Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The readings today teach us that God answers our prayers but not always in ways we expect. In the reading from Genesis, Abraham has a great feast on the day of his Son Isaac’s weaning. At the celebration, Sarah noticed Hagar and her son Ishmael and became distressed. Sarah asked that Hagar and her son be sent away so as to protect Isaac’s inheritance. Abraham seems nervous to grant Sarah’s request, yet God admonishes him to do so. “Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you;” (Gen. 21: 12b.) Part of the admonishment is the reminder that God will raise up a great people through Isaac. The next verse of this story that Sarah and many of us today do not want to hear refers to Ishmael. Again God is speaking, “As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation also, since he too is your offspring.” (Gen. 21: 13.) The nation, which we can now attribute Ishmael, is Islam. God keeps God’s promises and God made a promise to protect and raise Abraham’s children. God answered Sarah’s prayer, but not in the way she had envisioned.
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is with his disciples in a boat on the sea. They encounter a storm and the disciples panic, waking Jesus up from a nap to save them. He says to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” and then goes on to stop the storm and waves, amazing his followers. I love this story, mostly because I love when I can relate to the disciples. Every time I read it or hear it, I can’t help but think, “Well, what were they supposed to do?” I would have done the same thing if I had God incarnate in a boat with me during a storm! Do they not show faith in Jesus by relying on him to stop the storm? So why is Jesus rebuking them?
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
In today’s scripture reading, St. Paul is nearing the end of his apostolic mission. He tells Timothy that he is already “poured out like a libation.” (2 Tim 4:6) This descriptive phrase struck me as I reflected Paul’s message. How is St. Paul being poured out, and how are we called to do the same?
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I had an extra week in India this time. Not only did I get the time to travel with my parents but it I also got the opportunity to meet people who I otherwise would not get to meet. Many of them were families in our own neighborhood and a few even beyond. Not that I am surprised but in many of my conversations with people I became aware of the immensity of their needs. There are families and social service institutions that are simple overwhelmed by the immensity the needs. There is a couple, for instance, with four daughters struggling to educate them and then see that they are married and settled down. In India, getting the daughters married is huge responsibility. And then, there is this woman whose husband is paralyzed but supports him and the education of her two children by working as a maid. She barely makes it. There is a couple who got into debt so that their son could emigrate to Dubai and realized that the job he promised is not what awaited him and now cannot repay the debt. There is a woman whose husband is an alcoholic and the only son who supported her met with a bike accident and is now laid up with compound fractures. There are more stories but they too depressing. I did try to help some of these families, but I wish I could simply wipe their pain away. It is the immensity of the needs that overwhelmed me. We are not alien to situations like these in our own nation, are we?
Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
I love the story of the Centurion and his servant. I love the way that he identifies Christ as one who cares about the lowest people in society and also has great authority. I love that in this scene Jesus is described as being amazed and then calls out his disciples on the fact that this Roman oppressor has greater faith than them -- ouch!
Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
We live in an age of skepticism, a time where the very idea of God is a humorous to some of the so-called new atheists. For them, God is just funny idea made up by people. My students are also skeptical and often tell me that God appears to have done all sorts of miracles back then, but it's different now. God isn't really at work in today's world, they say. If God were acting, we'd see something different than we do.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
The story of Hagar is a difficult one. Disturbing to say the least, and perhaps shocking, to read that Sarah (also referred to as Sarai) abused Hagar, her slave girl, after she was given by Sarah to conceive and bear children with Abram in Sarah’s name (as was customary since she was unable to bear children) to preserve the ancestral line. Hagar flees the abuse by running away into the desert where she is alone and pregnant and will probably die. Who among us hasn’t felt alone, afraid, perhaps even hopeless at times? But this is also a story of hope. We are told that the Lord has not forgotten Hagar, “finds her” and tells her to return to Sarah with the promise that God will make Hagar’s descendants “too numerous to count.” Further, she is to name her son Ishmael, which in Hebrew means “God has heard.” But, we might ask, why would God instruct Hagar to return to the place that she has been abused and may be mistreated again?
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist - Mass during the Day
The readings today speak of God’s messengers and how their lives pointed us in the direction of Jesus. For Isaiah andSt. John their stories echo many similar themes. For both, the call to do the Lord’s work was established in the womb. A theme today’s psalm repeats. For both, their lives were arrows aimed towards the salvation of the nations. For both, their toil, at least from the outside, seemed to have been in vain; yet they got their strength from the Lord. Thus they stayed on message and their voice was heard by many.
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s first reading, Abram knows what to do. He and his nephew Lot are rubbing shoulders a little too much. We’ve all been there: as family, sometimes we don’t get along so well. There isn’t enough space for all of us, all of our personalities, or all of our stuff. So we fight. But Abram knew the right thing to do. He and Lot are family, so they should try and be at peace with one another. Since there wasn’t enough room in the land for both of them, Abram suggested they separate. But he didn’t know what type of land he would get stuck with. For Abram, for you and I, and for all people of faith, the results of doing the right thing aren’t our concern. We don’t do what’s right because it will give us an advantage. We are free to do the right thing because we believe God will take care of us.
