Ponder This: Questions for More Thoughtful Sundays - Gospel of Matthew

By Todd Kalesperis

Why prep for Mass? You probably prep for meetings, sports, presentations, and many other activities in your life. So why not the same for God?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664282629

Todd Kalesperis

Todd is a convert to Catholicism. He grew up attending both Methodist and Greek Orthodox churches with his parents, and became Catholic after meeting his wife Megan, but really didn’t immerse himself in the faith until several years later. He attends St Simon Catholic Church in Indianapolis with his wife and three children.

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Copyright © 2022 Todd Kalesperis.

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Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8261-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8263-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8262-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022920067

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/28/2022

CONTENTS

Introduction

Liturgical Years and How to Use this Book

First Sunday of Advent

Second Sunday of Advent

Immaculate Conception of Mary*

Third Sunday of Advent

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Nativity of the Lord*

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God*

The Epiphany of the Lord

The Baptism of the Lord

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Sunday of Lent

Second Sunday of Lent

Third Sunday of Lent

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Sixth Sunday of Lent (Palm Sunday)

Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of the Lord

Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday

Third Sunday of Easter

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Sixth Sunday of Easter

The Ascension/Seventh Sunday of Easter*

Pentecost Sunday, Vigil reading

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eighteenth in Ordinary Time

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Solemnity of All Saints*

Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Solemnity of Christ the King

*Holy Days of Obligation that might not fall on a Sunday

INTRODUCTION

Does your mind wander during church on Sunday? Do you ever find your Sunday Mass or Service hard to follow? Do you sometimes wonder what you are getting out of church? Perhaps you have asked these questions to yourself and answered yes. If so, you’ve shown an interest in better understanding your faith! I believe that a lot of men (and women, and kids) disengage during church, and just go through the motions. But, I also believe that once you are engaged in the Mass or the Service, you will find a greater connection to God and a greater depth of information to build your faith. So how do you start to get more engaged on Sunday? Take a few minutes on Thursday or Friday and prepare for it.

What follows on these pages is a collection of the Sunday Gospel readings we hear throughout the liturgical year, with short questions to ponder after each of those readings. I originally wrote these questions once a week for members of the Men’s Club at St. Simon the Apostle Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, and sent them out a couple of days before each Sunday Mass. My intent was to encourage the busy young men, husbands, and dads in the parish to read the Sunday Gospel passage, along with a question that they could ask themselves as a way to connect their current lives and the Gospel. Then, they could simply reflect on it until they heard the Gospel again on Sunday during Mass. It’s like practicing for a sport… you practice to improve your muscle memory so you can better compete. Practicing by pre-reading and pondering the Sunday Gospel works the same way, to improve your spiritual connection and relationship with God!

LITURGICAL YEARS AND

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Liturgical calendars have been around for a long, long time. There are slight differences in the structure of the liturgical calendar in each Christian denomination, but there is a similar pattern of seasons (e.g., Advent, Lent, and Easter.) Each year (A, B, or C) starts with the season of Advent, around December 1st, followed by Christmas, then a few weeks of Ordinary Time, then Lent and Easter, and then several weeks more of Ordinary Time. The last Sunday of each liturgical year is Christ the King Sunday.

The liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church has a repeating cycle of three liturgical years, so most of the same Sunday Gospel readings come up every third year:

Year A focuses on the Gospel of Matthew (i.e., 2023/2026)

Year B focuses on the Gospel of Mark (i.e., 2021/2024)

Year C focuses on