Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
On a recent vacation, I had the opportunity to spend time with some of my nieces and nephews. Like many adults, these young people are seeking to know who they are and how their faith and God fits into their understanding of life. During several conversations, I had the opportunity to share how God and my faith are an integral part of my life. As I reflect back on these discussions, I realize that it is not until we are faced with certain circumstances that we take the opportunity to stop and consider what we believe. Once we have confirmed our belief, then we are invited to go forth into the world to share the Good News with others.
Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do” is Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees in their judgment of him and his disciples eating “with tax collectors and sinners” in today’s gospel (Matthew 9:9-13). I hear an echo of these words in Pope Francis’ now famous quote about the Church needing to be “a field hospital” that cares for the sick and wounded after battle. How often I’ve heard people outside of church doors say they don’t attend because they feel judged and not welcome. Today’s gospel also reminds us that Jesus “did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” And aren’t we all sinners?
Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
When Jesus saw the paralytic man in today’s gospel reading from Matthew he said, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” Perhaps if we witnessed this scene we would have found it confusing that Jesus was focused on the man’s sins as opposed to his inability to walk. However, Jesus’ primary concern was not for man’s physical need, but rather his spiritual need. He wanted to provide him the opportunity to restore his relationship with the Father. It was the forgiveness of sin that mattered more to Jesus. The scribes, unable to see this distinction, accused Jesus of blasphemy. Jesus cleverly responded, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” But to prove that Jesus has the power to forgive sins, he also said to the man “‘Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.’ He rose and went home.” Jesus showed the teachers of the law that he had not only the power to heal, but the authority to forgive. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe and they glorified God.
Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
When we think of poverty, our minds typically go to material poverty. We think of the poor as people lacking financial, material, or physical resources needed for daily living. During my time working for Heart to Honduras, I came to understand poverty and poverty alleviation much more broadly. I also came to recognize my own impoverishment in a deeper way. Today’s readings call to mind our poverty, remind us of God’s faithfulness, and perhaps can inspire us to be people through whom God can respond to the cry of the poor.
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Today, on the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, we hear defining stories of their lives. Peter is very different from the ‘soft rock’ that denied Jesus 3 times. He has been hardened into diamond, and courageously proclaims the gospel, even after he sees his brother apostles killed by an evil king. After seeing Jesus’s death and resurrection, he no longer is afraid of being poured out. Similarly, Paul writes to his fellow Christians that he is being poured out like a libation. The first time I really looked at this reading I had to look that last word up; a libation is a ritual pouring out of water or sand or ashes. When people scatter ashes, that’s a libation. When you ‘pour one out’ in memory of a buddy lost and gone, it’s a libation.
Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
There are many reactions to Jesus in the gospels. Some people follow him, some do him homage, some plot against, and others try to entrap him. Today's gospel account seems very peculiar in what occurs during the exorcism in Matthew 8:28-34 (parallel accounts in Mark and Luke).
Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Am I hospitable? Do I allow others to welcome me with hospitality? These were the questions that crossed my mind as I read today’s readings. I’m going to let my prayer and reflection rest on those questions.
Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Last weekend we were visiting family in Pennsylvania and attended a small parish for Sunday mass. As you may recall from Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is sleeping through a storm at sea when his disciples wake him up, asking, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” We’ve heard that story many times and can understand, and perhaps even empathize with, the disciples’ distress. The way the priest read the passage last weekend, though, made it obvious that the disciples were not waking Jesus up because they necessarily expected him to do something about the storm and prevent them from perishing. They were instead waking Jesus up because they were freaking out and couldn’t understand why he wasn’t freaking out. How could he rest so peacefully during such a violent storm rather than be frightened, like everyone else? When we, in the year 2021, know Jesus as the Son of God, it is easy to forget that his disciples initially knew him as a human, as a friend.
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
“No. He will be called John.”
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Our God is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. God’s love and faithfulness to God’s people is evidenced in the covenants God initiates. We see this divine fidelity in the five major covenants beginning with Noah and culminating in the New Covenant in Christ. Today we read the covenant God makes with Abram (who will become Abraham). Our psalm sings the truth that the Lord remembers his covenant forever. Reminded of God’s eternal covenant faithfulness, we read Jesus’ admonition around fruit-bearing. God unites us to Godself in covenant love. How do we respond to this divine extravagance and what is the fruit that is evidence that we are partakers in covenant love?
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
As I reflect on the texts before us today, I am struck by the simple yet powerful wisdom God offers us for living well with one another. If only we all could follow that wisdom. Our world would be utterly transformed.
Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
Scripture Readings
I often get called in to settle a dispute between my children. They come to me because one feels wronged and they are seeking judgment. Judgment is a major theme in today's readings.
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
One of my favorite pastimes is spending time in nature. The trees, flowers, birds, insects, (even cicadas!) and animals reveal God’s amazing generosity and creativity. Jesus often uses elements of the created world to share deep truths of the kingdom. God calls us to see and learn from our created world, and in return, God calls us to care for this great gift of love that is shared with us.
Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, then your whole body will be filled with light." (Matthew 6:19-23) What does Jesus mean when he says this?
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Legend has it that St. Francis and his dear friend Brother Leo wanted to spend one evening meditating on the Our Father. Each of them retreated to their quarters for the night, and agreed to meet in the morning. Brother Leo, after reciting the prayer hundreds of times, was excited to share his good work with his friend. However, in the morning St. Francis was nowhere to be found. Brother Leo went to his room and found him in a trance. After several failed attempts to get his attention, Brother Leo shook him. Leo was eager to share the numerous times he recited the Our Father, but was surprised to learn Francis did not even complete the prayer once. He told Leo, “I started by saying the words “our” and “Father,” and I just couldn’t move on from there.” Brother Leo was stunned and humbled by Francis’s deep devotion.
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lately I’ve been pondering what it means to be generous. How do I define generosity? How do I know if I’m being generous toward God and others? What measures or metrics can I apply to determine whether or not I’m being generous? I haven’t answered those questions for myself yet, but I have concluded that authentic generosity flows from gratitude. Put another way, gratitude becomes the fertile field from which the fruit of generosity springs. Today’s readings invite further reflection on this proposal.
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
In my opinion, today’s readings contain the most challenging command in Christianity. Love your enemies. The logic is inescapable: God makes rain fall on the just and the unjust. God’s love is indiscriminate, and so our love should be indiscriminate. But it is so hard to love and pray for the people who we perceive to be our enemies. And in this part of the world, our personal enemies are (mostly) not trying to kill us or even seriously persecute us. The commandment is even harder for people in other places and times that are and were persecuted to the point of martyrdom.
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Gospel presents a well-known portion of the Sermon on the Mount, but also one that takes time to parse through. In Jesus' reframing of "An eye for an eye," we can be left wondering how is a disciple supposed to handle provocation. To frame this reflection I want to offer something that has always made sense to me. For a long time now I have approached moral questions like today's gospel from a threefold perspective instead of a twofold perspective. The three tiers being morally wrong, morally acceptable, and morally excellent.
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
It is difficult living out our faith in these challenging times. Today’s gospel gives us the perfect role model to imitate as we seek to be disciples of Jesus. Mary leads the way in living out her faith, actively seeking her Son, and reflecting in prayer on God’s love for her. Today on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it is helpful for us to look to Mary and her heart of grace, so we can learn how to deepen our relationship with God.
Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
On this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the readings emphasize God’s love for us. Displayed through divine patience, understood through the fulfillment of Scripture and poured out through Jesus’ body, God’s eternal love calls us to be patient, grateful, and joyful.