26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
TURN AND LIVE Ezekiel 18:25-28, Psalm 25, Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 21:28-32 “Repetition is the mother of learning,” so the saying goes. Today’s readings repeat and reinforce some themes that we have seen in recent weeks: personal responsibility;...
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
GOD’S WAYS: MYSTERIOUS AND MERCIFUL Isaiah 55:6-9, Psalm 145, Philippians 1:20-24,27, Matthew 20:1-16 “Let us make God in our own image…” No, wait a minute, that’s not how it goes! It is, in fact, the other way around. But so often our tendency is...
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
JUSTICE OR MERCY Sirach 27:30-28:7, Psalm 103, Romans 14:7-9, Matthew 18:21-35 We all want justice. We demand our rights. We want to get everything we deserve. We expect to receive what we are due. Until, of course, we are pulled over for doing 72...
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
COURSE CORRECTION Ezekiel 33: 7-9, Psalm 95, Romans 13: 8-10, Matthew 18: 15-20 Don’t you just love to get corrected? Isn’t it great fun? Don’t you wake up each day just hoping someone will correct you? If you...
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
CHANGE YOUR MIND Jeremiah 20:7-9, Psalm 63, Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 16:21-27 It has been said that the “key word” in the Christian message is change in thinking, speaking, and acting. The Lord changed Jeremiah and, rather forcefully, called him to...
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
DELEGATED AUTHORITY Isaiah 22:19-23, Psalm 138, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20 Most of us don’t want to deal with delegates or substitutes. If we have a complaint or problem, we prefer to speak with a manager or supervisor, not an “associate”...
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
FAITHFUL AND FREE Isaiah 56:1, 6-7, Psalm 67, Romans 11:13-15,29,32, Matthew 15:21-28 Chocolate or peanut butter…which do you prefer? You have to make a choice and you can only pick one. That is, until a candy company made the earth-shaking...
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
A STILL, SMALL VOICE 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13, Psalm 85, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:22-28 Have you ever felt bitterly disappointed and discouraged…or felt like you were sinking and drowning in difficult circumstances? Silly question…because almost all of...
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Eat and Drink Freely
Isaiah 55:1-3, Psalm 145, Romans 8:35, 37-39, Matthew 14:13-21 “Are you hungry? Let me fix you something to eat!” How often we hear those words from a mother, grandmother, or aunt (usually Italian!) as she greets family or friends at the door,...