Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
We all know that anger can kill relationships and seriously wound people, including the person holding the anger. It is a human emotion that can be very destructive. In today’s gospel passage (Matthew 5: 20-26), we read that Jesus is instructing his disciples about anger. They know the command/law “you shall not kill” and now Jesus adds to that, “But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment….” He goes deeper into the heart where anger lies. Jesus wants more from his disciples than simply obeying laws and commands. He is challenging us to transform our hearts, our very lives.
Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church
Black Friday, (given that name as that most retailers become profitable that day) is a day that many good people can be given choices that can be almost overwhelming. What may in fact be a great value may also be something we want but don’t need. Then the dilemma begins. We have to make a decision where we weigh the ‘pros and the cons’. It is times like these in which we often find ourselves stuck ‘on the fence’.
Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Sometimes it’s hard for me to see how I should be living out my faith on a daily basis. The readings for today speak to the need for Christians to demonstrate our faith but they also show us that God is there to provide what we need in order to do this.
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Each of us has been given a name at birth. In most western cultures we are given a family name or surname that identifies us with a certain family. Surnames in some cases were used to describe the profession (e.g. Eisenhauer- iron worker), the place where the family was from (Washington- someone from the town of Wassa), or even a relationship (my maiden name Broderick means a “descendant of Bruadar”.) We are also given a “first name” or forename in our society. These names are usually chosen to honor a previous relative (e.g. naming someone after a great grandma) or may even be based on naming them after a saint. Recently, I have talked with 2 expectant couples as they grapple with the task of finding the name which best captures the spirit of their soon to be son or daughter. Our names in some way communicate to others our families of origin, our ethnicity, but mostly over time they help identify who we are- this unique person in world and our relationships to others.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
This August my mother turns 75. When I visit home this July, I want to do something very special for her. I am wondering - should I buy her fabulous diamond jewelry or should I take her in a trip somewhere exotic? Should I cook for her or have a special celebration of the mass for her? Should I get her a new sari or should I get her a brand new refrigerator? Or, may be, I should do all these things? My feeling is that no matter what I do for my mother, it can never express how deeply I love her. The most eloquent words cannot capture the depths of what I want to say to her.
Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings challenge us to reflect on both apostleship and discipleship. As we come to the end of the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, Paul charges his young protégé to persevere in the work of spreading the gospel. As Paul has been sent (the word “apostle” literally means “one who has been sent”) by Christ, Paul is continuing the apostolic line by sending forth Timothy. Paul knows that his time on earth is coming to an end; he is about to be martyred. He has in Timothy, a successor in his apostolic work. Paul makes no bones about the difficulty of such a task – Timothy will need persistence to handle the hardships as well as wisdom to teach, to reprimand, to convince, and to encourage.
Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
I often hear people proclaiming that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are drastically different. One is a God of wrath, a God who slays people on behalf of the people of Israel, a God who is violent and vengeful. The other is a God of mercy, so bursting full of love that he sends his only Son to die for us on a cross. This dichotomy has been popular at various points in Christian history, as far back as the second century (in a heresy known as Marcionism). This kind of dichotomy is attractive because it means you can throw out all the "bad" parts of scripture in favor of the part that looks the best and most makes us happy. The thing is, you can't get too far in this kind of over-generalization of scripture without bumping headlong into evidence that this just isn't true. Today's scriptures provide a case in point.
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Paul has been imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel. Being treated like a criminal, he is in chains, but persevering in his faith, spreading Jesus’ message of salvation. As Paul points out in his second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 2: 8-15), “But the word of God is not chained.” I really like that line. And it is so true. They tried to stop Jesus by killing him, but he rose from the dead. They tried to stop Paul from spreading Jesus’ message, but the word of God could not be chained up or imprisoned with Paul. The word is alive and continues to spread among Jesus’ disciples.
Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Recently I was confronted by someone who said the demands of Christianity are unrealistic. In reflecting on this line I realize that they are correct. It is unrealistic to live as a Christian, especially if one wants to remain in and conform to the world. All this said, “Can we live the holy life to which we are called?”
Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
The gospel reading for today tells the story of how Jesus is confronted and tested by those who wanted to see him fail. Some Pharisees and followers of Herod come to him, asking him questions in order to try to trap him. They ask him whether they should pay taxes to Caesar. This is indeed a thorny question. If Jesus says ‘no’ then he can be accused of defying the authority of the Roman rulers of Palestine. If he says ‘yes’ then he might be seen as being too supportive of the Roman regime.
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel from Mark, Jesus tells the familiar Parable of the Vineyard, drawing on a common image used by Old Testament prophets in which Israel is symbolized as the vineyard of God. In this parable, we can identify Jesus as the beloved son of the vineyard owner, who is ignored, seized, and killed. Jesus concludes this parable by referring to Psalm 118, saying “Have you not read this scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’”
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
I spent twelve years in the seminary before I was ordained. Through the first eight years, my only goal was to get to the theology classes because I wanted to get into the depths of the knowledge about God. I plunged into theology with the excitement of a two-year-old about to jump into a puddle. But a puddle is only so deep, right? That is how I felt with theology as well. The best of my efforts to understand God led me only thus far. The best of my theology professors often ended the class with the line, “It is a mystery.” If I heard that statement one more time I could scream. Eighteen years after my ordination there are times, I have to content with that same statement, “It is a mystery.”
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The scriptural readings for today focus on the notion of authority. This is an interesting subject to reflect upon precisely because our society is becoming increasingly distrustful of many traditional forms of authority. In many instances, “authority” seems to mean the domination of the will, as the power of one person (or small group of people) coerces the wills of other people for arbitrary reasons. In our world, we often encounter the misuse of authority and so we may view all authority through this lens. Today’s scriptural readings can perhaps help us to better appreciate the enduring importance of authority and the great responsibility that authority brings with it.
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Who do you turn to when you have news to share, good or bad? After my husband, I usually turn to my mom and my two sisters, and they to me. We have shared so much “news” over the years, the exciting news of engagements, pregnancies and births; the difficult news of miscarriage, cancer and divorce; the both exciting and difficult news of moving to another state or another country. We’ve shared our hopes and our joys, our hurts and our anger, our fears and our grief. And we’ve encouraged each other when we’ve needed encouragement.
Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The wisdom of the world says, ‘The one who has the most toys when they die wins,’ or ‘Win at all costs.’ Do these phrases sound remotely Christian? Christianity considers the process of arriving at ones goal just as important as the goal itself. So if achieving ones goal means that people will be undermined, hurt or belittled, then the process or goal is likely not Christian at all.
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
In the gospel for today Jesus speaks of the rewards that are in store for those who follow him. Yet it is important to see that Jesus also speaks of the hardships that are in store for those who attempt to follow him. Jesus also reminds his disciples that success in the Christian life will not look like success it the way that people ordinary define it. Judging things from a worldly standpoint, what Jesus is calling people to doesn’t make much sense, for “many that are first will be last, and the last will be first” (v. 31). In the first reading, Peter talks of the role of the prophets and the early disciples of Jesus in passing on the faith and inspiring people to live a life that is devoted to God.
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today is the beginning of Ordinary time in the Church. Though the Easter season is officially over, we continue to witness the amazing activity in the early Christian communities. The challenges of the times in which we live are a bit different from those early Christians, but their determination and singleness of heart completely engaging.
Pentecost Sunday
Most of you know my story of leaving home when I was barely 17 years old. Even though I felt I felt called to be a priest, there was no way to numb the pain of leaving home. I may or may not have told you this, but part of the reason the pain was so intense was because my next opportunity to see my parents would be after two years. When I look back at those two years I am really not sure how I got through them. e-mails, texting, Skype, and Facebook did not exist then. I ached for ‘closeness’ with my family. I still remember that first awful first Christmas without my family. If God has assigned a time for me in purgatory I will remind God of my first two years away from my family. Gosh! How I longed for ‘closeness.’ And I still do. That is why I go home twice a year. Those of you have lost a loved one or have someone you love live far away will understand what it means to long for closeness.
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
We have come to the last day of the Easter Season, and with it to the end of both the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John, both of which we have been following throughout the Easter Season. Both of these endings gesture toward the martyrdom of Peter and Paul in Rome.