Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The authors of Genesis pieced together legends from Israelite folklore, in particular in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. These tales spread orally for 900 years before being written down and another 400 years before taking the form that we can recognize. They are engaging narratives of the dysfunctional family of Abraham.
Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
If you have spent any time with young children, you know the word “why” can be asked roughly 100 times per minute. They are trying to understand the world, and they have little shame in asking the same question over and over (and over). Talking about a shared experience is how they learn. Our (sometimes exasperated) hope as teachers is that they can make intentional choices based on learning and shared experiences.
In today’s Gospel from Matthew 9, we read: “No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.”
Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do” is Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees in their judgment of him and his disciples eating “with tax collectors and sinners” in today’s gospel (Matthew 9:9-13). I hear an echo of these words in Pope Francis’ now famous quote about the Church needing to be “a field hospital” that cares for the sick and wounded after battle. How often I’ve heard people outside of church doors say they don’t attend because they feel judged and not welcome. Today’s gospel also reminds us that Jesus “did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” And aren’t we all sinners?
Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle
Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas, the Apostle. Whenever his name is invoked the first thing that comes to mind is, “the doubter.” Thomas is the most famous “doubter” in history and he has been joined by other doubting “holy ones” along the way. As Jesus invites Thomas to draw closer and touch his wounds, despite his doubts, the Risen One engages those who sometimes doubt (you and me) to draw closer to him as well.
Yes we are in good company. Who were some famous “holy ones” who likewise doubted?
Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
There are moments in my life – staring out at a never-ending ocean, gazing into the vast openness of the Grand Canyon, stargazing in a California dessert, watching the eclipse last year – when I am physically reminded of my smallness in this gigantic universe. It is in these moments that I am also profoundly reminded of the majestic “bigness of God”. Thinking about how big God truly is often leaves me at a loss for words.
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
How many times in life do we have the experience of our boat being rocked and pitched by a storm?
Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
On this feast of the first martyrs of the Church of Rome, I offer the following quote from Tacitus, Roman politician and writer of the first and second century:
“Nero fastened the guilty and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace… Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred for mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”
Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
I don’t know about you, but I am quite certain that I won’t be going tent camping in my 90s. Honestly, it would be a huge stretch for me to do that even in my 60s. Sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag, with hard uneven ground beneath me, no toilet nearby, and humid air all around—that would be a recipe for very little sleep (any?) and one cranky Sue at breakfast.
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
About a year and a half ago I wrote about our new puppy; well, as one would imagine, that puppy is now almost two years old. His name is Bear and he is a “rescue” dog of mixed breed that has a lot of traits of a Border Collie, including high intelligence and lots of energy. We have an enclosed back yard where he loves to chase the squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and an occasional rabbit or groundhog. Given that the wooden fence is aging, he has on a couple of occasions found a loose slat and chased his prey right through the fence and out of our sight. He’s fast and focused when he’s chasing something. And that has resulted in “losing” him for a short period of time, inducing panic in me while I frantically search and call for him with his favorite treats in hand.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Each of us has a name that identifies who we are. There are also names or titles that help others recognize something that sets us apart. The name “Christian” was first used in Antioch (Acts 11:26), and this title indicates that a person is a follower of Christ or belongs to Christ. In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that just using His name does not make a person a true disciple.
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus tells us, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit . . . So by their fruits you will know them.” When we look at a tree growing in the woods, a park, or a field, we don’t always immediately recognize its species. My husband has an App on his phone that identifies plants, shrubs, and trees. He gets a real kick out of using it to help him gain the ability to more readily recognize plant species. But any of us can look at a tree and immediately determine whether it is diseased, dying, rotting, or decaying. Conversely, it’s easy to pick out a tree that is particularly vibrant – laden with fruit or nuts with healthy foliage and sturdy trunk. Just as our eyes can distinguish a good tree from a rotten tree, Jesus reminds us that it is by our fruits that we demonstrate to the world what kind of tree we are: morally and spiritually vibrant or the opposite. Let us ask God for the graces we need today to be spiritually healthy and maturing disciples and that the fruit we produce gives glory to God and leads others to him.
Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Today is a wonderful solemnity of celebrating the birth of Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, and the intertwining of their unique lives. Last month, we celebrated the story of the Visitation where John kicked in Mom Elizabeth’s womb in recognition of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Today’s feast of John the Baptist is a public holiday in several places - I was blessed to experience the cultural festivities and religious roots firsthand as a graduate student in Montreal, Quebec Canada. Falling close to the July 21st summer solstice (the longest day of the year), it marks the start of summer in the northern hemisphere, which is so fitting since John heralds the light of Jesus.
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Some think of Jesus as “otherworldly,” sort of a religious “guru” spreading good vibrations wherever he went. But Jesus’ mission was polarizing, drawing lines in the sand (sometimes literally). He opened hearts and he hardened hearts. He challenged that you were either with him or against him. Some flocked to him, others were repelled by him, still others conspired to kill him. More left him than stayed with him. According to the pass/failure grading curve of the Mediterranean world of the first century, his final mark would be an “F.”
Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
Looking back to my “growing up” years, school lessons came relatively easily to me. I didn’t have a desire to excel at sports. I was well-liked, had a good home and many friends.
When it was time to take the exam for my driver’s license, there was no doubt in my mind that I would pass. I didn’t fail at things. But, situated between those bright orange cones with an officer in the passenger seat, I hit one cone and then another. I had failed, and I would have to try again on another date.
I remember sobbing all the way home and my dad being only mildly sympathetic, probably seeing (the same thing I can now) that it was a good time for me to learn about humility and my own fallibility.
Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s superapostles!
Superapostles! Strange missionaries from unknown parts who came to Corinth with powers of persuasion far beyond those of regular apostles. Wolves in sheep’s clothing, disguised as bearers of the Gospel, wage a never ending battle for “truth,” “justice,” and the (in) correct Christian way!
Today, in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul warns his foundling church about those so-called “superapostles.”
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lately I’ve been pondering what it means to be generous. How do I define generosity? How do I know if I’m being generous toward God and others? What measures or metrics can I apply to determine whether or not I’m being generous? I haven’t answered those questions for myself yet, but I have concluded that authentic generosity flows from gratitude. Put another way, gratitude becomes the fertile field from which the fruit of generosity springs. Today’s readings invite further reflection on this proposal.
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel is challenging. Jesus said to his disciples, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44). It’s not hard to find enemies. We only have to read the news to find out which countries and groups are at war with each other and people who are blamed for society’s problems. We can examine our lives and see who we disagree with and which people we dislike. Jesus asks us to love all of them. I believe that he is teaching us some lessons about discipleship in this Gospel passage.
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Whenever my grandmother would get exacerbated with us she would say in her thick Scots brogue, “I’ll give ye the back-o-me-hand.” Although she never did, as a kid I never appreciated how dire a statement that was.
In today’s reading from II Corinthians, St. Paul suggests that “the back-o-me-hand” was a common experience of the apostles, who endured “afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments…”
Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Seeing the suffering in the world, and maybe our own suffering or that of our loved ones, it can be tempting to be driven to despair. Today’s reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians could be addressed to us here and now as encouragement. This coming from an early disciple of Jesus who suffered much more than most of us presumably ever will.