Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s gospel reading, we hear about justice. Jesus is proclaiming justice and bringing justice to victory. What is the justice that Jesus is bringing to our world, and how are we called to follow Him in living out this justice today?
Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
“A spiritual joy is the greatest sign of the divine grace dwelling in a soul.” (St. Bonaventure) I wonder if it’s possible to be genuinely joyful and judgmental at the same time. I don’t think it is! Because, at least in my understanding, judgment is born of fear. And true joy is born of mercy and grace. Have you noticed that it seems the most judgemental people are also the least joyful? (Myself included when I’m not at my best.)
Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin
Isaiah 26 celebrates God’s defense of Jerusalem and his defeat of Judah’s enemies. The people of Judah would prayerfully sing these verses as they walked toward the Temple (see Psalm 24). The singers call God “O Just One” (v. 7). They recognize that God and God alone established peace in their realm.
Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
I’m tempted to begin and end my reflection with our psalm response today with no further exposition. The Lord will not abandon his people. Period. The End. I will offer a brief reflection, but if you’d like to simply engage in Lectio Divina on that statement of profound truth from Psalm 94 without reading my words, I think that would be a fantastic gift to you.
Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
I would love to see a comparison between how much time Jesus spends teaching people and how much time he spends warning people about what will happen if they don’t follow his teachings. I feel like I am constantly reading another warning about what happens if I don’t repent. Maybe God is trying to tell me something…
Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot
“Pone super eum crucem!” This Latin phrase was the most frightful spoken at the time of Jesus. It translates to “Place the cross on him!”
Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“So do not be afraid” (Mt 10:31).
If you are like me, this is a message you need to hear every day, over and over and over again – do not be afraid. I know that I personally can fall prey to anxiety – it can stop me in my tracks and consume my thoughts. It can keep me awake at night. I get lost in the cycle of “what if” questions and the fears of all the things that are out of my control that can threaten the wellbeing of family. I know this is not what God wants for me, and it is readings like today’s Gospel that help to bring me peace and comfort. When I read today’s Gospel and I hear “do not be afraid of them” I don’t really see them as a person or a group of people – I hear “them” and I picture my fears and my anxieties – those worries that keep me from trusting God and often other people.
Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“My mouth will declare your praise.” (Ps 51:17b) I have a deep appreciation for clever humor. I recently acquired a new mug that aligns nicely with our psalm today. On the front it reads, “Lord, + open my lips” and on the back, “- and my mouth shall proclaim your praise (and drink my coffee)”. Prayer and coffee–a solid combo to start my day. ;) This praise, however, is not of my own doing but a request for the Lord’s help to prepare my mind, my heart, my spirit, and my voice for the day ahead. We don’t find and sustain these virtues on our own. We need God, daily. It behooves us to consistently recenter ourselves, “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Give me back the joy of your salvation and a willing spirit sustain in me.” (Ps 51:12,14)
Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Last week, Bill’s laptop suddenly developed an aversion to the internet. It just couldn’t make the connection. We might have taken that as an act of the Holy Spirit on behalf of life with a lot less screen time. Instead, Bill spent the better part of a day on the phone with various tech support staff to no avail. Feeling bad for him (as he lost an entire day of work and I had a productive day), I decided that I would take it in to the Apple Store out at the Greene the next day for an in-person tech support session.
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James the son of Zebedee and John, his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector, James son of Alpheus and Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him” (Matthew 10:2-4).
These are the Twelve. Also called Apostles, Fishers of Men, and the foundation stones of the church. It was to them that Jesus gave the great commission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans claim them as the first of what today we would call “bishops.” Denominations throughout the world identify themselves as “apostolic”---as rooted in the apostles.
Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s first reading from the Book of Hosea, we find one of the many predictions of the downfall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The North and South had split, and the 10 tribes of Israel in the North, being cut off from the Temple in Jerusalem, worshipped false gods on altars in multiple different places. God predicted their downfall, and that is exactly what happened. The Assyrians came in and wiped out the northern tribes, displacing them. It began in Samaria and what became known as Galilee. Approximately 200 years later, the Southern Kingdom of Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians. In today’s Gospel reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is in this northern region. In fact, Jesus is one of the descendants of the Southern Kingdom of Judah; He is actually the heir to the throne. He dwelt, however, among the descendants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. We see how His ministry in the Gospels begins with the restoration of these Northern tribes, and spreads among Judaeans, and only later among Samaritans and even Gentiles. But He starts where the division began, where the first exile began, in the North, which Hosea described in today’s first reading. Notice that the Pharisees, descendants of the Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, present in today’s Gospel reading do not understand Jesus’ actions. They even attribute His power to demonic forces. The Northerners, in contrast, do understand His actions. Jesus begins with them, near His own home, and will move outward, including greater and greater numbers of people.
Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture Readings
We hear from the prophet Hosea all this week. Hosea got the attention of God's people by means of his marriage with risque Gomer, a woman of ill repute.
Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
At a recent 50th anniversary gathering for my aunt and uncle, the waiters carried trays filled with glasses of wine to distribute to the guests. Wine is in many ways connected to celebrations and joy. Wine and vineyards are frequently used in both old and new testaments to convey certain truths that God wants to share with us. Today’s readings remind us that despite our sinfulness, God continues to call us forth to fullness and love. This requires us to turn away from our old ways and choose God’s ways of love and mercy. When we allow this transformation, kindness and peace spill forth over our world.
Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture Readings
“Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus’ retort to the Pharisees questioning him and his disciples about eating with “tax collectors and sinners” in today’s gospel passage from Matthew (9:9-13). I suspect we’ve all known those questions that aren’t really seeking an answer but are making a statement, a judgment, an accusation. Snarky-like. And Jesus was ready with his retort, adding, “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” It sounds to my ears like Jesus was saying I’m not here for you, I’m not calling you, because apparently you don’t need me; you’re righteous, morally superior, you’ve got it all figured out.
Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus’s curing of the paralytic can teach us a lot about faith. We read in Matthew 9:1-8 that our Lord heals the man physically and spiritually. Two different reactions play out in this scene; the crowd expresses wonderment while the scribes accuse Jesus of blasphemy.
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. The Church celebrates this major liturgical feast in honor of their martyrdom in Rome. I invite us to reflect on the lives of these great saints and to consider the path of martyrdom. Perhaps their witness might inspire us to pursue a purer holiness, a deeper commitment to Christ this day, indeed even the goal of martyrdom.
Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
In today's Gospel reading from the Gospel of Matthew, we find Jesus asleep in a boat with the other disciples. A storm begins to rage and the disciples become afraid. We might be tempted to read this story as if the disciples were little children afraid of the thunderstorm outside, in need of a parent to comfort them. We should keep in mind, however, that at least some of these men were fishers, and knew how to sail a boat. And what's more, they probably had a lot of experience with storms while fishing. Anyone who has any experience sailing can tell you that storms can be extra dangerous when you're out at sea. One of the parallels for this story in Mark's Gospel uses the Greek word for "earthquake" to describe the storm, so this storm is probably no laughing matter.
Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
They hand over the just for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. Amos 2:6
Throughout this week our first reading comes to us from the prophet Amos. It will not come as a surprise to us as why the Hebrew name Amos means burden.
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today we celebrate the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We commonly associate the physical heart of a person with love, as in “I love you with all of my heart.” We also associate the heart with the very essence of a person, the deeper place where the most real aspect of a person resides as in, “in my heart of hearts I know…” Both of these aspects come together in this memorial, which directs our attention to Mary’s joys and sorrows, her virtues, and, above all, her love—for God, for her Son, Jesus, and for all people.
Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
The theme of God’s abundant and tireless love, compassion, and mercy is obvious throughout today’s readings. In our first reading, from Ezekiel, the detailed descriptions of the pastures and grazing grounds sound delightful, like places I have only seen in pictures. They call to me as places I want to go in order to rest and be cared for by the shepherd. Certainly, it does not sound like some of the places I see every day. The graffitied bridges, the boarded up houses, the scars of a poverty-ridden city and an entire earth feeling the effects of climate change. But there are pockets of green pastures for us all, right? For me, in my home, with my family, in my work, in my church. On the best days, when we can look beyond our sinful decisions or attitudes, when we can look at each other and care for each other with the love and kindness of our good God, then it feels like we are truly home, in the shepherd’s pasture.