Some may see a contradiction in praying to a God you have just put on trial, but, in fact, this is in line with the Jewish tradition of being completely devoted to God while feeling totally frustrated by God’s silence and inaction. The Psalms are full of such questions: “How long, O Lord?â€; “Why have […]
Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– October 6, 2013 Read More »
In the Gospel parable today, Jesus shows how in the reign of God there is a reversal of what we might be used to. The kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom. In our world, who is recognized by name? The rich and powerful. Well, in the parable, the rich man has no name –
Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– September 29, 2013 Read More »
In the days of His public life, Jesus also used stories as His favored method of helping people to see the truth. Today’s story is an intriguing tale of master and servant, and money and sly dealing, and the lesson is clear. As Jesus tells it, the servant who loses his job knows exactly what
Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– September 22, 2013 Read More »
The father in the story is really God our Father. And the boy who comes home is you or me. It is a tale of forgiveness. God is so anxious to forgive us. We are tempted to think that surely God’s forgiveness cannot work quite like that; we’d expect that a repentant sinner would have
Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– September 15, 2013 Read More »
Our Church reminds us on this Solemnity that each of us should strive to strengthen our faith and our love for the great commandments through which God has destined men and women to fulfill His purpose on earth: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
Solemnity – Brotherly Love – September 8, 2013 Read More »
When Jesus goes to dine at the house of the Pharisee, He notices how all the other guests have made sure of their own positions. The atmosphere of the evening is not relaxed. Everyone there is scrutinising this young preacher. What will He do? What will He say? Jesus decides to not disappoint them. He
Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– September 1, 2013 Read More »
In the eyes of Jesus, every person is of infinite worth whatever his or her ethnicity, culture or religion. The beautiful prophetic imagery of Isaiah in the first reading, proclaiming that people from every language and nation will be brought to God’s holy mountain in Jerusalem, finds fulfilment in the Gospel when Jesus declares that
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– August 25, 2013 Read More »
In the lead-up to the Olympic Games held in London last year, a flame was kindled at Olympia, the site of the original games in ancient Greece. This flame was then transported to Britain where it was carried in a relay, which brought that flame within 10 miles of every inhabitant of the UK, before
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– August 18, 2013 Read More »
“Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill.†These verse was written by Robert Louis Stevenson, the man who wrote Treasure Island. It was intended by the author that it should be inscribed on his own tomb. It brings to
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– August 11, 2013 Read More »
Todays’ readings warn us that possessions can assume such importance in life that they become obsessions, and we forget the place of God in our life. This is what seems to have happened with the man who addresses Jesus at the beginning of today’s Gospel. Jesus is not against him having wealth, nor is He
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– August 4, 2013 Read More »