"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

"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 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

"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

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"

Sunday’s Gospel Reading
- for October 23, 2011 - revolves around the question: “Which commandment of the Law is the
greatest?” Another way to put this question is to ask, “What do I need
to do to achieve salvation?” Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.



In
the Sunday Gospel according to St. Matthew we encounter Christ in

"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

"Many are invited, but few are chosen."

This Sunday, October 9, 2011, the Church presents for our consideration the wonderful parable of the royal wedding banquet. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Invite Everyone to the Banquet

The
message of this parable of the royal wedding banquet is clear. God
invites the people of Israel to his wedding banquet in heaven but

"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

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed"

Once again in this week's Gospel passage for July 17, 2011, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, images of growing trees, shrubs and plants provide us with powerful insights into the quiet and slow ways that God's Kingdom grows among us and within us. This Sunday we have three parables set before us. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

The words of the Gospel this Sunday, July 3, 2011, are wonderfully comforting; they express the compassion of Christ not only for those who suffer or are crushed by the heavy loads of life, but also to the child-like, the innocent and the trusting. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

Come to me, all you who labor and

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

This Sunday - June 19, 2011 - we celebrate the solemnity of the Blessed Trinity. The Triune nature of God is the principal mystery of the Catholic faith. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study sessions with family, friends and church groups.

The Very Mystery of God

What we know about God is not made up, not a fable invented by our ancestors. What we know about God is