Deacon Larry Jesmer

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40

Here we are again, hearing the words of scripture as we imagine the sight of Jesus entering into Jerusalem sitting on a beast of burden, a colt of a donkey.

We have heard in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John scenes
Like this: Matthew-“While some laid their cloaks on the road others cut branches from the trees and put them on the road”. In Mark-“Many people spread their cloaks on the road and others spread leafy branches that they had cur from the fields”. In John-The great crowd that were at the feast in Bethany heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him”.

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Gospel Reflection at the Blessing of PalmsRead More »

Scripture:
1st Reading  Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
2nd Reading 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21
Gospel  Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32

“He was lost and has been found.” Today’s gospel is the story of a man and his two sons. We hear of the younger son who goes against the law of the land that you receive inheritance after one dies. He demands from his father the share of the family inheritance while his father is still alive.

And if this is not enough, after squandering his share of the family inheritance, makes his way home. Of course the older son acts as one would expect. The elder son who was committed and faithful to his father all this time resented his father’s forgiveness to his younger prodigal son. Prodigal, which means one who is recklessly extravagant or wasteful- as the Webster’s dictionary defines. This definitely fits the younger son.

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4th Sunday of LentRead More »

SCRIPTURE:
1ST READING:  Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
2nd reading: Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7
Gospel: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Can you remember the most important day in your life! Some might say, “My birthday, of course”. Yes, that is pretty important I would say! But that’s really not it, is it? Some might say, “The vacation I took last year.” Is that really it? Some might say, “The day I got my drivers license.” That is pretty important, don’t you feel?

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Baptism of the LordRead More »

It is said that Christmas is for children. There is truth in that statement. It is also said that Christmas is the celebration of family. There is truth in that statement as well, however, we should not overlook that fact that the celebration of Christ’s birth is for each of us, young and old, personally and individually as well as for community.

The wood of the crib will eventually be the wood of the cross. It is because of Christmas that we will have a Good Friday and an Easter Sunday, the ultimate celebration of God coming to us in his Son’s body and blood in the Eucharist.

Advent is a time when we pay attention to the fact that God came to us in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary in the wonder of stars and angels over Jerusalem. And Advent likewise looks for the coming of God to us at the end of the world when the elements of the universe will be shaken, the stars will fall from heaven, and the sun and moon will no longer give us light.

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2nd Sunday of AdventRead More »

Today we celebrate Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, a “type” if you will, of the poor, one in solidarity with widows, orphans, and the needy, and a perfect high priest, pure and selfless, humble and simple yet very extraordinary! Jesus, the most trusting in our Heavenly Father, even while nailed to a cross. We also see this humility, this trust in God especially in our scripture readings today.

We heard of two widows, models of discipleship, of selfless giving. One is the widow of Zarephath, a port city on the Phoenician Coast, who generously fed God’s prophet Elijah as we heard in our first reading from Kings. The action of Elijah to seek out this widow for refuge from the drought, instructed by God to do so, had some reservations about this widow.

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32nd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »