St. John Vianney Catholic Church

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jul 29, 2021 In Sunday Reflections

This Sunday we hear the first of the seven “I am” sayings recorded in the Gospel of John. In the Old Testament God revealed his name to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM”. “Say this to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’”. (Exodus 3:14). Thus, in Judaism “I AM” is unquestionably understood as a name for God (Yhwh). Whenever Jesus made an “I AM” statement he was identifying himself as God. The seven “I AM” sayings are: “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35“I am the light of the world.” John 8:12“I am the door.”...

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jul 22, 2021 In Sunday Reflections

We are told in this Sunday’s Gospel that a large crowd was following Jesus because of the “signs” he had performed. We are also told that the Feast of Passover was near; this may explain why there would be such a large crowd on the roads at that time. It is likely the crowd was swelled by pilgrims on their way to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem. Jesus could see they were hungry and tired and must be fed. Philip was the natural man to whom to turn, for he came from Bethsaida and would have local knowledge. Philip’s answer was...

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jul 16, 2021 In Sunday Reflections

The verse we hear in this Sunday’s Gospel concludes the story Mark began in 6:7-13 in which Jesus sent the Twelve out to minister, two by two. Their ministry saw amazing success; they accomplished through the Lord, what no mere human could apart from God. When they return Jesus suggests that they go to a deserted place to take time out to rest and eat. However, by the time they arrive to the “deserted place” the ever-present multitude greeted them with a host of expectations. From a horizontal, human viewpoint, the mass of people looked like a multitude of burdens. No doubt a few disciples...

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jul 8, 2021 In Developing News, Sunday Reflections

Between the last line of last week’s Gospel and the first of this week’s, but not included in either proclamation within Mass, is the passage: “And he went about among the villages teaching.” The comment provides a transition from the rejection by Jesus’ family and hometown (last week) to a preaching tour of the surrounding area (this week). This is the first stage of Jesus passing on his power and mission to the Church. The use of the word “summoned”, in the opening line of this week’s Gospel, recalls the initial “calling” of the Twelve. The commissioning, of which we hear...

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jul 1, 2021 In Developing News, Sunday Reflections

In this Sunday’s Gospel we hear of Jesus returning to his hometown. He arrives accompanied by his disciples that is, he comes as a Rabbi. It was the custom of Rabbis to move about the country accompanied by their circle of disciples, and so it was as a teacher, with his disciples, that Jesus arrived in Nazareth. When he teaches in the synagogue Jesus is greeted not with wonder but with contempt. “And they took offense at him.” Familiarity had bred contempt. “Is he not the carpenter?” Yes, Jesus was a working man. A man of the people. For us that...

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jun 25, 2021 In Sunday Reflections

Saint Mark’s Gospel which we’re reading this year, is known for its rich detail in describing Jesus’ healing miracles. Today we have two stories which are provocative as well. They teach us how we relate to Christ in our daily lives. In the Gospel, Jesus responds to a synagogue official with a sick daughter, and to a woman suffering from a hemorrhage. In both situations, Christ must deal with very human emotions and complications. The household of the synagogue official is demonstrative in its grieving over the young girl’s death. They even ridicule Jesus for his persistence in offering faith. The woman with the hemorrhage has...

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jun 18, 2021 In Developing News, Sunday Reflections

In this Sunday’s Gospel proclamation Jesus tells the disciples to “cross to the other side.” During Ordinary Time we journey with Jesus, crossing from where we are to where he leads. Saints and mystics have described the difficulties of the spiritual life using metaphors such as “a rocky road”, “an arid desert”, and “dark night of the soul”. These, and the image of “storm”, mentioned in the First Reading and Gospel, remind us that even steadfast faith will not spare us from difficulty and challenges in following Jesus. Be anchored in his Word! Click here for this Sunday's Liturgy of the Word Yvonne GillDirector...

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jun 11, 2021 In Developing News, Sunday Reflections

This Sunday we return to Ordinary Time and, as we are in Cycle B, most often our Gospel proclamations will be drawn from Mark. In the chapter we hear from, chapter 4, there are two parables of seeds; both are about the Kingdom but the metaphors are decidedly mixed. The parable of the mustard seed, proclaimed this Sunday, is unique to Mark; it is not found in any of the other Gospels. It encourages us to persevere in sharing Christ with others even when we do not see results. The kingdom of God does not always grow the way we think it...

Corpus Christi

Jun 3, 2021 In Sunday Reflections

“Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” ~Mark 14:22 An old tradition in the Catholic faith is to pray for a “happy” death. I have been blessed to hear many stories of the passing of loved ones who went peacefully, happily. My own father died while my mother, my brothers, my sister, and I along with our spouses were praying the Our Father with him. A happy death is not uncommon yet there is something wonderful about this message from Mark’s gospel. Jesus knew the pain and suffering ahead of him and still chose to...

The Most Holy Trinity

May 27, 2021 In Sunday Reflections

As a student I found that I learned best when ideas were presented in a story format. I could retain the information through stories because they created for me a visual image of the lesson. One of my favorite ones is the experiment with fleas in a glass jar. The fleas jump out the top as fleas often do. When a lid was placed on the jar they could no longer jump out and after a period of time the lid could be removed and they still would not jump out. (I bet you are itching to find out what...

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