The term good Samaritan means someone who helps a stranger in need It derives from the parable contained in today rsquo s reading from Luke 10 A man had been beaten robbed and left for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho Both a priest and a Levite mdash members of Israel rsquo s ldquo cl

At this time of year around Independence Day and with the upcoming presidential campaign in view public debate is focusing on leadership Last Sunday we began Luke rsquo s journey narrative in which Jesus serves as the leader for his first disciples and for us as well In today rsquo s selection f

Summer is a good time to travel Many of us interrupt the normal flow of life and go elsewhere for a while Travel allows us to meet different people and see different things and we often come away refreshed and renewed At least that is what we hope Today we begin a journey with Jesus and his di

We usually associate John the Baptist with the Advent season But here in early summer we encounter John once more in order to celebrate his birth on June 24 So important is this solemnity that today it replaces the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time The New Testament does not supply precise informa

One of the great themes in Luke rsquo s Gospel is forgiveness of sins As we return this Sunday to the Lectionary readings for Ordinary Time today rsquo s texts place before us three forgiven sinners David Paul and a ldquo sinful woman rdquo These three figures remind us of the horror of sin

During the Easter season a major concern in the Sunday Scripture readings was how the movement begun by the earthly Jesus might continue after his death resurrection and ascension These readings showed that we can have a personal relationship with the glorious risen Christ From that relationship

Two of the most important words in any language that I know are truth and love As we observe Trinity Sunday and reflect on the Christian doctrine of God as three persons in one God the Scripture readings also remind us that the God of the Christian Bible mdash Father Son and Holy Spirit mdash is

The Greek word for Pentecost literally means ldquo fifty rdquo In the Jewish calendar Pentecost or Weeks takes place 50 days after Passover In the Christian calendar it occurs 50 days after Easter Pentecost marks the end and the goal of the Easter season It celebrates the coming of the Holy

The Scripture readings during this Easter season have led us to reflect on ways in which the movement begun by the earthly Jesus has continued They have included personal and communal relationship with the risen Jesus efforts at fulfilling Jesus rsquo command to love God and one another and the h