Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
A few days ago, I jumped off a cliff. Literally. I was visiting family in Colorado; my sister thought it would be fun to try out a zip line - zooming through a mountain valley about 100 feet off the ground in places, attached to a wire with some climbing gear. I've tried something like this before, but it was a long time ago, and I remember being petrified and not being able to do it. The thing is, first you have to climb the several feet up to the spot where the zip line begins; then you have to find the courage to jump off the cliff - all while the wind is roaring around you and you're thinking, golly, this is crazy.
Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
This time of year I always think about when my father was in the final days of his life. I had never lost someone in my immediate family before and the whole situation seemed surreal at times. I remember praying so much and not really knowing exactly what to pray for except that I just wanted God to be close by. I wanted my siblings and my mother to be comforted and I wanted my Dad to be without pain. I felt frustrated with the caregivers at times because they did not know my Dad like we did and could not care for him the way our family had been caring for him for the past three years. And I struggled hard with the fact that I could not do anything to change what I knew in my heart was going to happen. We were with him when he passed away and I will never forget the incredible presence of God that I felt during those last days and hours and minutes. Today’s readings all led me to reflect on how my awareness of the presence and personal touch of God in difficult circumstances changes everything.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Have you been through a phase in life when everything around you seems to be dark and dreary – except for that one faint ray of light? And that ray of light sheds a little hope on everything around you that is bleak? We get that sense as we read today’s gospel reading. Apart from the birth of Jesus and the few miracles, the story of Jesus is dominated by doubt, opposition, betrayal and suffering. Perhaps for this reason, the classical images of Jesus do not show him laughing, rejoicing or even smiling. The gospel story does not allow us the reason to imagine Jesus in a lighter mood. Unless of course, we give today’s gospel reading its worth. It is not just about some happiness, or a smile or a laughter. It is about rejoicing… joy from the heart! Imagine Jesus and his disciples bursting out in laughter out of pure joy!
Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
As I reflected over today’s readings I first had to scratch my head and ask, what in the world is the Lord trying to tell us here with the story of Jacob’s deception and the teaching of the new wine and old wineskin. While there is much that can be said about the comparisons between the Old and New Covenant taking place in the Gospel, I believe the theme tying both readings together is the human tendency to always be in competition. We can especially be competitive to the point of losing ourselves and God’s plan in mindless comparisons.
Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
When I was studying for my master's degree in theology, my friends and I had a running joke about the idea of providence: "What is providence? Well, providence can be broken into two words: "Provi" and "Dence". What do they mean? I don't know and that's why providence is a mystery."
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
As a child, I used to dream about the future and think about the time when I would be able to drive. I thought driving would make my life complete. When I was in high school, I thought college would finally allow me to be myself. Throughout college, I kept thinking about getting married and how that would make me happy. It did not dawn on me until much later that happiness was what not based on external events. Instead, I realized happiness comes from having an internal attitude of gratitude and a deep trust in the Lord.
Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
As a parent I look back and remember the various stages of my relationship with my children. At each stage of their growth and development, it was important to meet them where they could understand what I was asking them to do and why. As small children, I would try to explain things to them, but I would still expect them to obey although they may not entirely grasp the entire situation. As normal children, they would question, challenge, and sometimes disobey. When this give and take is done with love and mercy, the children can develop a greater sense of trust in their parents. As children mature into adults, the hope is that they will be secure enough in their relationship with their parents that they accept and respond positively to the guidance of their parents. If they have come to know the great love that the parent has for them, they know and believe and therefore can accept the wisdom offered. Our relationship with God also grows as we come to know Him and His love in greater ways. Today’s readings call us to examine how we interact with God. Each of us is called to a deeper trust and understanding of who God is, and with this knowledge we are invited to grow our relationship with Him.
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I was watching news about the recovery in the housing sector yesterday. And a phrase that I love kept being repeated again and again. They said, the mortgage rates will rise and if you are thinking about buying or refinancing its time to stop “sitting on the fence.”
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Today we celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. These two men are so important to our tradition that their feast is ranked a “solemnity,” the highest designation that the Church has. While both men were instrumental in passing on the Christian faith and leaders of the early Church, they are an unlikely pair, different in many ways and known to have disagreed at one time. Peter is regarded as the first pope, the rock on whom the Church was founded. Paul is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles and the author of most of our New Testament.
Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
This week, we continued our long goodbye to our daughter's godfather who is moving to Arizona. He, and we, expected that he'd be on the road by Monday afternoon, just after the movers left with all of his furniture and boxes. But as it turned out, he had more boxes and odds and ends and things to finish here in Dayton, that leaving on Monday was a "no". So he came and stayed with us, and hoped to leave Tuesday. That didn't happen. Wednesday didn't happen either. Finally, Thursday, he cleared away the last few odds and ends and hit the road. He made this observation to us as he was leaving: "It was frustrating to have to stay here when I was very ready to leave. And yet, I also savor the fact that I could spend more time with my godchildren." It was what I might call a "no, but yes" situation - a time when NO, things aren't going the way you planned, but Yes, here's a different opportunity.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s first reading (Genesis 16: 1-12, 15-16) is, what I think of as, one of the more disturbing and shocking stories in the Old Testament. Sarai (more commonly known as Sarah) has been unable to bear children so, as was the custom at that time, she gave her slave girl, Hagar, to Abram as a concubine to bear children for her to preserve the ancestral line. When Hagar conceives, Sarah (perhaps out of jealousy) perceives that Hagar is looking on her with disdain, and with Abram’s permission to do as she chooses, begins to abuse Hagar. Hagar flees into the desert, alone and pregnant, where she will probably die. The Lord has not forgotten her, however, and finds her in the desert and tells her to return to Sarah, promising that He will make Hagar’s descendants too numerous to count. She is instructed by God to name her son, Ishmael, which in Hebrew means “God has heard.”
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Birds of a feather flock together. Creatures that are alike tend to gather together to participate in similar behaviors. For instance, geese fly together when they are migrating or wolves run in packs when hunting. Although the reason for the wolves gathering together is for their survival, not everyone would see their hunting as a good and holy practice.
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
It has sometimes troubled me to hear that the gate that leads to eternal life is narrow and the way that leads to destruction is broad. On the surface, this is one of Jesus’ harsher sayings; yet perhaps it is not as harsh as it sounds at first. The first and second readings today have something uplifting to say to us Christians as we go about our daily lives and attempt to live as followers of Jesus.
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Who is a prophet? Whenever I hear the word “prophet” or “prophecy” I immediately think of someone predicting events that will happen in the future that no one else can predict. I know that is a commonly held definition, but I have also come to realize that living as a Christian, in the fullest sense, means living prophetically. When I was baptized into the Body of Christ, I was given the gift and responsibility of living as Christ did—priest, prophet and king. My life was no longer my own. Today, on this feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, I am given the opportunity to assess—yet again—how I have fulfilled or fallen short of fulfilling my prophetic role as part of the Body of Christ.
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I have an invitation to speak this summer at the national conference of the National Catholic Education Association. The topic that was given to me was: New Evangelization and Adolescents. I am guessing that they want me to talk about making the ‘good news’ of Jesus relevant to high school adolescents. As I prepare for this talk the theme that is emerging is that there is difference between ‘religion for religion’s sake’ and ‘discipleship.’ There is a difference between ‘teaching religion’ to our youth and somehow ‘allowing Jesus to capture the imagination of our young people.’
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
We might read discussion of boasting in today’s first reading as a reflection on the proper ordering of all things in the life of a Christian. The appropriateness of “boasting” depends upon it how it moves people toward God. While telling the truth about Paul’s own spiritual fruits would make sense, Paul expresses reservation about doing this precisely because that truth could misdirect people to him instead of to God (2 Cor 12: 5-7). Since the Corinthians, to whom Paul is writing, presumably no nothing of the man about whom Paul does boast, misdirecting them is far less likely in that case. Why is this so important? Precisely because we are always tempted to direct our drive to worship God in all sorts of other directions.
Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Many of us have probably had the experience of wanting the best for someone and trying to guide him or her appropriately. For those of us who are parents, we can honestly say that we DO often know what’s best for our kids, even when they seem not to believe us. Sometimes we feel like we are making progress in training or guiding others; they seem to take our words seriously and change their habits and lives accordingly.
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
God loves a cheerful giver. It is a common expression that comes from today’s first reading. What does it mean to be cheerful giver? For that matter, what does it even mean to be a giver? In trying to answer this question, I reflected on the different ways I give of myself. After naming a few things, the categories of time, talent, and treasure floated to the surface of my mind. From stewardship, I turned to the question of cheerful giving.
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
In today's reading from the Gospel of Matthew, we find one of the most difficult of Jesus' teachings, if not the most difficult one. He tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
This is not simply a command to love those we do not already love, or topray for others even if we do not consider them friends or family embers. Rather, this is a command to love and pray for those we would normally hate, those we would normally curse.