Deacon Clark Goecker

“I rejoice heartily in the Lord,” the prophet says in the first reading. And, why wouldn’t he?? He has glad tidings. His message is one of hope and joy. The poor will be taken care of, the brokenhearted will be healed, the captives will be freed, and the prisoners will be released. Who wouldn’t rejoice in these things?

We hear these beautiful words everywhere this time of year. But there is a disconnect! For many, for too many people, this is time of depression, not of joy. And why?, because the poor are still poor, and getting poorer; people are brokenhearted, just look at the faces of the homeless and marginalized in our community; captives and prisoners are not released, but being isolated like animals.

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3rd Sunday of AdventRead More »

As with all of Jesus’ parables, it is very common for us to want to simply throw up our hands and say, “I don’t get it!” And, today’s parable is particularly difficult to understand. I can imagine his disciples saying, “what on earth are you talking about, Jesus?

In the context of today’s environment, I can also imagine a professor at a prestigious graduate school of business using this parable to explain why the “rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.” Or, as an introduction to investment theory. After all, the master summarizes the situation pretty well, “those who have, will get more until they grow rich, while those who have not, will lose even the little they have.” We could assume the parable is about capitalism, investing for the maximum return, acquiring wealth at all cost….But we know better, don’t we?

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33rd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Our gospel today is the well-known parable of the workers in the vineyard, who each receive a full day’s pay even though some worked only an hour.  The parable is unique to Matthew’s Gospel  and sounds surprisingly contemporary in its description of the plight of day laborers –then and now. There are, however, two important aspects of the story we need to keep in mind as we reflect on this passage.

First, this is a parable.  We must remember that Jesus’ parables are prophetic and demanding.  They call us to conversion and humility.  They draw us in, softly and with subtlety.  Then, they confront us with revelation.  Jesus’ parables point to the Kingdom of God—and today are intended to break through our deafness and our hardness of heart.

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25th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »