Fr. Rick Spicer

Daniel, the prophet, tells of a vision in which he saw one coming as the son of Man on the clouds of heaven who will have dominion over all the nations. We Christians have long recognized Jesus as the one whom Daniel was describing. Today we celebrate Jesus Christ as King of the ages, but what does that mean to you?

Oddly enough, we do not encounter Jesus in a very majestic setting in today’s gospel passage. He appears to be on trial, but actually Pilate is the one on trial, and so are we. In his last remark to Pilate, Jesus points out, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

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Christ the KingRead More »

I am having second thoughts about doing any Christmas shopping this year. It is not that I will be too busy to shop or uncaring about my friends or at a loss as to what to get them. According to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on December 21, 2012, so there will be no Christmas. Perhaps on that day, we will indeed witness the coming of the Son of Man in the spectacular manner described by Jesus in the gospel.

Now if you think I am serious about that or if you are, listen again to the rest of what Jesus had to say at the end of the gospel. “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

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33rd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

A wealthy parishioner who had never given any money to support his parish was approached by the chairman of the stewardship commission for help with extensive roof repairs. “Sir,” he said, “Our records show that you are a millionaire but have never helped your parish. We really need a new roof. Can you help us out?”

The man said, “Obviously your records make no note of my dying 95 year old mother and her large medical expenses, or my blind unemployed brother, or my poor sister who was abandoned by her husband, leaving her with five kids to feed.” The stunned chairman replied, “I am so sorry, I had no idea.” The rich man replied, “So, if I don’t give any money to them, why should I give any money to the parish?”

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32nd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

I am not aware of anyone in our parish who is literally blind, but given that many are in their golden years, I suspect some have experienced either cataracts or glaucoma. I understand that both of these illnesses develop so gradually that at first one doesn’t notice the deteriorating eyesight, but when the condition is surgically corrected, it is indeed like the miracle story we just heard. “I can see clearly!” patients gleefully say.

When Bartimaeus pleaded with the Lord, “Master, I want to see,” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Instead of going elsewhere, Bartimaeus followed Jesus. More than his eyes were opened that day. Unlike the apostles, he could see who Jesus truly was and followed him. We may have good eyesight, even 20/20, but how well do we see Jesus with our eyes of faith?

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30th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Some scripture scholars observe that in Mark’s gospel, the disciples come across as being rather dense during much of Jesus’ ministry. Three times Jesus predicts his passion and death. The first time, he called Peter Satan. The second time, the disciples got into an argument as to who was the greatest among them. This time, we find James and John asking for the top positions in the kingdom. As we heard, Jesus cautions them that they must first be bathed in pain as he will be and realize that greatness comes from serving others, not prestige.

This gospel is a fitting one for us to ponder on Mission Sunday. The closing line sums up the message of this day well, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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29th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »