ACE Advocates News

Welcome back to Press Play, ACE’s new segment highlighting the latest and greatest publications coming out of the Institute for Educational Initiatives. Consider this part of the newsletter a movie trailer for the literary world.

Spoiler Alert: We look forward to sharing a bit about the book and its author—just enough to pique your interest—then we’ll race you to the bookstore.

See you on the last page!

Read this Sunday's Gospel

In this Sunday’s Gospel, a woman is caught breaking the sixth commandment, and John the Evangelist offers us the rather odd detail that, in response to the Pharisees’ questions as to what should be done to her, Jesus simply hunches over and begins to write in the ground with his finger.

Read this Sunday's Gospel

The Gospel reading for this 4th Sunday of Lent, the parable of the prodigal son, is likely familiar.

A son leaves home, squanders his inheritance, and returns in shame to the unexpected and infinitely gracious embrace of his father. Against the protests of his loyal son who’s worked at his side all the years his younger brother was partying, the father plans a lavish feast to welcome his lost son home.

Read this Sunday's Gospel

In the Gospel on this Third Sunday of Lent we hear a parable in which a wealthy landowner is disgusted with a fig tree repeatedly failing to bear fruit. Outraged, the man demands that his gardener cut down the tree. The gardener, however, pleads with his supervisor, believing another year of cultivation will help the frail fig tree flourish.

Read this Sunday's Gospel

Welcome to the second Sunday of Lent.

This week’s Gospel offers a stark contrast in tone and substance from last week’s, when we saw Jesus wandering in the desert, tempted at every turn by the devil himself. This week, Peter, John, and James go to a mountaintop to pray with Jesus, then witness Christ with Moses and Elijah. They hear a voice from heaven proclaim, “This is my son,” and Jesus stands bathed in dazzling white, shrouded in resplendent glory.