Father Leslie Hoppe, OFM

September 13, 2023

Oct. 1: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Which of the two [sons] did his father’s will?” (Mt 21:28). Was it the one who refused his father’s request to work in the family’s vineyard, but then had a change of heart, or the one who said the he was going honor his father’s request but failed to do so? Which of the two got it right? The answer is not as obvious as we might think.

September 13, 2023

Sept. 24: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

St. Paul was a remarkable person. More than anyone else, he was responsible for the extraordinary spread of Christianity in the first generation following the end of Jesus’ ministry. He did not confine himself to Galilee and Judea as did Jesus. Paul took the Good News to what is now known as Syria, Turkey and Greece.

September 13, 2023

Sept. 17: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“How many times must I forgive?” Jesus’ words about forgiveness in today’s Gospel played a significant role in solving a serious problem in the life of the early church.

August 30, 2023

Sept. 10: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Among the documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is one that scholars call the “Manual of Discipline.” It describes the community life of the people who lived in a Jewish religious community along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea at the time of Christ.

August 30, 2023

Sept. 3: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In preparing the readings for this Sunday, the editors of the lectionary made an unfortunate decision. They chose to omit the word “therefore” from the opening line of the second reading.

August 16, 2023

Aug. 27: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

A very significant result of the reinvigorated ecumenical movement following the Second Vatican Council was the decision by the Consultation on Church Union, an organization of Protestant churches in the United States, to develop a common lectionary for use during Sunday worship. Protestant churches that use a lectionary, including the Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Methodist churches, now read he same biblical texts on any given Sunday.

August 16, 2023

Aug. 20: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Parents who have a desperately ill child will do anything to relieve their child’s suffering. They’ll travel the length of the country searching for a physician who can treat their child. They’ll spare no expense to pay for their child’s treatment. They’ll put aside every other responsibility to be with and comfort their child.

August 02, 2023

Aug. 13: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.” What prompted Paul to write these words?

August 02, 2023

Aug. 6: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Something about mountains fascinates people. Mountaineers spend thousands of dollars, engage in months of conditioning, and risk their lives to stand at the summit of Mount Everest. Among the most visited national parks are Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Their popularity is partly because of the mountainous terrain of those parks that people can enjoy.

July 19, 2023

July 30: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit faith is one thing, the way in which it is presented is another.” These words spoken by Pope St. John XXIII to the bishops assembled for the opening session of the Second Vatican Council are the 20th century equivalent of Jesus’ words that conclude today’s Gospel reading: “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old” (Mt 13:52).
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