Description

Mass readings, reflections and activities for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Universal Prayer this Sunday

For the sick in the final stages of life and their families, may they receive the medical care, support, and accompaniment they need, let us pray to the Lord…
For families caring for a suffering loved one, that they may be strengthened by divine grace, endure trials with love, and find support and prayers from the faith community as they continue their mission of compassion, let us pray to the Lord…
For healthcare professionals and volunteers who devote their time to caring for the sick, that divine wisdom may illuminate their path, and that the tenderness of their hearts may be an inexhaustible source of comfort and healing, let us pray to the Lord…

Luke’s story of the miraculous catch has a distinct Easter flavour – in John’s Gospel it comes after the Resurrection. By placing it at the beginning, Luke communicates the spirit in which he wishes us to read his Gospel – in the presence of the risen Jesus who lives in the Church and in the world forever, and who guides our “fishing for people.”

Have you known the kind of discouragement Peter expresses – having fished all night and catching nothing?
“Put out into the deep” – what kinds of deep waters might the Lord invite us into?
Why do you think Simon Peter wants Jesus to depart?
Notice the three separate scenes: the crowds, the catch and Peter. How do these scenes relate to each other?

(Reflection: Diocese of Saskatoon)

Reflections

Background on the Gospel Reading

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. The Presentation, which is celebrated 40 days after Christmas, is not mentioned in the other Gospels. Only Luke tells the story, most likely because he writes for Gentile Christians who are not familiar with the Jewish rite of presentation and purification. In addition, the intent of Luke’s Gospel is to show that God’s promise to Israel, fulfilled in Jesus, extends to Gentiles.

Luke recognizes Joseph and Mary as faithful Jews who bring Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. Here they present their firstborn son to the Lord. Jesus is thus consecrated as required by the Law of Moses. Present in the temple at this time are Simeon and Anna. Both are awaiting the restoration of God’s rule in Israel.

Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see Christ the Lord, the Messiah, before he died. The holy man immediately recognized the infant Jesus as the promised Savior, a “light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” Anna also recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise of redemption and spoke about him to all.

Source: Loyola Press