Sunday Catholic Word

Episode 94: Year B – 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on several details that come from the Gospel reading for this upcoming 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, taken from Mark 7:31-37, two of which tie into the first reading, taken from Isaiah 35:4-7a. The key apologetical themes for the details that tie into the first reading are Jesus’ Messiahship and Divinity. The other details in the Gospel reading give rise to the opportunity to talk about the historical reliability of the event recorded in this Gospel reading, which is Jesus’ healing of the deaf man, along ...

Episode 93: Year B – 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on several details found within the readings for this upcoming 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. One detail comes from the first reading, which is taken from Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8, and the related topic is the Ten Commandments as an expression of the natural moral law. Another detail comes from the second reading, taken from James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27, which relates to the topic of God’s immutability. James teaches us that God cannot change. But the question arises as how we are to reconcile this with other p...

Episode 92: Year B – 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we continue our study of Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse in John 6. The portion of the discourse that makes up the Gospel reading for this upcoming 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, is verses 60-69. Like in last week’s episode, the question is whether Jesus intended his teaching to eat his flesh and drink his blood to be taken literally or figuratively. We argue for a literal interpretation.   Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here ...

Episode 91: Year B – 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode, we focus on the Gospel reading for this upcoming 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the exchange that Jesus has with the Jews concerning his command to eat his flesh. The passage is taken from John 6:51-58. The key apologetical topic, of course, is the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here Hey everyone,   Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass...

Episode 90: Year B – 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on one detail from the Gospel reading, taken from John 6:41-51, continuing the theme of the Eucharist. That one detail is Jesus’ comparison of the bread of life that he will give, which is the Eucharist, and the Manna in the wilderness. This revelation of the Eucharist as the New Manna, so I argue, supports the belief that the Eucharist cannot be merely a symbol of Jesus’ body and blood, but must be Jesus’ body and blood. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Cathol...

Episode 89: Year B – 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on one detail in the Gospel reading, taken from John 6:24-35, that pertains to the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is Jesus’ metaphorical use of the images of eating and drinking. For many Protestants, such a metaphorical use is the key to unlocking the meaning of Jesus’ instructions to “eat his flesh” and “drink his blood” later in John 6. But we argue this is not the case. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here H...

Episode 88: Year B – 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on two details, both of which come from the Gospel reading for this upcoming 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, taken from John 6:1-15, which is John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. One detail, Jesus’ question to Philip, gives rise to the topic of the historical reliability of John and Luke’s Gospels. The second detail, the fragments picked up after the crowd ate, pertains to the Eucharist. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise?...

Episode 87: Year B – 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time  In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on two details in the readings for this upcoming 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The first detail is found in the second reading, taken from Ephesians 2:13-18. The relevant apologetical topic is that we as Christians are no longer bound by the ceremonial precepts of the Old Covenant, which would include the Sabbath. The second detail is in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 6:30-34. The relevant topic, which isn’t all that apologetical in nature, is the Church’s teach...

Episode 86: Year B – 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focuse on three details in the readings for this upcoming 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, one of which comes from the second reading, taken from Ephesians 1: 3-14. The relevant apologetical topic is the gratuity of the initial grace of salvation. The other two details are found in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 6:7-13. The first detail has to do with the topic of Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits, which he gives to the apostles. The second detail is the report that th...

Episode 85: Year B – 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time In this episode of the Sunday of Catholic Word, we focus on one detail from the Gospel reading for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, taken from Mark 6:1-6—namely, the mention of Jesus’ brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude, along with his “sisters.” Obviously, the topic of concern is the Catholic belief of Mary’s perpetual virginity. Readings: Click Here Looking for Sunday Catholic Word Merchandise? Look no further! Click Here ...