Readings: Zechariah 9: 9-10; Romans 8: 9, 11-13; Matthew 11: 25-30 Preacher: Deni Mack Jesus invites us to come to him when we are heavily burdened. Rochester is burdened with smoke so heavy we are advised to stay inside or limit our time outside and wear a mask. I listened to eleven young adults talk about the air quality alerts. First,… read more →
Readings: 2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-26a; Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10: 37-42 Preacher: Susan K. Roll Pastoral ministry can be discouraging, whether lay or professional. Sometimes we set ourselves up for frustration. When I was teaching at a Roman Catholic seminary, I told seminarians, “You will be called to accompany people who are in pain, people who angrily question God,… read more →
Readings: Jeremiah 20: 10-13; Romans 5: 12-15; Matthew 10: 26-33 Preacher: Deni Mack Jesus said to the twelve and to us: Fear no one. Jesus’ advice to his disciples is not what we say to our kids going off to college or to our staffs or colleagues or task forces or friends. To our college bound children, we might say, “make good… read more →
Readings: Exodus 19: 2-6a; Romans 5: 6-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8 Preacher: Sr. Karen Dietz I grew up in a house of four girls (yep – no brothers) and two stories come to mind as I pray with the readings for today. The first is that like many parents, my mom sometimes called us by a name not our own. When I asked… read more →
Readings: Deuteronomy 8: 2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17; John 6: 51-58 Preacher: Sr. Joan Sobala Today, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, I can’t help praying that this feast will touch each of us deeply with Jesus’ very own depth of generous loving and self-giving. But the story of generous nourishment of God’s people began many centuries… read more →
Readings: Exodus 34:4b-6,8-9; 1 Corinthians 13: 11-13; John 3: 16-18 Preacher: Sr, Barbara Moore RSM The feast of Easter is followed by three important Sunday celebrations. Last week we focused on Pentecost, today the Trinity and next week, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, often referred to as the feast of Corpus Christi. As we reflect on these celebrations,… read more →
Readings: Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23 Preacher: Sheryl Zabel Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ first followers, and their enthusiastic proclamation of the gospel to the people of Jerusalem, as well as the crowds of pilgrims who were there for a harvest festival. Christians have followed the writings of Luke, which state… read more →
Readings: Acts 1: 12-14; 1 Peter 4: 13-16; John 17: 1-11a Preacher: Patrick Fox While I realize that in some parts of our country today is the celebration of the Ascension, here in our area it is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. We hear an account in our first reading of Jesus having been taken into heaven and the disciples devoting… read more →
Readings: Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3: 15-18; John 14: 15-21 Preacher: Susan Howard “If you love me you will keep my commandments…” What does this love look like? The great commandment to love one another and your neighbor (stranger or in this case a neighboring country) as yourself is a difficult and arduous undertaking if you try it on… read more →
Readings: Acts 6: 1-7; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14: 1-12 Preacher: Nancy DeRycke Many Scripture scholars now believe that Jesus was an Apocalyptic preacher, assuming that the end was coming soon. God would come and S/he would gather all people together to call the just. Perhaps if that Jesus were physically around now, he would presume, with all the violence and… read more →