2015

Today is the second to the last Sunday of the Church year.  Next Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.  As the Church nears the end of the liturgical year, the Scripture readings take on a more ominous nature. The readings traditionally speak about the end of the world, the end time, the final coming of Jesus to take all peoples and all creation to himself.

Each of the readings speak of a future time when there will be judgment and a reckoning before God.  The tone of the readings is foreboding and the imagery includes cosmic upheaval. BUT in the outcome, we see the triumph of good over evil and that new life will overcome the fear of death. We see love, giving of ourselves to others. We see hope even in the most difficult of times.

The first half of today’s gospel leans heavily on traditional language and ideas of the Old Testament.  In the passage immediately before today’s gospel, Jesus spoke about the fall and destruction of Jerusalem. We can’t imagine the impact of Jesus’ words on the Israelites.  For them Jerusalem and its Temple was the very dwelling place of God.  It was also a significant event for the early Church as well. As you recall, in the early Church, Christians assembled in private homes to share the Eucharist. It is a good reminder that Christ is to be found in the people and not in a building.

…

33rd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Today we celebrate Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, a “type” if you will, of the poor, one in solidarity with widows, orphans, and the needy, and a perfect high priest, pure and selfless, humble and simple yet very extraordinary! Jesus, the most trusting in our Heavenly Father, even while nailed to a cross. We also see this humility, this trust in God especially in our scripture readings today.

We heard of two widows, models of discipleship, of selfless giving. One is the widow of Zarephath, a port city on the Phoenician Coast, who generously fed God’s prophet Elijah as we heard in our first reading from Kings. The action of Elijah to seek out this widow for refuge from the drought, instructed by God to do so, had some reservations about this widow.

…

32nd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

What are your “Be-attitudes?” I recall that the Army once used the slogan, “Be all you can be.” The slogan was often interpreted to mean, “be strong, be independent, be successful, and be perfect.”

That message encouraged recruits to be positive about themselves; but, anyone who adopts this attitude could encounter trouble sooner or later because it could also suggest we don’t need anyone else, not even God. But in fact we do need God and one another.

…

All SaintsRead More »

Over the past several weeks, we have been journeying with Jesus and his disciples from Galilee to Jerusalem.  During this time with Jesus, the disciples seem to have become incredibly thick headed (stubborn).  To each of Jesus’ three passion predictions, they make inappropriate responses—Peter scolding Jesus; the disciples arguing who is the greatest; and James and John requesting places of special honor in the Kingdom.

And, if you were to take a moment now, how might you describe your relationship to Jesus? Are you a humble disciple putting aside self-interest, being a servant of all?  Are you willing to fully embrace the Cross, the clearest expression of Jesus’ mission? Are you willing to give up your life for others, or are you more concerned about your reputation? These are difficult questions and it is hard to be completely honest with ourselves, isn’t it? We pray that we can be all we hope to be in the eyes of Jesus. But, can we truly embrace what Jesus is asking of us? (pause)

…

30th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Over a glass of wine one evening, a friend flatly stated that she did not believe in hell. She argued that if God loves us unconditionally then no one would ever be sent to such a dismal place for eternity. She is not alone in thinking that. Jesus shares the same hope that no one would end there but he also knows that not everyone will listen to his message of salvation. He often cautions that our ultimate destiny depends on the choices we make. God doesn’t reject sinners; rather sinners reject God, so hell should be seen as a place for those who reject God’s ways.

In our times a false gospel has arisen, which has won many hearts and minds to its misguided ethic that could be called the “Gospel of Nice.” It never mentions “hell” because that might hurt someone’s feelings and it never corrects anyone’s wrongdoing for fear of losing human respect or friendship.

…

26th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »