“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news, announcing salvation.”
—Isaiah 52:7
By Fr. Ron Will, CPPS
Every Sunday during church, we listen to a reading from the Gospels. On any given Sunday, I am willing to bet, the average churchgoer can’t remember what they just heard five seconds after the reading. If that describes you, don’t feel bad; you are not alone.
Most people cannot remember what was read because they have not been prepared to listen. The Gospel passages read on a Sunday morning may not feel connected to the rest of your life. But it is connected. Learning how to connect those dots will make you a better listener, which is why you want to consider joining us for:
A Day with the Sunday Gospels according to Matthew
on Saturday, November 9, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Sunday readings for the next year will come from the Gospel According to Matthew. Matthew has his own unique insights about Jesus. If you understand some of those insights yourself you will be better able to convey them to your congregation. This one day will prepare you for the next year.
Lectors and Gospel readers have been charged with bringing the Good News to their congregations. As it says in Isaiah: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news, announcing salvation.” (Isaiah 52:7)
If you have accepted that ministry, do you ever wonder how well you are meeting that challenge? Do you want to become more effective? You deserve it. Your congregation deserves it. If lectors themselves do not understand the words that they are proclaiming, the word of God will not be effective in the lives of their congregation.
Scripture is the living word of God. That means that a particular passage speaks to us now, 2000 years later, to the particular situations that we face today as much as it did to the original audience. Scripture is the living word of God.
Take advantage of learning as much as you can about the Gospel according to Matthew which will be read throughout the new liturgical year. Register now for the November 9 “Day with the Sunday Gospels according Matthew.”
An Encounters of the Fourth Kind Video
By Fr. Ron Will, CPPS
I’m sure you’ve seen pictures earth taken from outer space. Or gazed yourself upon a full moon. As you admire the beauty of the night sky, allow gratitude to the creator to rise in your heart. This 10-minute meditation invites to experience the awesome beauty of God’s creation.
Immersed in Mass, Encountering God
Each eucharistic celebration is an encounter with Jesus. Attending Mass week after week, year after year, one is tempted to turn on automatic pilot and become numb to that encounter. Awaken your senses and learn how what we do at Sunday Mass relates to the bigger picture of your life.