Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
If a Christian does not look different than those who are worldly, then what is the point in being a Christian? What good does it serve to be Christian by name? To what purpose then, was the death of Jesus Christ?
I have titled this homily, “But It shall not be so among you.” Today’s gospel reading reveals the internal power struggle among Jesus’ disciples. James and John beat the other disciples in asking Jesus if in his Glory they could sit one at his right and the other at his left. Mark tells us that when the other disciples heard this, they got indignant at James and John. Perhaps, this may have been because each of them either nurtured the same ambition or because they felt upstaged by the two brothers. Either way, Jesus’ response swift and categorical. “But it shall not be so among you” (Mk 10: 43).
Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
My oldest sister is a religious sister with the Nashville Dominicans. Her state of life has humbled me, guided me, and even perplexed me. I experienced disbelief one day as she explained how we would be communicating once she entered. She told me that texting, phone calls, and emails were out unless it was an emergency. Instead we’d be writing letters; real, snail mail letters. Now, I don’t write many letters. I write emails, send text messages, and keep up with Facebook messages but don’t really write letters and unfortunately I haven't gotten much better just because she is a sister. Then, as I read today’s first reading, I was convicted by how Paul wrote and how I write.
Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
Occasionally, I take the time to make bread or beer, both of which use yeast as a leaven. Leaven is mentioned in today’s Gospel (Luke 12:1-7) and the concept is important for understanding today’s scriptures, as well as for understanding our own spiritual lives.
Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist
Many times I am privileged to pray with some of the sickest people in the hospital. Recently, I when I went to pray I asked the patient what we they would like to pray for, they replied, pray I get to meet Jesus soon. They said it with a smile on their face. This person was truly at peace. A peace that knows that they are a child of God, and that God is their savior. A peace like that was bestowed by the seventy-two disciples Jesus sent forth ahead of him. Disciples that were sent forth to proclaim the Kingdom.
Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
I do the grocery shopping once a week, on Saturday. Somehow over the years, the way we’ve found for making our family life work involves making a menu of the week’s recipes, writing out all the ingredients we don’t have, adding to that any lunch box items, and random household items, and stuff that the kids need for school.
Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
I’m feeling a little bit like one of the Pharisees Jesus is denouncing in today’s gospel passage from Luke. Having harbored judgmental thoughts about my spouse earlier in the day related to a calendar error on his part, while priding myself on being nearly perfect in the area of calendars and planning, I sat down to write this reflection. I began as I usually do with reading the scriptures for the day and doing a little research in a study bible, as well as taking some time for prayerful reflection and note taking before beginning to write. After some time, I felt inspired, had some notes, and began to type my reflection. Then it suddenly hit me. I had just prepared for the wrong day.
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
As I read today’s gospel, it seems easy to question how the people of Jesus day could be so blind to the signs all around them. And yet, as I think about this situation, I wonder how our generation will be viewed by future people. I wonder if our lack of regard for others, creation, and even God will be signs of our times that others find hard to understand.
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
From the time I began to read the lives of saints in the seminary, I have come to admire many of them. Francis of Assisi and Teresa of Avila were among some of my favorites. However, my hero all through seminary was not a canonized saint - Archbishop Oscar Romero. That changed today. Nov 14, 2018 will remain and red-letter day in my priestly life. After 35 years of anticipation, today, Archbishop Oscar Romero was canonized by Pope Francis.
Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
As far back as I can remember I had a love-hate relationship with buying brand name stuff. I knew it was important to some people whether your shirt had a little bird on it or if your brown cola was actually made by Coke or Pepsi. Now that I am older, I only wear name brands if they come from the thrift store (I’m doing what I can to rock my dad-style). However, I find myself torn about brand names when I get sent on food retrieval missions (aka grocery store runs). I also struggle with what brand is better when buying tools and the like. And I am persnickety about my paint brushes. I’m sure I’m not the only who struggles with the question “In what should I clothe myself?” Our first reading gives us the answer.
Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Sometimes it feels like we American Catholics are more scattered than gathered, to use the words from today’s Gospel (Luke 11:15-26). US Catholics are scattered on a variety of things, especially relating to American politics: economy, immigration laws, abortion. These are all also key aspects of our faith and therefore important topics for discussion: ultimately the point of such discussion is to try to understand our faith better and to help each other live better lives.
Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
It’s not often that we see the humanity of the biblical writers, but we certainly see it today. Paul calls the Galatians “stupid,” and Jesus calls his audience “wicked.” Do you ever get tired of the world’s resistance to our best efforts to do good? St. Paul certainly did. Are you ever amazed at the inability of your fellow men and women do to good and avoid evil? Jesus was amazed and frustrated as well. But perhaps for you the opposite is true. Are you even amazed at your own wickedness? Or brought low because of your inability to fully understand the gospel?
Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Chaplaincy in a hospital can be very challenging when it comes to prayer. Catholics of a certain age see prayer as something private or if spoken the prayer should be grounded by praying the Our Father. For most other Christians, prayer is extemporaneous. This extemporaneous prayer and the ministry that surrounds it, often reflects back to the minister spiritual depth in which it is offered. Many times it is affirming, but sometimes the image that one conveys it not the one reflected back. This reflection illuminates both strengths and weaknesses. The toughest times arise when the mirror image highlights hypocrisy.
Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
For a long time, I struggled with the story from Luke’s gospel that is before us today. Here we have a woman, Martha, who the text says has welcomed Jesus into her home and is hosting him. To host Jesus was surely a big deal, and she is stressed out about it. She is also clearly focused on the tasks before her, which have become a burden to her. And she is irritated by her sister, Mary, who instead of helping her out is hanging out with Jesus.
Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man—robbed, beaten, and 'half dead’—by the side of the road is ignored by a priest and Levite while a Good Samaritan goes out of his way to attend and provide ongoing care for him. Let's take a moment and think of each of the characters in this parable—the robbers, the ones who pass by, the Samaritan, the victim. Can we not identify with each of them? Have we not each passed by someone in need and overlooked an 'other'? Helped someone in trouble? Experienced being the 'other' passed by, disdained, rejected? Have we not, at times, been the cause of someone else's suffering or misfortune? Each one of us have played these roles at times. It is a mixture of seeing someone as neighbor and seeing them as 'other'.
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is not uncommon for me to receive calls about troubled domestic life. Sometimes these calls are about children, but most of the time, it is about a troubled marriage. I am not a professional counselor, hence, most of the time, after initial conversation, and some spiritual guidance, I point them out in the right direction for help. On the other hand, for every couple that encounters marital discontent, I know another family that is blissfully happy. I am sure you too know families that both have marital discontent and those that are content. In reality, there are no perfect families and there are no perfect marriages. Most of the time bliss is experienced amidst imperfections, and imperfections amidst bliss. What shall we say about families, since, the liturgy compels us to reflect on marriage and divorce?
Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
People who know me would agree that I am easy to sidetrack. Students and friends know that I am one derailed train of thought away from twenty minutes of tangential, and likely trivial, conversation. This tendency sheds light on my affinity for blazes. I don’t mean fires, I mean trail markers. I love that purple square painted on a tree or the cairn (small pile of rocks) that guides your hike through the wilderness. It is these trail markers that keep you on track. They are a sign reminding us how we got here, where we are going, and why we are on this journey in the first place.
Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Won't hurt us? Will kill us? Would fill a bucket?
Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi
All week we have been hearing the familiar story of Job – the one who loses everything and calls upon God for answers. God’s answer to Job is a three chapter long an assertion of His power over everything, which illustrates how God’s ways are not the ways of humanity. In today’s first reading we see Job’s response to God’s speech. Let us note the profound humility with which Job responds to God. Confronted with the utter majesty of God, Job realizes that he does not know and cannot do all that God knows and does, therefore he respectfully withdraws his challenges to God (Jb 42:2-6).
Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Feeling that God is on your side is easy when things are going well. When life seems to be one difficulty after another God’s loving support seems not so clear. Still we are reminded in the readings that we are to follow the Lord completely, even when the going gets tough. The dialogue in Job goes back and forth between understanding God’s power and then asking the question is it wise to challenge God’s wisdom. This discourse is a response to Job’s friend Bildad who says that God is a God of knowledge whose justice is fair. For Job who has lost much, and yet has a clear conscience, God’s justice feels more like divine anger. Job’s suffering feels not as a “just” reward for sin, but more as a recipient of an arbitrary allocation of God’s power. Job realizes that the person (God) to whom he wishes to complain may in fact be responsible for his pain. Job’s catch twenty-two leaves him feeling powerless.
Memorial of the Guardian Angels
Do you believe in angels? What about guardian angels? We’ve probably all heard stories of people having “close calls” and “near misses” which one may attribute to the work of their guardian angels. But we’ve also heard (or said) “his/her guardian angel must have been sleeping that day.” We may make light of it, but today’s readings and memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels gives us reason to pause and consider serious questions.