Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
There is a very devout and pious woman I have often talked to often recently. She is ill and she cannot come to the Church. I have arranged for her to receive Holy Communion each Sunday. However, the person taking her Communion had to leave town on an emergency. She called her to let he know that she would bring Communion to her communicant on Monday instead. Most people find that acceptable in case of emergency. But my friend finds herself unable to make that change. I don’t blame her. She wants to do the right thing. But in her mind to receive communion on any other day except Sunday does not fulfil her Sunday obligation. While I admire her piety and sense of communion with the rest of the Catholic community, I also sense that for her, her sense of obligation has also become her burden. I tried to reason with her. I told her that in exceptional situations it is fine to receive communion whenever it was possible. But she will not succumb to my “devilish” suggestions.
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
Today’s first reading contains some of the most powerful and inspiring words in the New Testament. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, writes “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). These words ought to be the comfort of all Christians who struggle in any way. It is possible to become discouraged in the Christian life, particularly when we encounter suffering, whether physical, mental, or emotional. We may feel persecuted or alienated as we try to journey with Christ, and we may worry about the future, especially by fearing death.
Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Today's Scripture
Today we celebrate the feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude. The word apostle means “one sent out”. The readings remind us that we are called to be disciples/apostles. The context for this call to discipleship is rooted in our faith community. What makes this call seem even more radical is that in many ways the cultural shifts in mobility and communications are causing people to be more isolated, more like strangers. One outward sign of this reality is the shift toward individual spirituality and away from communal religion.
Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
Today our readings highlight the connection between hope and the Kingdom of God. “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promise and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 1817) For many of us, hope is something that we do not seem to possess in abundance; instead, it’s presence within us often seems small and its growth requires attention and care. But it is important to focus on hope, since it is through hope that we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us.
Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
In this 30th week of Ordinary time, we continue our daily walk with Jesus, counting and celebrating the weeks of our commitment. As we do so, we continue to hear from the gospel according to St. Luke. Today’s story strikes a familiar theme: Jesus heals on the Sabbath to the dismay of the leader of the synagogue. Jesus then defends himself, humiliating his adversaries. But certainly Jesus’ intent was not to hurt his adversaries. Instead, Jesus wanted to help them see the world as God sees it. He wanted them to understand Sabbath worship as a gift for their good, rather than as a restriction. When he drives out Satan from this woman, Jesus is reclaiming her for God. He is allowing her to live in freedom, and to worship God out of that freedom.
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
There are many things we can take away from today’s readings, but I only want to highlight one of them, and that is that we should learn to become more like the blind man Bartimaeus; we need to unhesitatingly cry out to the Lord when we need help. And let’s face it, we always need help, all of the time. Sometimes we may not need as much help for ourselves, but we may be moved by someone else’s difficulties. In those instances, let us join them in crying out to God for help.
Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Paul begins the eighth chapter of his Letter to the Romans with an exclamation that God has done what humans were unable to do. In Christ Jesus the law of sin and death has been conquered by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Though Jesus was crucified in the manner of a common Roman criminal by the expressed sinfulness of human beings, this was not the end of the story. We know that he was raised, conquering death so that we may have life in the Spirit of God. We now live in that life according to the Spirit; the Kingdom of God has been inaugurated, but we will not know it in its fullness until Christ comes again. We are still a pilgrim Church, still “the people that longs to see [God’s] face” (Ps 24:6).
Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
I love today's passage from Paul's letter to the Romans (7:18-25a). It is just such a down-to-earth real picture of the way that human life works, at least mine. Hasn't everyone encountered some situation where they've done the evil they do not want, and not done the good they know they wanted? Paul knows that we have minds and can think through consequences of actions and make reasonable observations about what will be the better thing to do at any one moment. But that does not mean we will do it. I can plan ahead for a friend's party, for example, and think to myself that I will only eat two appetizers, because otherwise I'll be eating more calories than is good for me. But having thought through it does not guarantee that I will get to the party and find the miniature quiches so tasty that I eat five or ten of them! Likewise, I know what the hot button topics are for my friends and family members - and I know that oftentimes it is better just not to engage in that fight. Sometimes it is just so tempting, though - perhaps on the way toward "winning" an argument" - to slip in a comment I wish I hadn't made, and then my day and their day takes a turn for the worse.
Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
Today’s gospel passage from Luke is one of those that always gives us reason to pause. Isn’t Jesus associated with peace on earth? Isn’t Christianity a “family values” kind of faith? Then why does Jesus say here that he came to establish division? Why does he describe the rending of families?
Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
As a person who grew up in a scouting family and now have young scouts of my own today’s readings strike me deeply about being a prepared disciple. In the letter to the Roman’s, St. Paul reminds us that we are to present ourselves to God as people who have been raised from death to life. For Paul this means that we are dead to sin and alive to God’s law of love.
