Reflection for Sunday July 30th by Ruth R. |
Sunday Gospel: Mt 13:44-52
In today’s gospel Jesus speaks to us again in parables. Perhaps you are familiar with the parable of the pearl of great price. In this parable, a merchant finds a pearl so beautiful that he sells everything he has to buy it. This pearl is like the Kingdom of Heaven, and you are like the merchant “seeking for fine pearls”. You are seeking happiness. Sometimes you find “happiness” in cheap and shiny pearls, but you are not satisfied. Then you find the pearl, or maybe it's been there all the time, but you never opened the shell. You cannot look away from its beauty, purity, and light. Are you willing to give God everything? For that is the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. Giving God your life might mean, like the merchant, selling possessions. But it certainly means beginning or strengthening a relationship with Him. And He in turn will help you. He will give you, like He gave Solomon in today’s Old Testament, wisdom and an “understanding heart.” Do not be afraid to give up all your other tiny pearls for God. For as St. Paul says today, “all things work for good for those who love God”. This week's reflection is by Ruth R., Martin Saints Classical School class of 2026. |
Reflection for Sunday July 2nd by TurnerSunday Gospel: Mt 10:37-42
The Gospel this week speaks about putting Jesus at the center of our lives. We can say we believe in Christ, we can go to mass on Sunday and receive the Sacrament but do we actually live our lives with him as the center? Do we take actions with the focus being Christ, and trying to live by him through his teachings? Being a Christian is constantly a challenge because we are always trying to live up to Jesus, which is an impossible task. We are trying to be more like him everyday which means we will fail at points. None of us are Jesus Christ but if we have him as the center of our lives and spread his teachings and Gospel we will be with him for eternity and help others be with him as well. I challenge everyone to do a single act in the name of Christ this week and to really think about what it means to be Christian and to live your life with Jesus as the center. This week's reflection is by Turner, Roman Catholic High School class of 2024. |
Reflection for Sunday July 9th By HopeSunday Gospel: Mt 11:25-30
In this passage, we hear Jesus is praising God the Father. He had hidden something specific away from the wise and intelligent, instead he has revealed it to the little ones. By wise and intelligent I think he means self-dependent and arrogant. That those are the ones not looking to God for help. Jesus is praising his Father for revealing the truths of faith. Jesus then says God the father is the only one who truly knows him. Jesus is saying there is no relationship like God and his son. When Jesus reveals himself and God it changes our life. In the last part of the passage Jesus is telling us that he wants to help us and to teach us the way of God. He is saying “learn from me,” and he wants to teach us. This passage connects to Christian life because Jesus is telling us that all we need to do is to have faith in God. To trust and listen to him. God will always be there for us, to help and to guide. Those who are looking for Gods’ help will find it. To me this passage is about hope. Hope that people will finally start listening to God and let him help you. We should all accept we all have sins and we should acknowledge them and follow the word of God. How is God inviting you to trust in Him this week? This week's reflection is by Hope, MSJA class of 2027 |
Reflection for Sunday July 16th by MarcusSunday Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23
For this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus shares with a crowd the Parable of the Sower. The Parable talks about a farmer who planted seeds on four different kinds of soils representing different outcomes for people's reception of the Kingdom of God. This Gospel's connection to Christian life reveals that your personal choices and actions will make your outcome either good or bad. It also causes you to reflect on your own role as a Christian. However, God will still love you despite any bad or negative choices, but some choices put distance between us and Him. This week I challenge you to consider what choices might be causing you to feel distant from God, and what you might do to close that gap in order to bring you and others closer to Him. This week's reflection is by Marcus K. STHS class of 2026 |
Reflection for Sunday July 23rd By JackSunday Gospel: Mt 13:24-43
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Matthew 13:24-43, Jesus tells a series of parables. Namely, he uses parables of farming to talk about the end times. Unlike a lot of Gospel readings talking about peace and love, this reading tells of the end times when the righteous are saved and the evildoers are thrown into a “fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” This is a scary depiction, so I must apply this to my own life and strive to be righteous. That means not just going to Mass on Sunday, but by living with God everyday. For me this means not losing my temper and to forgive instead, or to help someone in need in my community, or to even just hold the door for someone. If I do this in the end times I may “shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father.” This reading both scared and challenged me. How does it challenge you to live a righteous life everyday so that you may be saved by this depiction of the end times? This week's reflection is by Jack F., St. Joe's Prep class of 2025. |
Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 pm Sunday: 7:30 - 9:00 - 11:00* am *Livestream Weekday Mass Schedule Monday-Friday: 7:00 am |
9 E Chestnut Hill Ave - Philadelphia PA, 19118 Phone 215-247-0430 * Fax 215-247-2506 Copyright © 2015 |
Reconciliation/Confession
Saturday: 3:30-4:00 pm First Friday Eucharistic Adoration September - June Exposition: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm Vespers & Benediction: 5:30 pm |