Several times a year I lead a communion service at either Brookdale Assisted Living or Longview Senior Living in Ithaca NY.  The service includes the Roman Catholic scripture readings for the Sunday and a short reflection on them.  I believe that the primary problem with scripture for those of us who ever encounter it is its familiarity.  We think we know what it means, so we don’t hear what it is saying.  Even those who have never read the scriptures often have some preconceived notion of what they must say.  For this reason it’s very hard to hear scripture fresh or to realize what the writers meant to convey.  In my reflections, I try to facilitate such a fresh encounter with the readings.

Most of the ideas in these reflections necessarily come from the many, many people who have studied them over the years and centuries.  I am especially indebted to Textweek and the contemporary resources it makes available.

The homilies are organized by season.

Advent
The four Sundays before Christmas

Advent (Advent 1, 2017)
“In the Wilderness Prepare the Way of the Lord!” (Advent 2, 2014)
Love Has the Power to Heal (Advent 2, 2019)
Waiting in Hope (Advent 3, 2017)
The Annunciation (Advent 4, 2011)
Joseph Was a Righteous Man (Advent 4, 2013)
Waiting With Hope (Advent 4, 2015)
Christmas (Advent 4, 2017)
Why Did God Become Human? (Advent 4, 2019)

Christmas
Extends through Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord

Lent
Time of preparation for Easter

Rend Your Hearts, Not Your Garments (Ash Wednesday, 2015)
“Repent and Believe in the Gospel” (Lent 1, 2015)
The Temptation in the Desert (Lent 1, 2016)
The Transfiguration (Lent 2, 2017)
The Woman at the Well (Lent 3, 2014)
The Ten Commandments (Lent 3, 2015)
The Fig Tree’s Reprieve (Lent 3, 2019)
The Prodigal Son’s Mom (Lent 4, 2013)
The Man Born Blind (Lent 4, 2017)
The Paradoxical Door to Joy (Lent 5, 2015)
The Truth Will Make You Free (Tuesday after Lent 5)

Easter
Extends through Pentecost Sunday

God Raised Him From the Dead  (Easter, 2013)
He Had to Rise from the Dead (Easter, 2015)
Supper at Emmaus (Wednesday after Easter, 2020)
“Receive the Holy Spirit” (Easter 2, 2014)
“As the Father Has Sent Me, So I Send You” (Easter 2, 2017)
Nicodemus (Tuesday in 2nd week of Easter)
“Then He Opened Their Minds” (Easter 3, 2018)
“I Am the Gate” (Easter 4, 2017)
Evangelization (Wednesday of 4th week of Easter)
We Should Believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and Love One Another (Easter 5, 2015)
“I Will Not Leave You Orphaned” (Easter 6, 2014)
The Advocate (Tuesday in 6th week of Easter, 2020)
Pentecost (Pentecost, 2016)
The Flesh and the Spirit (Pentecost, 2018)

Ordinary Time
“Ordinary time” refers to the time between the Easter season and Advent, as well as between the Christmas season and Lent.