Tuesday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
How do we avoid becoming complacent in our spiritual development? What are the consequences of becoming complacent in our faith? These are questions that confront us as we read and reflect on today’s readings. Like many of the teachings that are presented to us in our readings, the teaching is direct and to the point, but the change that is required from us to make the teaching come into the world through our behavior can be difficult. In a sense, Christianity is founded on a call to action for the purpose of prevailing against our selfish inclinations. This is a call to prevail over sin.
Memorial of Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions, martyrs
Today's Scripture
In today's reading from St. Luke's Gospel, we encounter a man who petitions Jesus to help him in his financial strife with his brother. The man claims that his brother has wronged him by not sharing their inheritance. Taking this passage in its broader context, we see that Jesus has been steadily drawing larger and larger crowds to Him. He is trying to teach His disciples, but more and more people are also becoming interested in listening to Him. In some instances, like the case with this man, they think Jesus has come to solve their earthly problems, taking sides in their worldly disputes. In today's present passage, after Jesus explains how the Holy Spirit will help His disciples when they are called upon to verbally defend their actions and teachings, this man from the crowd interrupts Jesus with his request. Jesus' response appears somewhat dismissive, but what He does is use this as a teaching moment for the entire crowd. Prior to this, as crowds have been gathering, Jesus has been teaching His disciples. Clearly, from this man's interjection, not everyone in the crowd has understood what Jesus has been saying. Now, Jesus turns to the entire crowd to give them an important word of warning: "Take care to guard against all greed...one's life does not consist of possessions" (Luke 12:15).
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
In today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Mark St. James and St. John ask Jesus to sit beside Him when He enters His glory. In the previous chapter, Jesus had already singled out these same two apostles (along with St. Peter) to witness His transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13). At the transfiguration, they caught a glimpse of Jesus in His glory, so their request is not so odd. They fail to realize, however, that Jesus’ glory is linked to His suffering death which is described for us in today’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
Today's Scripture
Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius was in the generation of Christians that immediately followed the apostles. There is some thought that he was a disciple of St. John the apostle and was appointed as bishop of Antioch by St. Peter. In this early tumultuous period of the Church, much Church organization, structure and theological elaboration had yet to develop. The early bishops, called the Apostolic Fathers were key in leading and developing the Church in this regard.
Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
Today's Scripture
The first reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans continues Paul’s reflection on the relationship of Gentiles (non-Jews) to the Christian faith. In making his theological argument in today’s passage, Paul turns to Abraham as a model of faith. This move – the emphasis on faith as righteousness, apart from works – enables Paul to argue that Abraham is the father of both the Gentiles and the Jews, the uncircumcised as well as the circumcised (as reflected in 4:11-14 of Romans). And what does circumcision have to do with works? By “works” Paul’s means works of the law – not simply good deeds, but rather those actions prescribed by Jewish law, such as circumcision. Paul argues that it is not strict adherence to Jewish law that saves, but faith in God.
Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time - St Teresa of Avila
Today's Scripture
Today’s first reading and gospel provide a common theme. The excerpt from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans and the passage from the gospel of Luke both bring up the law. And both draw attention to the fact that the law was never meant to be an end in itself. Rather, it was meant to lead people to God. This explains why Jesus’ words indicate frustration: prophets and the law were meant to help the Israelites recognize the Christ when he came to the world. Instead it became a distraction that prevented the people from recognizing God in their midst.
Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
In many ways our readings today continue the theme of yesterday challenging us to an examination of our interior life. The readings remind us that we need to understand our call discipleship and how our actions define us and our relationship with God. In St. Paul’s letter to the Roman’s, Paul is admonishing the community in Rome to use great care to let God be the judge of others.
Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
Today’s readings provide us with an opportunity to review the development of our interior relationship with God and the motives behind our actions. We are reminded that merely acting the part of a disciple is not enough. Instead, our actions should be an outpouring of a well formed interior relationship with God. Without this well formed relationship, our actions can become formalistic and may take a direction that is contrary to God’s will. We are called to take the time to understand the meaning behind our actions to ensure that they are consistent with the compassion and mercy that finds its perfect form in God’s love for us.
Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
Today’s gospel passage from Luke features Jesus, seemingly chastising the crowd. Drawing on the Old Testament stories of Jonah and Solomon, Jesus is trying to communicate that he is the sign. Jesus is the revelation of God’s love for his people. But rather than recognizing that, the people continue to seek something more exciting. Jesus’ reference to Jonah indicates that Jesus too calls the people to repent of their evil ways, chief of which is not prioritizing God. Hence he also refers to Solomon’s wisdom, indicating that Jesus is greater than Solomon. The people are called to acknowledge Jesus as God’s love incarnate. And in the face of that God, they ought to repent in order to seek him more fully.
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
In the gospel reading today we hear about Jesus encounter with a young man who wanted to follow Jesus. In Luke’s gospel he is called the rich young man. From his question, “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” we can conclude that he was a good, conscientious man. After all, not many rich young men live their lives in the context of eternity. Moreover, he was meticulous in following all the commandments.