read at Mass During the Day (Jn 1:1-18)

"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."

On the carefully programmed Advent journey to Christmas, Dec. 18, 2011, the Fourth Sunday belongs to Mary.
This is so because Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus,
necessarily involves the motherhood of Mary. Our Discussion Questions
will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Also on this last Sunday of Advent we begin more intensively to prepare

"Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Jesus has some words this Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, about investing what we receive. He tells the famous parable of the talents.
The man who receives five talents, put them to work and made an
additional five. The second receives two and makes two more. But the man
who receives one talent, buries it. Jesus calls him "wicked" and
"lazy." Our Discussion Questions will

"Call no one on earth your father"

This Sunday's Gospel narrative
- for Oct. 30, 2011, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - reminds us that holding a position of power in religion appears to be
particularly vulnerable to self-exaltation and abuse. It is a strong
invitation and challenge to render humble, selfless, diligent, committed
and loving service to others in the community without expecting honor
or rewards. Our Discussion

"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar"

This Sunday - October 16, 2011 - in Matthew's Gospel, the Pharisees try once again to entrap Jesus in His speech. They ask Jesus the question, "Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.


The Hypocrisy of the Question



Jesus
is fully aware of the hypocrisy of His opponents, and He

"Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you."

The Parable of the Two Sons
for Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, which is unique to the Gospel of Matthew is probably one of the most
easily understandable of all the parables of Jesus. It describes a
situation we can all identify with and one that we surely all have
experienced. Some call this four verse parable the Better of Two Bad
Sons. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible

"Are you envious because I am generous?"

It's September 18, 2011 - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - and this Sunday's gospel parable of the workers in the vineyard
serves as a corrective to false notions of entitlement and merit. The
story reflects the socio-economic background of Palestine at the time
of Jesus. The parable is offensive to us and it challenges our sense of
justice. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday

"How often must I forgive?"

Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 18:21-35)
for Sept. 11, 2011 addresses the necessity of repentance and repeated forgiveness that are
required of those who call themselves Christian. We hear Jesus’
teaching on forgiveness. Peter poses the question, an entirely practical
one, by asking how many times we must forgive those who sin against us.
Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study

"If your brother sins against you..."

Our Gospel this Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011 (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time), is taken from a section of St Matthew’s Gospel in which he considers forgiveness in the community and how to deal with sinners. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

A Brother Who Has Sinned

Matthew
adapts sayings of the historical Jesus to address the

"Get behind me, Satan!"

This Sunday's Gospel for August 28, 2011 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - from Matthew presents us with the first prediction of Jesus' passion. It serves as a corrective to an understanding of Jesus' messiahship as solely one of glory and triumph. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

From "Rock" to Scandalon

Last week

"Upon this rock I will build my church."

This Sunday, August 21, 2011 is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary time. And we consider a Gospel text that is crucial to the Church’s understanding of itself. The words of Jesus addressed to Peter, “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church." Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

"But who do you say that I am?"

"O woman, great is your faith!"

In this Sunday’s Gospel for August 14, 2011 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman because her faith was so great.  He rebuked the disciples because their faith was too little. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

These readings fare among the most difficult passages in the Bible.

"Give them some food yourselves."

The miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish that is mentioned in this Sunday's Readings - July 31, 2011 - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - is so central to the gospel message that it is one of the few miracles found in all four gospels. It help us recognize the gifts we have been given and the responsibility we have to give them to others. Our Discussion Questions will guide your

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field"

This Sunday's passage contains the last three of the set of seven parables that Matthew placed in the center of his gospel. The first two about the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price tell us about the inestimable value of the Kingdom. The third one about the dragnet tells us about the great diversity of its make up. This Sunday we have three parables set before us. Our