Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday's readings can be found here.

The crowd gathered around the foot of the cross shouted, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” “He saved others but cannot save himself.” “He trusts in God, let God rescue him now” (Mat 27:38-44) Those who mocked him were the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders, but also the criminals who were crucified with Him. The leaders who mocked Christ should have seen the company that was with them. They were behaving like criminals who had been sent to their deaths.

Sinners are often offended by those who stand up for what is right in God's eyes. People who have prayed in front of abortion clinics, porn shops, and on Bourbon Street in New Orleans can tell you this is true. They have received taunts and insults from passersby and honks from cars with people shouting out of the windows as they drive by. At times it can be disheartening to experience this, but it can also be a boost to the just who pray harder for God's work to be done. Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven is worth suffering the taunts of the sinful. He did it, and we should do it too.

The prayer of the psalmist is “O God, by your name save me, and by your might defend my cause.” It is a wonderful prayer to those who are being persecuted. The second reading gives a warning though, to those who would not follow God's plan. When we pray and do not receive it is because we have prayed to satisfy a passion that is not God's passion. We are praying for something that is selfish, conflict-driven, covetous, envious and of a human passion. If what we pray for is just, then the result should be peaceful, gentile, merciful and fruitful, without inconsistency and insincerity. God is passionate about justice. God is consistent and sincere about justice. We must pray to have this same passion and to know our part is in God's plan for justice.


Jesus tells us “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” To receive God we must receive the child, the lowly, the cast aside in our society. Our actions in this world should be for the lowly: the children, the poor, the cast aside. Mother Teresa once said, “each of them is Jesus in disguise.”

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's readings can be found here


The question posed in James is "What good is faith without works?" For an individual, faith in God's sanctifying grace is all that is needed to be saved. However, on earth, we are living in community. Community needs each member to contribute in one way or another. Otherwise we are all just living next to each other instead of with each other.

Mahatma Ghandi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." Wow. What kind of behavior must we have been displaying for him to say that? We must not be living out the ministry of Christ and the works of our faith to our fullest extent.

Looking at the vast array of religious orders, it is easy to see that there are many different types of works to be done: ministry to the sick, healthy, dying, survivor, poor, wealthy, orphan, child, teen, homosexual, married, single, addict, homeless, jobless, soldier, hungry, and more. There are orders who focus on teaching, healing, health, meditation, contemplation, preaching, politics, social justice, and missionary work. Even within our own church building, opportunities abound for works: extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, lectoring, singing, altar serving, greeting, taking the collection, becoming a Deacon, writing the bulletin, teaching catechism, collecting for the food drive, writing letters to representatives, leading the Mom's group, cleaning the church pews after mass, cleaning the candles and altar before mass, parish council, and so much more.

God asks for our time, talent and treasure to meet the needs of the community. God's gift of grace saves us. Our faith sustains us. Our works help our neighbor and build our community. I pray that each of us can respond to the needs of the community according to the call on our hearts and that one day, a great leader may say, “I like your Christ, and I love your Christians.”

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

You can find today's readings here


God made His kingdom for all people but so many will miss out on it. He made His kingdom for you, me, our neighbors, the relative you haven't spoken to in years, and the guy who cut you off in traffic. He sent us all an invitation to His kingdom. You and I have shown up for the pre-party (church), but have the others? Who is missing today? Why aren't they here? Are their eyes closed to the invitation, did they turn a deaf ear to the call, was their body unable to get them to the car and drive here, would they be embarassed say that they went to church?

The scripture says, "the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf will be cleared." It also tells us, "the lame will leap" and the "tongue of the mute will sing." Do you know someone spiritually deaf, blind, mute, or lame? We all do. They have this disability because they have ignored God's offer. They might need a reminder about God's love and desire for them.

What does it take for a Christian to speak out to others? It takes courage. God promises to support our efforts if they are efforts of God. Today's first reading tells us, "Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you." He comes to defend us, to support us and give us the help we need on our earthly journey.

This earth is full of spiritually blind, deaf, lame and mute people. If we open our mouths to say to them, "God has something for you". God will support us, He will strengthen us. But we must be brave to speak out. God does not want to act alone in His plan of salvation. You are a part of His plan. "Be strong, fear not."

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Find today's readings here

The Lord has called us to be His people. When we accept this calling, we accept something greater than ourselves. We accept a new life, a new self and a new mind.

The gospel tells us about the things that make us unclean, icky, and defiled. These
are: evil thoughts, unchastity (improper use of sexuality), theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness(disregard for rules and morals), envy, blasphemy (irreverence towards things of God), arrogance, and folly.

When we lead a Christian life, we are called to belong to God, to follow Him and obey Him. We are strengthened in our call by God's grace. This grace comes to us to empower us to live as God's people, and enable us to do and be what we were created to do and be.

Catholics don't often speak of being "born again" or the re-birth that occurs when we become God's people. It is mentioned during the sacrament of Baptism, but not really outside of the sacrament. We should speak of it, we should proclaim it. God wills us to be reborn as a new creation, each day, and every time we turn away from Him, every time we sin. He beckons us to return to Him so that he could renew us.

The scriptures today encourage us to turn away from our old selves and the things that defile us from within. They encourage us to be renewed and to be called a "wise and intelligent people."

The second reading tells us that God gave birth to us by the word of His truth. The rebirth of our souls is a constant occurrence. A new baby is so beautiful, so precious, so spotless, so pure. God has the power and desire to return each one of us to this state. He tells us that we are born by the word of truth.

The word of God is Christ Jesus, sacrificed on the cross, His arms stretching out, welcoming us to His embrace. The truth of God is that He is waiting. Waiting for you, waiting for me, waiting for us to return to Him, rejecting the things that make us unclean and asking for the new life that only He can give.