Sunday scripture readings: Ezekiel 34.11-12,15-17; 1 Corinthians 15.20-26,28; Matthew 25.31-46 “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that […]
Gospel Reflection for November 23, 2014, Feast of Christ the King Read More »
“Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter, so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’” Matthew 25.24-25 One
Gospel Reflection for November 16, 2014, 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Read More »
“For 46 years this Temple has been being built, and you are going to raise it up in three days?” John 2.20 In Sunday’s gospel Jesus cleanses the Temple. The passage focuses on his prophetic actions, chasing out the animals for sacrifice, dumping the coins for paying Temple taxes, and overturning the money changers’ tables.
Gospel Reflection for November 9, 2014, Dedication of Lateran Basilica Read More »
“All that the Father gives me will come to me; no one who comes to me will I ever reject.” John 6.37 Death calls for faith. It is the ultimate threshold of human life beyond which we cannot see. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the heart of Christian faith. The God who raised Jesus
Gospel Reflection for November 2, 2014, All Souls Day Read More »
“Teacher, which commandment is greatest?” Matthew 22.36 Gospel love is not an idea or an emotion but an imperative–a call to act. The two great commandments–to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves–recognize that acts of love weave us into community, just as selfish and violent acts fray the social fabric. The commandments
Gospel Reflection for October 26, 2014, 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time Read More »
“Whose image is this and whose inscription?” Matthew 22.20 In Sunday’s gospel Jesus confronts a worldview about who images God–Caesar or the human person. Jesus insists we cannot keep separate our obligations to God and those to government. God blesses and calls us to integrate the spheres of our lives and image the One who
Gospel Reflection for October 19, 2014, 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Read More »
“I have prepared my banquet…everything is ready. Come to the feast.” Matthew 22.4 Christians today don’t catch on readily to Matthew’s allegory. For first-century Jews, both Christian Jews and rabbinic Jews, the Jewish-Roman war that destroyed the temple was a watershed event. Until then, rabbinic Jews who studied the Torah in synagogues and Christian Jews
Gospel Reflection for October 12, 2014, 28th Sunday Ordinary Time Read More »
“The kingdom of God…will be given to people that produce its fruits.” Matthew 21.43 We humans are like all tenants of Earth and like those in Sunday’s parable. Our basest instincts are to draw everything to ourselves, the “owner” be damned. God has given us a precious vineyard/planet/home, teeming with life and extraordinary resources, but
Gospel Reflection for October 5, 2014, 27th Sunday Ordinary Time Read More »
“Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” Matthew 21.31 Like all parables, Jesus’ parable of the father with two children invites hearers to judge themselves in making a judgement about the parable. The chief priests and elders see the first child as the one who does what the father (God
Gospel Reflection for September 28, 2014, 26th Sunday Ordinary Time Read More »
“These workers last hired have worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” Matthew 20.12 When the 11th-hour workers get a full day’s wage, the owner of the vineyard reorients the parable. It is no longer about the wages
Gospel Reflection for September 21, 2014, 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Read More »