Articles for Ordinary Time

  Today we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles. Jesus chose these two individuals from among the larger group of disciples. They had a special vocation. Today we say that they were not only apostles. They also stood at the beginning of the Church’s history. In them, we recognize the beginnings of…

  Every spring, as I begin working in the garden next to the small pond we call “Maria Laach,” I notice the arrival of two Canadian geese. Although I can’t be sure, I think it is the same pair, male and female, that would grace us every year with their presence. There is a sliver…

  Today’s Gospel starts out somewhat problematically. An unidentified person asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus doesn’t give a direct answer to this. But by what he says, one could surmise that he affirms that only a few people will be saved. “Many will attempt to enter but will not…

  In the gospels, we have a record of the method Jesus used in teaching the people. He used very ordinary examples: light, salt, grains of wheat, lost sheep. Today’s Gospel is a good example of this. Questions abound. What is the Kingdom of God like? When will the world end? What kind of a…

  All of the Gospel readings this week come from the pen of St. Luke. Most of them come from the 13th chapter of this Gospel. Sunday’s Gospel concluded with the words: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” This Saturday’s Gospel, about guests at a wedding…

  When I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror, what do I see? According to today’s Gospel, there are two possibilities. Either I can see a Pharisee or I can see a tax collector (someone known in Jesus’ time as a notorious sinner). If I see a Pharisee, I…

  This day and age carries a strong secular current. Many aspects of society are becoming more secular and more indifferent to religion, if not outright hostile towards it. Society is losing a sense of the sacred and the holy. And that is the great tragedy. Worship and holiness are the things that people need…

  When we pray the Psalms, we learn, and learn again and again, that we are on a journey. We are not lone individuals randomly roaming the Earth. We are God’s people. We are the Church, the spotless Bride of Christ, although this beautiful Church will endure persecution on Earth. We are a people with…

  This week’s meditations are focusing on the Psalms and responsorials. Let us explore today the mystery of the Psalms. The Psalms are the heartbeat of the Bible. They are not only the prayer of ancient Israel; they are the songs of Israel and the songs of the Church. The writing of the Psalmist is…

  You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. Is. 12 How can we really describe martyrdom? We can witness to Christ by choosing to live in holiness every day. True martyrdom is something that all people would be afraid of. Giving up one’s life for the gospel is the highest sacrifice that…

  Your friends make known, o Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Ps. 145 How did the first apostles and evangelists spread the gospel? How did they do so many things to lay the foundation of the Church? The truth is very simple yet compelling. They had first become Jesus’ friends. They came to…

  The Lord made us, we belong to him. Ps. 100 I am frequently drawn to the writing and example of St. Ignatius of Antioch. He is, indeed, one of the most profound witnesses of the Early Church. His writing holds within it a healthy realism that shows the full cost and reward of discipleship.…

  Our help is in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth. Ps. 121 How often we are brought back to a familiar truth in a way that astounds us and amazes us! We are called to persevere in prayer. I love the story of an athlete who had worked for years…

  We have one of Jesus’s more confusing statements in today’s gospel: “the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” What does this mean? There have been two consistent explanations, and they are both valuable to reflect on. The first explanation might be that to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is…

  This week it is all about freedom. Today Jesus warns us about the freedom of God’s will and knowledge: “there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed!” Jesus tells us that our lives are not entirely our own; his will and desire also have freedom it must enjoy. Even our attempts to hide,…

  We continue reflecting on the Christian freedom won for us in Christ. In our gospel today, Jesus continues the “woes” to those in authority and those with influence. What Jesus is highlighting is a critical component to genuine freedom in Jesus; others have it as well. Liberty, devoid of Christian freedom, begins to encroach…

  St. Paul continues his instruction on what it means to be free in Christ Jesus. Freedom in Christ is freedom from the slavery of sin, which blinds us from doing good in all circumstances. Today, St. Paul helps us recognize the works of sin so as not to be enslaved by them, and he…

  What does St. Paul mean when he says, “for freedom, Christ set us free?” What is this freedom? Freedom is a powerful word here in the United States, and we have many expectations that come with the use of the word. There are certain parallels, but it means so much more in the Christian…

  What a curious phrase of Jesus: that this generation is only given the sign of Jonah, and that Jesus is that sign. What does this mean? There are two ways to answer this. First, Jonah, if you remember, was in the belly of a great fish before being hurled onto the shore of Nineveh,…

  We must die with Christ! These are scary but true words. Death in Christ makes up, in part, the core of Christian life, that we must die with Christ to live with Christ. Now, before you run out and think I am crazy, let us examine what this means and why it is so…

