The Preaching Moment

Mother Suzanne explores how Jesus's Beatitudes from Luke's "Sermon on the Plain" provide challenging yet practical instructions for disciples then and now. She illustrates how her church, Grace, embodies these teachings through their extensive food ministry that has distributed 3.75 million pounds of food to 77,000 people, partnering with local businesses and other churches to feed their hungry neighbors as a living example of the kingdom of God on earth.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                                          Luke 6:17-26         

Jesus came down with the twelve apostles and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
 for yours is the kingdom of God.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, 
 for you will be filled.

“Blessed are you who weep now, 
 for you will laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets."

"But woe to you who are rich,
 for you have received your consolation.

"Woe to you who are full now,
 for you will be hungry.

"Woe to you who are laughing now,
 for you will mourn and weep.

"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets."

Artwork: Jesus teaching crowds on a high plain, by William Brassey Hole (1846-1917)

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Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette reflects on Jesus' call to become "fishers of people" in Luke's Gospel, reminding us that while church attendance has declined post-COVID, our mission remains unchanged. Just as Jesus instructed Simon Peter to cast his nets into deeper waters, we too must venture beyond our comfort zones to engage with our neighbors, show compassion to those in need, and respond like Isaiah who said, "Here I am. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8).

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                            Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. 

Artwork: "Fishers of Men" by Victor Bregeda, 1963

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Mother Suzanne delivered a sermon connecting the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple with Scout Sunday at Grace Episcopal Church, welcoming BSA Troop 400 and Cub Scout Pack 400. She drew parallels between Jesus' presentation according to Jewish law and the scouts' presentation to their chartering organization, emphasizing how scouting builds character, teaches valuable life skills, and helps young people grow "strong, filled with wisdom" as Jesus did (Luke 2:40).

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                                          Luke 2:22-40         

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
 according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,
 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles
 and for glory to your people Israel."

And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Artwork: No. 19 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 3. Presentation of Christ at the Temple - Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, by Giotto di Bondone (c. 1267– January 8, 1337)

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Mother Suzanne examines Jesus's inaugural sermon in Luke's Gospel, where he reads from Isaiah 61 and declares "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." She emphasizes that the same Spirit that empowered Jesus to bring good news to the poor, release to captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed also empowers us to continue this mission in our own lives and communities.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                         Luke 4:14-21

Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me
 to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
 and recovery of sight to the blind,
 to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 

Artwork: Christ in the Synagogue of Nazareth, 14th-century fresco from the Visoki Dečani monastery in Kosovo, dating to approximately 1350

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Mother Suzanne explores Jesus's first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11), explaining how this Epiphany story reveals Christ's glory not through dramatic displays but through transforming purification water into celebration wine. This transformation symbolizes a profound theological shift: Jesus replaces ritual purification with direct access to God, inviting all people without exception to the feast of the new covenant.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                            John 2:1-11         

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 

Artwork: The Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese (1562-1563)

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Mother Suzanne explores Jesus' baptism as a profound "epiphany" where God is made manifest through His Son, emphasizing that our own baptism connects us directly to Christ's. Through baptism, we receive the certainty of divine love and proximity to God, becoming His beloved as Jesus is beloved, not through our own merit but as a transformative gift that brings us into God's family.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                             Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. " 

Artwork:  The Baptism of Jesus, by James Tissot (1836-1902)

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Mother Suzanne explains that Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ to all people, beginning with the Magi who followed a star to find the infant Jesus. Like these wise stargazers, we too are on a spiritual journey seeking the light of Christ, called not only to find that light but to carry it within us and share it with others who sit in darkness.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                 Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
 are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler
 who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Artwork:  The Magi Jouneying, by James Tissot (1836-1902)

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Mother Suzanne reflects on how God used Caesar Augustus's census, intended for taxation and control, to fulfill ancient prophecies about Jesus's birth in Bethlehem. The true miracle of Christmas is found in God's surprising ways—choosing to reveal the birth of the King of Kings to lowly shepherds rather than the powerful, and coming not as a mighty ruler but as a vulnerable infant, offering grace and new beginnings to all who seek Him.

The Gospel                                                                                                                        Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
 and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

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Mother Suzanne reflects on the powerful encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, two women in impossible pregnancies whose faith transformed shame into songs of praise and defiance. Through their story, we are challenged to consider what leaps for joy within us and whether we can trust that God is with us, even in our most difficult circumstances.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                             Luke 1:39-45   

 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

Artwork: The Embrace of Elizabeth and Mary, St. George Church, Kurbinovo, Macedonia

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In this Advent sermon, Mother Suzanne explores how God's word came to John the Baptist in the wilderness rather than to the powerful leaders of the day. She reminds us that while wilderness experiences are painful and often avoided, they become sacred spaces of transformation where God meets us, makes our paths straight, and guides us toward salvation—if we accept rather than fight against these difficult seasons.

THE GOSPEL        Luke 3:1-6                                                                                                                       

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the Lord,
 make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,
 and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall be made straight,
 and the rough ways made smooth;

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Artwork: St. John the Baptist Baptising the People, by Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665)

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