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Do you know how the Readings are Chosen?
by Rev. Emmanuel I. Ihemedu | 09/30/2018 | Weekly ReflectionSunday readings have been arranged in such a way that if you come to church regularly over a three year period, you will have read almost all of the New Testament and a varied selection of texts from the Old Testament. The Church’s Calendar year starts in Advent. The gospel reading in Year A is generally from Matthew, Year B from Mark, and Year C from Luke.
Can you tell the year we are in now? The gospel of John is usually read during Easter, Christmas, and to fill out year B because the gospel of Mark is short. The homily follows the gospel; it continues to proclaim the good news we heard in the gospel that Jesus is not history, but he is now. The goal of the homily is to tell us what is happening in Scripture and applies it to us today.
As listeners, we sometimes sit there anticipating a marvelous word that will turn our world upside down. If all our expectation is invested in the preacher, then we risk overlooking the one person who is able to change our lives forever. That person is Jesus Christ, in his own words, “even as you listen.” Be actively involved in listening to both the gospel and the homily; be hungry for Christ’s vision and call. Read the Scriptures for the Mass beforehand and reflect on what God is trying to say to you.
After we have met Jesus in the Scriptures and in the homily, our natural reaction is to profess our faith. We believe in God! And so, we rise to proclaim our faith by reciting the Creed.
With our faith and trust in God renewed, the next thing we do is to present our petitions to God with the general intercessions. After each intention or need is read aloud, we pray together, asking God to hear and answer our prayers. What needs are you presenting to God in this Mass? What intentions would you like your parish family to pray for?
Fr. Emmanuel
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