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Showing posts from November, 2025

Fifth Sunday of Lent (Cycle A)

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The Raising of Lazarus Lectionary:  34 Reading 1 -  Ezekiel 37:12-14 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 130:1-8 Reading 2 -  Romans 8:8-11 Verse - John 11:25a, 26 Gospel -  John 11:1-45 Lazarus, come out! LESSON: The Power of God Through Those Who Believe We’re a week away from the start of Holy Week. Our Lord now has his sights set on Jerusalem, and the pace is quickening. In these next two weeks, we’re living just one part of the Gospel passage from today: an encounter with the reality of suffering and death. Jesus is asking us to have faith in him. In today’s First Reading the prophet Ezekiel reminds us of the Lord’s promise to not only to bring us back to life but to bring us home. The background of this passage is the famous "Valley of Dry Bones." The people of Israel were in exile in Babylon. They weren't just sad; they were spiritually and nationally "dead." Their common saying was: "Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off." They d...
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First Sunday of Advent (Cycle A)

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The Unknown Day and Hour   Lectionary: 1 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 2:1-5 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 122: 1-9 Reading 2 -  Romans 13:11-14 Alleluia -  Cf. Psalm 85:8 Gospel -  Matthew 24:37-44 '... Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.' Introduction  As we gather on this First Sunday of Advent , we also mark the beginning of the Church’s new liturgical calendar and a four-week preparation period leading up to Christmas. The word Advent comes from either of two Latin words, which simply mean “to come” (Ad-venire) or “to arrive” (Ad-ventus), and as early as the fourth (4th) century, Christians have had this special time of preparation towards Christmas. Of course, Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas; Even as we begin the material preparations for the social celebration of Christmas, the liturgical celebrations of these weeks invite us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. But what does the co...
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Sound of Silence (Weekend Retreat)

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A Silent Retreat with the Trappist Monks of St Joseph's SAINT JOSEPH’S ABBEY 167 North Spencer Road Spencer, MA 01562 508-885-8710 retreats@spencerabbey.org. '... Silence, all people, in the presence of the LORD, who stirs forth from his holy dwelling  ...' --  Zc 2:17 As part of our on-going formation, deacons are expected to go on a retreat at least once a year ... so with time running out, I joined four (4) of my classmates at Saint Joseph's Abbey for a late year "silent" retreat just before our first year was up.  Ironically ... the theme of the retreat was "Silence" and its relationship with Prayer ... made even more interesting given that Trappists are historically known for a way of life characterized by radical silence in the service of contemplative prayer (AKA The Silent Monks) to the point that, from the 17th century until the second half of the twentieth century, most would use "Trappist" sign language to avoid speaking at all...
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