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
When I was just 20 years old I graduated from a diploma program as a registered nurse. I remember when I began working on the post-ICU unit how thrilled I felt. The work was demanding and I loved every minute of it. Most surprising to me was that the most challenging aspect was not the actual nursing care, technical aspects, or responsibility but working daily with the other staff on my unit. Sometimes I had difficulty getting along with certain coworkers and I found myself unconsciously categorizing them. I could work really well with one person while I would avoid asking another for help. One person was my friend and another was someone to tolerate. What was this all about? The funny thing that happened was that, over time, as I got to know the people that I was initially put off by, I developed great affection for them. They were just like me. They were imperfect and they were doing the best they knew how in the only way they could. It was much later in my life that I began to realize that if everyone of us wore sticky notes (or tattoos!) saying how we had been hurt or in some way ‘unloved’ or suffering in the present time we might be much more merciful and kind towards one another. I’m not sure about tattoos, but yeah, that sticky note thing might be a good idea.
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In about two days, I must leave home again to return to my ministry in Dayton. As I have said after my earlier visits, every time I leave home, I leave part of me behind and I bring part of my home with me to Dayton. I am finding it harder yet again. It is probably because dad is weaker than before. Every time dad and I ventured out of the house, I have had to hold his hand all the way. Mom is not getting any younger. My parents understand the reason I must leave, but they also wish I lived closer. For me, however, more than even before, leaving home will be an act of faith. It is going to every ounce of faith in me to believe that my parents will be in God’s hands in my absence. Jesus’ words in today’s gospel are very poignant and it seems that they are directed toward me. Jesus said, “He said, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" (Mk 4:40).
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
At the beginning of today’s gospel Jesus offers us this insight, “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” When I read these words I almost instinctively find myself perched atop my high horse criticizing those that I consider wealthy. From my ‘elevated’ perspective I’m bewildered by how they convince themselves that their Christianity and wealth can somehow coexist. I shake my head wondering if they have ever even read this passage or if they just skip over it. It was at about this point that God decided to throw me off my proverbial high horse. Here is what knocked me on my hind end.
Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Taking two small children to church each week can sometimes feel like a chore – it is usually not fun and is often not even prayerful. But it is important. One of my greatest joys at church is when we get our boys, who are 3 and 1, focused enough on the mass to participate – to respond with great joy to the communal parts of the mass. Owen loves to exclaim, “Lord hear our prayer!” and Dominic loves to give peace to all the people around him. I especially love to hear Owen reciting the Our Father along with us and the whole congregation.
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel reading ends with a tall order: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” It’s difficult enough to think about being perfect, let alone being perfect like God! This tall order comes at the end of one of the most difficult passages in all of Scripture. In it, Jesus tells his disciples to love their enemies. Where many quotes from Scripture may have lost their punch over the centuries, this one remains rather startling. What Jesus is commanding here just doesn’t seem rational; how are we supposed to love the very people who we call our enemies?
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
As a disciple of Christ we are called to follow Jesus, but many of Jesus’ teachings can be very difficult to live out in our daily lives. In today’s scripture reading Jesus tells us how He wants us to respond to those who are evil and demanding of our time and possessions. Jesus presents an entirely new and very radical way of living a just life. Although I find his teaching and way of life to be very different than what I understand justice to be, I believe God (Jesus) sees what is “just” in a very different light. Jesus calls us to die to our self, and in that surrendering we find freedom and life. When we are able to let go of power, being in control and wealth we learn to completely rely on God’s power and grace. This is when we are truly are like Christ, and like Him our letting go brings healing to the world and true freedom to us.
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
What drives you? Do you want to be known for your great contributions? Do you wish to acquire wealth and goods? Does it bring you satisfaction to see people following your lead? Maybe, you are driven by a competitive desire to be or do better than others. Are you driven by the desire for pleasure and good feelings? Maybe I nailed your answer and maybe I didn’t. I asked the questions though because of the driving force that Paul offers us in the first reading. He writes, “The love of Christ impels us.” Can we reconcile these words to our lives?
Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Sometimes people change but our perceptions and expectations of them don’t change. That makes it difficult on the person who has changed or is trying to change for the better. I have been guilty of this myself. If I am expecting a person to be a certain way, then I may misperceive what they say and how they act to fit my expectation of them. I have been guilty of judging rather than encouraging, holding a grudge rather than forgiving. Obviously that doesn’t allow room for change and growth in a relationship. It seems to me that St. Barnabas (whose memorial is today) and today’s readings have something to teach us about this sort of thing.
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Listening can be difficult at times. In my house, there is a great deal of selective listening, especially by the men in my house. My wife will tell us where we are to find something in the pantry, or something in the laundry and when we begin to look, we often forget what she said. We go into the room where that object should be found, and look around. Of course, we can’t find the item and report back, "It is not there." Immediately, my wife goes and finds it exactly where she said it would be located. Clearly I listened halfheartedly.