Pathways of Hope

Saturday, March 6, 2021 PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - OUR GOD WHO IS AND GIVES OUR ALL LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32 1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." 3So he told them this parable: 11And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; 12and...

Friday, March 5, 2021 Feast of St Olivia PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - PARABLE OF THE WRETCHED SERVANT MATTHEW 21:33-43, 45-46 33"Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34When the season of fruit drew...

Thursday, March 4, 2021 Feast of St Casimir PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - THE STORY OF US LUKE 16:19-31 19"There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz'arus, full of sores, 21who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came an...

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 Feast of St Catherine Drexel PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - JESUS CHRIST IS FAR GREATER THAN CAPTAIN AMERICA Matthew 20: 17-28 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests...

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 Feast of St Agnes of Bohemia PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - Inward Change rather than Outward Change Matthew 23: 1-12 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their examp...

Monday, March 1, 2021 PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - THE CHALLENGE LUKE 6:36-38 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into you...

Sunday, February 28, 2021 Second Sunday of Lent PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - LISTEN TO GOD MARK 9:2-10 2And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, 3and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4And ther...

Saturday, February 27, 2021 Feast of St Leander PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - LOVE LIKE GOD, PERFECTLY MATTHEW 5:43-48 43"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun r...

Friday, February 26, 2021 Feast of St Victor of Plancy PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - NIP IT IN THE BUD MATTHEW 5:20-26 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21"You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to ju...

Thursday, February 25, 2021 Feast of St Walburga PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - THE ANSWER TO PRAYERS MATTHEW 7:7-12 7"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, wi...

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 Feast of St Montarius PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - NEED A SIGN? LUKE 11:29-32 29When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this g...

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - FORGIVE US OUR SINS Matthew 6: 7-15 7 In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 This is how you are to pray:c Our Father in heaven,* hallowed be your name, 10 your ki...

Monday, February 22, 2021 The Chair of St. Peter PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - Who is Jesus to you? MATTHEW 16:13-19 13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" 14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15He sai...

Sunday, February 21, 2021 First Sunday of LENT PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD MARK 1:12-15 12The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him. 14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preach...

Saturday, February 20, 2021 PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - JESUS, THE DOCTOR WHO MAKES HOUSE CALLS LUKE 5:27-32 27After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." 28And he left everything, and rose and followed him. 29And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company...

Friday, February 19, 2021 PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - ON FASTING MATTHEW 9:14-15 14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 15And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, an...

Thursday, February 18, 2021 Feast of St Simeon PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - When I lose My Life to God, that's when I Gain It LUKE 9:22-25 22saying, "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." 23And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him d...

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 Ash Wednesday (Fasting and Abstinence) PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - RECONCILIATION AS FOUNDATION MATTHEW 6:1-6, 16-18 1"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2"Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites...

Tuesday, February 16, 2021 Feast of St Onesimus PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - GOD ALWAYS GIVES US WHAT IS BEST MARK 8:14-21 14Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15And he cautioned them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16And they discussed it with one another...

Monday, February 15, 2021 Feast of St Jerome Emiliani Feast of St Josephine Bakhita PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - NEVER DOUBT MARK 8:11-13 11The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be...

Sunday, February 14, 2021 PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - LEPER MARK 1:40-45 40And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." 41Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; be clean." 42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43And he sternly char...

Saturday, February 13, 2021 Feast of St Catherine de Ricci PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - JESUS, THE ONLY ONE WHO SATISFIES MARK 8:1-10 1In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him, and said to them, 2"I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothi...

Friday, February 12, 2021 Feast of St Febronia PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - JESUS HEALS A DEAF MAN MARK 7:31-37 31Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decap'olis. 32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upo...

Thursday, February 11, 2021 PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - ALL WE NEED IS A LITTLE BIT OF CRUMBS MARK 7:24-30 24And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid. 25But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him...

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin PATHWAYS OF HOPE: SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE DAILY GOSPEL READING - JESUS, THE GREAT TEACHER MARK 7:14-23 14And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him....