“As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)
“Like Mary whose name we bear, we are called to hear the word of God and keep it. Our attentive listening shapes in us a contemplative and prophetic attitude toward the whole of life and enables us to act in ways which witness to God’s love and justice.” (SNDdeN Constitution 47)
Perhaps our reflections on the weekly Gospel will help you nurture your own relationship with God.
Through these reflections on the Gospel Readings for the Sundays and Major Feasts of the Liturgical Year, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from various parts of the world share with you their thoughts and ponderings on these Scripture passages. These reflections are posted in the language of the author with links to translation.
These Scripture readings and reflections reveal Glimpses of God’s Goodness in our daily lives. We pray that these reflections will strengthen your faith, renew your hope and enflame the love of God in you, and through you, to others.
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sister Priscilla Aliu, SNDdeN
February 20, 2022 Luke 6: 27-38 This gospel reading has a very relevant message for our day. In it, Jesus presents to humanity the image of the kind of world God desires for his children. It was a new and perhaps a shocking message to the people who were listening to...
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sister Agnes Nelson, SNDdeN
February 13, 2022 Luke 6: 17, 20-26 Today we are presented with very familiar words from the Scriptures – the Beatitudes, yet, I was struck anew by the less-used Luke’s version: Happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Alas for you who are rich: you...
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sister Nancy Wellmeier, SNDdeN
February 6, 2022 Luke 5: 1-11 An unruly crowd, two boats tied up at the lake shore, nets and fish; these are the ordinary, everyday elements of the gospel for this fifth Sunday in ordinary time. The people come to hear the Word of God and the Word of God in person is...
Presentation of the Lord – Sister Brigid Rose Tiernan, SNDdeN
February 2, 2022 Luke 2:22-40 This year, the celebration of our Congregational ‘birthday’ has a different feel to it as we stand in between the service periods of the outgoing and incoming Congregational leadership teams. Like Simeon and Anna, Teresita and her team...
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sister Mary O’Brien, SNDdeN
January 30, 2022 Luke 4: 21-30 In this Gospel reading we see Jesus as the teacher – and how the mood of a crowd can change totally within seconds. Jesus was teaching in his home place – and that is always a situation which can be difficult. We hear, ‘But this is...
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sister Betty Smoyer, SNDdeN
January 23, 2022 Luke 1: 1-4; 4:14-21 Nehemiah 8 describes the transformation process that God repeatedly calls us to our whole life long. On their return from exile in Babylon, the people find the Jerusalem temple in ruins, the city in disrepair. They are not...
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sister Marie Andre Mitchell, SNDdeN
January 16, 2022 John 2: 1-11 After all the festivities in Advent and Christmas we arrive in what is called ‘ordinary’ time as if anything could be ordinary in these challenging times. It is difficult to know what to expect in 2022. What we do know is that God is with...
Baptism of the Lord – Sister Barbara Thiella, SNDdeN
January 9, 2022 Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22 “Were not our hearts gradually catching fire within us as he spoke to us on the road?” Two Travelers on the Road to Emmaus For 15 years I presented at a bilingual diocesan Day of Retreat for 300 baptismal sponsors and 600...
Fête de l’épiphanie – Soeur Marie-Angele Kitewo, SNDdeN – Français
le 2 janvier, 2022 Mattieu 2,1-12 Le récit de la visite des Mages fait partie d’une série d’autres visites organisées par Dieu. Il en est l’initiateur principal. Ces visites sont : - Visite de l’Ange Gabriel à Zacharie, pour lui annoncer la naissance de...
Feast of the Epiphany – Sister Marie-Angele Kitewo, SNDdeN – English
January 2, 2022 Matthew 2: 1-12 The account of the visit of the Magi is part of a series of other visits planned by God. God is the principal initiator of these visits. These visits are: - Visit of the Angel Gabriel to Zachariah to announce the birth of John the...
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – Sister Barbara Metz, SNDdeN
January 1, 2022 Luke 2: 16-21 The words of the gospel for today, the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God that caught my attention are, “Mary treasured all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” The context of those words are at the time of...
Feast of the Holy Family – Sister Catherine Waldron, SNDdeN
December 26, 2021 Luke 2: 41-52 The Sunday immediately following Christmas we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. The readings enlighten us as the focus on our relationships. God chose to send us his Son, Jesus, to model our closest set of relationships — our...
Feast of Christmas – Sister Maria Delaney, SNDdeN
December 25, 2021 Luke 2: 1-14 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up...
Vigil of Christmas – Sister Barbara Barry, SNDdeN
December 24, 2021 Matthew 1: 1-25 Have you noticed how the Church recognizes the enormity of the Christmas story? The lectionary is set with three readings for each Sunday during the year and whether you worship on Saturday evening, Sunday morning or Sunday evening...
Fourth Sunday in Advent – Sister Maura McMenamin, SNDdeN
December 19, 2021 “Mary set out at that time and went quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went to Zacharias’ house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled...
Third Sunday in Advent – Sister Ginny Scally, SNDdeN
December 12, 2021 Luke 3: 10-18 For most of my years (and now, that’s a LOT of them!), I honestly thought we “rejoiced” in the pink on this Sunday of Advent because we were half-way through this liturgical season! We were that much closer to the celebration of...
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Sister Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN
December 8, 2021, 2021 Luke 1: 26-38 “Grace is God’s favor; grace is participation in God’s life. … Thus, grace is not a thing that comes from God but is an act of God that shows us something of who God is. To ‘receive grace’ is to experience God acting… in our...
Second Sunday in Advent- Sister Edithann Kane, SNDdeN
Second Sunday in Advent - Sister Edithann Kane, SNDdeN December 5, 2021 Luke 3: 1-6 Have you ever had someone or something come into your life and change you or clarify your direction? Who – or what – was it? When was it? How were you feeling or thinking at that...
First Sunday in Advent – SisterMarna Rogers, SNDdeN
November 28, 2021 Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36 Vengeance Day "...It will seem like all hell has broken loose--sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the...
Feast of Christ the King – Sister Catherine Waldron, SNDdeN
November 21, 2021 John 18: 33b-37 Today’s Gospel describes Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds have formed and many have laid down their cloaks as a welcome and honor. They shout “Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!” This rejoicing moment shows how little Jesus’...
