“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.
Trinity Sunday – Sister Mary Cluderay, SNDdeN
June 4, 2023 John 3: 16-18 I begin with the words of Jesus which he speaks to His Disciples as He prepares to leave them: "All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the...
Pentecost Sunday – Sister Edithann Kane, SNDdeN
May 28, 2023 John 20: 19-23 As the Father sent me, so I send you. Today’s scriptures begin with the drama of Pentecost. There is a powerful wind, and tongues of fire that rest on the head of each of those gathered in the upper room. Crowds of devout Jews hear the wind...
Bezinning: 7° zondag in de paastijd – Zuster Nina Vandamme, SNDdeN – Dutch
21 mei 2023 Jo. 17:1-11a In dit stukje evangelie ontmoeten we Jezus op een belangrijk kruispunt in zijn leven. Hij weet dat zijn levenseinde nabij is. Hij heeft er reeds eerder over gesproken met zijn apostelen. Ik kan me de intensiteit van een dergelijk gesprek...
Seventh Sunday of Easter – Sister Nina Vandamme, SNDdeN – English
May 21, 2023 John 17: 1-11 In this Gospel passage, we see Jesus at a very important crossroads in his life. He knows that his life is quickly approaching its end. He has already spoken to His disciples about this. I can imagine the intensity of such a conversation....
Feast of the Ascension – Sister Anne Louise Nadeau, SNDdeN
May 18, 2023 Matthew 28: 16-20 We are still in Jerusalem where we were told to stay awaiting the promised Spirit to come to us. It has been 6 long weeks since we experienced the torture and murder of our friend, Jesus. The trauma of that experience has left us filled...
Sixth Sunday of Easter – Sister Roseanne Murphy, SNDdeN
May 14, 2023 John 14:15-21 The reading from the gospel of John (14:15-21) in our Mass today, begins with Jesus telling his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you...
Fifth Sunday of Easter – Sister Janelle Sevier, SNDdeN
May 7, 2023 John 14: 1-12 As I reflected on the readings for this 5th Sunday of Easter, in the section from Acts, I am struck by the Apostles feeling overwhelmed by the reality of the already simmering division in the community and their concomitant desire to be about...
Fourth Sunday of Easter – Sister Eileen Cassidy, SNDdeN
April 30, 2023 John 10: 1-10 Today’s Gospel about Jesus being a true shepherd is from John’s Gospel (Ch 10) and comes between the healing of the man born blind (Ch 9) and the raising of Lazarus (Ch 11). These two chapters provide a context for Jesus’ teaching. Both...
Second Sunday of Easter – Sister Marie Tighe, SNDdeN
April 16, 2023 John 20: 19-31 Today is Mercy Sunday. Often people think of mercy being balanced with justice as in a court of law. Shakespeare goes beyond this in the famous speech given by Portia in ‘The Merchant of Venice’: ‘The quality of mercy is not strained...It...
Domingo de Páscoa – Irmã Sandra Araujo Santos, SNDdeN
9 de abril de 2023 - João 20: 1-9: Refletindo sobre o Evangelho de hoje, pensei em tempos. Vejo nos três personagens (Madelena, Pedro e o outro discípulo), estágios diferentes da nossa caminhada humana e da nossa caminhada de fé. Neste Evangelho aparece a pessoa de...
Easter Vigil – Sister Barbara Thiella, SNDdeN
April 8, 2023 Matthew 28: 1-10 The four Gospel writers describe Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection with stories and details familiar to their own communities. Matthew begins his recounting with a story about two women who first meet Jesus alive after his death on...
Easter Sunday – Sister Sandra Araujo Santos, SNDdeN
April 9, 2023 - John 20: 1-9: Reflecting on today’s Gospel, I thought of TIME. I see in the three persons (Magdalen, Peter and the other disciple), different stages in our human journey and in our journey of faith. Mary Magdalen appears in this Gospel. She is an...
Boa sexta-feira – Irmã Rebecca Spires, SNDdeN
7 de abril de 2023 João 18: 1-19, 42 Nós o chamamos de Sexta-Feira Boa, Sexta-Feira Santa, portanto, um dia abençoado. É realmente um dia santo e bom, mas tendemos a nos concentrar e focar no sofrimento e na morte mais do que nas lições de vida que Jesus estava...
Good Friday – Sister Rebecca Spires, SNDdeN
April 7, 2023 John 18: 1-19, 42 We call it Good Friday, Holy Friday, thus a blessed day. It is indeed a holy and good day, yet we tend to dwell and focus on the suffering and death more than on the life lessons Jesus was teaching. God did not come to Earth to die, but...
Holy Thursday – Sister Mary McClure, SNDdeN
April 6, 2023 John 9: 1-41 “ Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” It is evening and Jesus will celebrate his last supper with his closest friends. There were probably women there because we know that women accompanied as disciples, as...
Palm Sunday – Sister Mary Cluderay, SNDdeN
April 2, 2023 Matthew 26: 14 - 27:66 or 27:11-54 Almost 40 years ago I spent Holy week and Easter week in Jerusalem. I was privileged to be part of a pilgrimage of which 30 men and women took part. They were from all walks of life, and the leader was a priest who had...
Fifth Sunday in Lent – Sister Helen Bellew, SNDdeN
March 26, 2023 John 11: 1-45 Love, Loss and Life Our traditional understanding has been that Jesus was sent by God the Father to save us from our sins. During this time of Lent we give special focus to our sinfulness and our commitment to “do better.” The rituals of...
Fourth Sunday in Lent – Sister Catherine Waldron, SNDdeN
March 19, 2023 John 9: 1-41 Today’s readings prompt us to check our eye-site, our vision. What and whom do I see when I look at the landscape of my life? Is my heart awakened by these weeks surrounding Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection ? What perceptions we are...
Third Sunday in Lent – Sister Anne Flanagan, SNDdeN
March 12, 2023 John 4: 5-42 Our scriptures for today, the 3rd Sunday of Lent, present us with 2 powerful images-WATER AND THIRST. In Exodus we hear that the Israelites were dying of thirst in the desert and at Moses’ request of God, he was told to strike the rock and...
Second Sunday in Lent – Sister Angele Lewis, SNDdeN
March 5, 2023 Matthew 17: 1-9 Last Sunday’s gospel was about “temptations” (Mt. 4: 1-11) and this Sunday’s theme is about “glory” (Mt. 17:1-9). Matthew’s gospel captures the human condition – we are weak, vulnerable and sinful and at the same time we have a vision of...