  Today is a great and glorious day feast day! We know it as Our Lady of the Rosary but it is also known as Our Lady of Victory or Our Lady of Lepanto, for more information go to this link: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/our-lady-of-the-rosary-and-the-battle-of-lepanto/. The picture I included today has our Lady in full body armor as…

  Jesus is our friend, praise God! The stupid Galatians, as St. Paul says have forgotten that this—they are too wrapped up in worldly desires. Jesus says in the gospel today, “‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing…

  Today we celebrate a great polish saint who always reminds us that no matter how difficult life can be, like what we heard in the first reading, that God’s Divine Mercy will bring us peace and joy. I am of course talking about St. Faustina Kowalska, the secretary of Divine Mercy. From her diary…

  St. Paul and St. Francis were party animals and didn’t care about the Church. “Saul, Saul” the Lord Jesus said, “Why are you persecuting me?” “Francis,” the Lord said to him at San Damiano “build my Church!” In our responsorial psalm today, we hear “O LORD, you have probed me and you know me.…

  Brothers and Sisters, in this first reading, it feels like St. Paul is telling us to be aware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. In his own words, he is telling the Galatians to be on their guard, especially if someone makes the gospel about themselves. The gospel belongs to the Holy Trinity alone. For…

  Today’s readings remind me of one thing: war. The prophet Habakkuk says to the Lord “How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene.” It makes me wonder what Habakkuk’s faith was like, and better yet, what is your…

  Towards the end of today’s Gospel passage, Jesus makes a very important statement for us to consider. Jesus says. “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” The first question to look at is…

  In today’s Gospel, we encounter a Jesus that we do not normally encounter. We encounter a stern Jesus who pronounces words of woe and condemnation upon those cities that have not accepted him and his proclamation of the Gospel. Even though it makes us uncomfortable to encounter such a stern Jesus, it would be…

  I can remember back 40 years, to 1982, when the biggest movie of the year was E. T. The Extraterrestrial. In this movie, the extraterrestrial is stranded on earth when his ship leaves suddenly. The extraterrestrial befriends a young boy and the boy’s family, who call him E. T. The entire movie is about…

  In the Gospel for today, Jesus has three encounters that together illustrate the difficulties that may be encountered in following Jesus as a disciple. For me, the first encounter is the most telling. The person offers himself as a disciple, telling Jesus “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus’ response to this would-be…

  In today’s Gospel, Jesus and his disciples are traveling toward Jerusalem, and they want to pass through a Samaritan village on the way. However, the Samaritan village refuses to welcome Jesus because his destination is Jerusalem. So, Jesus and the disciples have to go around the village. However, James and John want to call…

  In the Gospel for today, the disciples of Jesus are once again caught arguing about who among them was the greatest. Concern for status was always a big concern for them, and a source of conflict for them. But we should not be too critical of them for this. After all, we all too…

  Our Gospel reading for today is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lives a sumptuous life, while Lazarus sits at his gate, covered with sores, and unnoticed by the rich man. In the parable, both men die, but their fates after death are very different. We find comfort in…

  We believe, as Catholics, that those who wrote the books of the Bible were ordinary human beings. and yet. they were definitely inspired by God to do so. That’s a big deal. This means that the prophets and evangelists felt a divine call to preach and write for the people, but they could and…

  The popular reading from Ecclesiastes where we find today’s first reading is rich with nuggets of practical wisdom. Notice the nugget: “There is a time to be silent, and a time to speak.” We all experience that rush to speak when our “brilliant” idea suddenly bubbles up! But is it a time to be…

  Journalists will often ask a bystander about what they saw and heard. It would appear that the Evangelist Luke is using this technique to report on the impact of what we could call the Jesus Movement. The followers of Jesus were hitting the road to tell the people about the Good News of Jesus,…

  Caravaggio, the early 18th-century painter, was known for his ability to capture the raw emotions of important human events. His painting entitled “The Call of St. Matthew” shows a panorama of shocked faces as Jesus simply and directly calls Matthew, the tax collector, to a new lifestyle. There is a natural realism in the…

  Down through the ages, the Book of Proverbs has lived up to its purpose, namely short thoughts of practical wisdom for those who seek it. Two of those bright little gems catch our attention in today’s first reading: The plans of the diligent are sure of profit, but all rash haste leads certainly to…

  When Jesus used the image of putting a lamp on a lamp stand rather than under a bucket, he must have caught people’s attention. They realized that the small smoky, flickering oil lamp was truly their only weapon against the darkness. How different this is for us with our vast variety of lighting devices.…

  The virtue of integrity usually means respect for the truth. But it’s hard these days to know if something is fake or is the real thing. We can encounter this doubt whether listening to the news, having a group conversation, or speaking with a stranger. Integrity becomes that inner compass that comes to our…