Today is the twenty fourth Sunday of ordinary time. Last week, the church reminded us of the importance of reconciliation through fraternal dialogue and mutual love. Today she invites us to reflect on forgiveness. It is a very important element of reconciliation, and our Christian belief. It is the central message of today’s first and gospel readings.
Read moreMy dear friends, we are on the 23rd Sunday in ordinary time and today in the gospel, taken from Matthew Chapter 5, we see Jesus speaking about the importance of reconciliation. He says that if we realize that our neighbor has sinned against us, we need to take the initiative and go and talk to that person in private.
Read moreThis Sunday’s gospel is a perfect companion piece to the one we heard last week. Each gospel manages to show us two sides of the same coin. Last week, you will remember, we found ourselves in the Sea of Galilee, and heard the account of Peter attempting to walk on water and sinking. It was the story of an apostle – a man, and a Jew – challenged by the Lord and then failing that challenge because of his doubt or lack of faith.
Read moreThis gospel passage that we have just heard may be among the most haunting in all of scripture. It has a lot to say about fear, about faith, about trust — about daring to do the impossible. I would like to look at just six words in the middle of this passage – six words that can change our lives. They loom large in this gospel – and across everything we understand as Catholic Christians. It is one simple phrase: “Peter got out of the boat”.
Read moreThe gospel we just heard has some surprising comparisons to the Kingdom of God – a kingdom that is not measured in acres, or miles, or limited by any kind of geography we might imagine. It is a kingdom, in fact, whose size could be small enough to hold in your hand or bury in a field. What matters is not its size. What matters is its worth. The gospel assures us: it is a rare treasure, as precious as a pearl.
Read moreOne of the great questions found in literature, philosophy, and in the history of ideas is the fact that our life is a mixture of good and evil. We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. Everywhere we look we find this strange mixture of what’s right and what’s wrong. Why there is evil?
Read more“A Sower went out to sow…” Those simple words begin one of the most memorable parables in the gospel – a story that has much to teach us not only about gardening and growing, but also about listening; Listening to the Word of God; Being receptive to it; Being open to it. That can be hard to do, when there is so much noise in the world distracting us from God and trying to drown out His Word. But there is something striking and very hopeful about this parable that I would like all of us to consider today.
Read moreToday’s Gospel tells us about the Heart of Jesus. It gives us these words of comfort: “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for yourselves; for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” What do these words tell us about the Lord? What do they mean for us?
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