Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 16, 2020

Matthew 5:17-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
   not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
   will pass from the law,
   until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
   and teaches others to do so
   will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
   will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
   that of the scribes and Pharisees,
   you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
   You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
   whoever is angry with brother
   will be liable to judgment;
   and whoever says to brother, ‘Raqa,’
   will be answerable to the Sanhedrin;
   and whoever says, ‘You fool,’
   will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
   and there recall that your brother
   has anything against you,
   leave your gift there at the altar,
   go first and be reconciled with your brother,
   and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
   and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
   and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
   you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
 
“You have heard that it was said,
   You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
   everyone who looks at a woman with lust
   has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
   tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
   than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
   cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
   than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
 
“It was also said,
   Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
   whoever divorces his wife—unless the marriage is unlawful--
   causes her to commit adultery,
   and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
 
“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
   Do not take a false oath,
   but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
   not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
   nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
   nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
   for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”

Preacher: Roberto Carvajal
​Song: "Ready to be Myself" by David Dunn

 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 9, 2020

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
   but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
   it is set on a lampstand,
   where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
   that they may see your good deeds
   and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Preacher: Jay-anne Desabelle
​Song: "Go Light Your World" by Kathy Troccoli

​The Presentation of the Lord
February 2, 2020

Luke 2:22-40
 
When the days were completed for their purification
   according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
   to present him to the Lord,
   just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
   Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
   and to offer the sacrifice of
   a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
   in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
 
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
   awaiting the consolation of Israel,
   and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
   that he should not see death
   before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
   and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
   to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
   he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
      “Now, Master, you may let your servant go
         in peace, according to your word,
      for my eyes have seen your salvation,
         which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
      a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
         and glory for your people Israel.”
 
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
   and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
   “Behold, this child is destined
   for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
   and to be a sign that will be contradicted
   —and you yourself a sword will pierce--
   so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
 
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
   the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
   having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
   and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
   but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
   she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
   to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
 
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
   of the law of the Lord,
   they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
   and the favor of God was upon him.”
​
Preacher: Adela Miron
Song: "Now That I've Held Him in My Arms" by Michael Card

Listen to our Audio School of the Word (SoW), a longer version of our daily shots reflections on the Gospel for Sunday.  Today we listen to the reflection on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Epiphany of the Lord
January 5, 2020

Matthew 2:1-12
​
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
   in the days of King Herod,
   behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
   “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
   and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
   he was greatly troubled,
   and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
   he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
   for thus it has been written through the prophet:
      And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
         are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
      since from you shall come a ruler,
         who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
   and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
   “Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
   that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
   until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
   and on entering the house
   they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
   and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
   they departed for their country by another way.

Preacher: Roberto Carvajal
Song: "You are Holy (Prince of Peace)" by Michael W. Smith

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
December 29, 2019

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

When the magi had departed, behold,
   the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
   “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
   and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
   and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
   that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
   Out of Egypt I called my son.
 
When Herod had died, behold,
   the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
   to Joseph in Egypt and said,
   “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
   for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
He rose, took the child and his mother,
   and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea
   in place of his father Herod,
   he was afraid to go back there.
And because he had been warned in a dream,
   he departed for the region of Galilee.
He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,
   so that what had been spoken through the prophets
   might be fulfilled,
   He shall be called a Nazorean.

​Preacher: Lynnet Largadas
Song: "Everywhere I Go" by Sleeping at Last

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 22, 2019

Matthew 1:18-24
 
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
   but before they lived together,
   she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
   yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
   decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
   the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
   “Joseph, son of David,
   do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
   that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
   because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
   Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel,
   which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
   he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
   and took his wife into his home.

Preacher: Kit Queniahan-Sanaani
Song: "The Potter's Hand" by Darlene Zschech

Thirty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 24, 2019
Luke 23:35-43
Preacher: Roberto Carvajal
Song: "Rejoice" by Emmaus

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 17, 2019
Luke 21:5-19
Preacher: Lynette Largadas
Song: "Never will I leave youl" by Michael Card