27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 4, 2009

Lectionary #140

Genesis 2: 18-24
Hebrews 2: 9-11
Mark 10: 2-16


America has the reputation of being the most litigious country in the world. It seems that we need a contract, or some written document that covers every aspect of life. This is especially true of marriage, where we see pre-nuptial agreements becoming a regular practice. We see divorce attorneys becoming almost a numerous as marriage counselors. We are becoming a society where the idea of a permanent commitment to a relationship seems anachronistic.

But historically, that is how marriage has developed over the centuries. To many societies, both ancient and modern, marriage was seen as a contract, at first between the man and woman, then between a man and the woman’s family. It involved dowries, money, and land. Society would soon consider the woman as the man’s property. But when we read today’s passages from Genesis and the Gospel of Mark, we know that the marriage of a man and a woman is something more than just a contractual relationship, it something wondrous, awesome and holy.

I know it may not seem that way on days when we are arguing with our spouse over money, kids, and work. But despite that, the sacramental reality still exists, man and woman are one flesh, each unique, but both one. Both united to one another by God’s grace, and it is in opening oneself to that grace that can enable us to bear the troubles of life and stay united as one flesh.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 27, 2009

Lectionary #127



Numbers 11:25-29
James 5:1-6
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

When we hear the words from James as he rails against those rich persons who oppressed the poor, we most likely visualize persons like Bernard Madoff, the bankers with their huge bonuses, and the brokers who sold mortgages to poor people, pocketed their commissions and skipped town. We probably would say, “Preach it, Brother James, preach it!” But what if we realize that James is addressing his words to us? Then we would be thinking, “Now he’s stop preaching and gone to meddling!”

Now most of us would never act in ways that James in describing in the reading. We would never withhold wages from workers. We would never hoard wealth, never sharing it with those in need. We would never live in “luxury and pleasure,” while others live in poverty and squalor. Or have we? How often do we shop in stores that withhold compensation their workers are due? How often do we stand silently by while developers take over poor neighborhoods, building homes and condominiums, bringing in wealthy tenants and driving out the poor ones? How often do we fail to lift a finger or raise a voice for those who are oppressed in this world?

James was a prophetic voice in his time; we are called to be a prophetic voice in our times. We have seen how corporations, how people of wealth, through their political contributions, buy access to our political leaders. Their voices speak louder than the voices of those who are poor. God is calling us to be their voice, he calling us to fulfill the prophetic role we accepted when we were baptized into the Body of Christ. We need only open ours hearts to God, and he will send us his spirit, and we will prophesy.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 20, 2009

Lectionary #134

Wisdom 2: 12, 17-20
James 3: 16—4: 3
Mark 9: 30-37


“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”


“Numero Uno,” “Top Dog,” “King of the Hill.” It almost seems to be in our DNA, this desire to be ahead of the crowd, to be the Boss. We see it in other mammals. The “Alpha male and female” in a wolf pack. The stallions that fight each other to control the herd. The bull elephant seal, protecting his harem from all challengers. And in humans, we see this competitive streak, whether in sports, in the office, in business or politics, we all want to be recognized as the greatest.

This applies even to the disciples of Jesus Christ. They are small group, minuscule compared to the forces of the Roman Empire, or the priestly class of the Temple in the Jerusalem, yet they are arguing about which one of them is the greatest of this small group. One can picture Jesus holding his head and shaking it as he listens to this. He then sets the Apostles straight, and turns their world upside down. Contradicting everything they have experienced and learned in their society, they hear that to be the greatest, means to be the least, to be the leader means to be the servant.

This is an alien concept even in our own time. In the world of business, to be the greatest means to have the biggest office, the fanciest limo, the largest mansion, and the biggest bonus. Celebrities expect the best seating in restaurants, all their needs and desires to be taken care of. Even some leaders among the clergy expect to be treated like princes.

Jesus preached that we all are called to be servants to each other. Anyone who is called to be leaders in their fields of endeavor, need to remember that all the talents and strengths we have are gifts from God. And these gifts are meant to be used for the good of all.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 13, 2009

Lectionary #131

Isaiah 50: 4c-9a
James 2: 14-18
Mark 8: 27-35




When a charismatic leader is trying to entice people to join his or her movement, there are promises of rewards, glory, and the gratifications of desires. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has been acclaimed as the Messiah by Peter, but then he begins to describe the suffering he must undergo. Peter is shocked by this, and tries to let Jesus know that this is not the way to recruit and keep followers. Jesus then lets his followers know what it means to be his disciple. It means self-sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom, even to the point of losing one’s life.

This is the challenge that Jesus lays before us, this is the question he asks, do we wish to be his disciple and follow him? To follow him means giving up our self-centeredness and loving God with our whole heart and mind, and loving others unreservedly. It means sharing all that we are, our talents, our gifts, and our wealth, with those who are in need. And it means bearing with our own weaknesses, pains, personal crises and troubles, and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many people in our society today would not find this an attractive calling. They would be happy to accept the title “Christian,” and declare that they are a follower of Jesus, but continue to maintain their comfortable lives. We have seen though that many people can see through this rouse, and are turned off by the hypocrisy. Faith that is not lived is worthless, lifeless. We need to trust that God’s grace will give us the courage to really begin the gospel journey, give us the strength to pick up our individual cross’s and follow Jesus. The journey may be hard, with sacrifice called for along the way. But if we remain faithful to Jesus and his call, the journey will lead us to new life.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 23, 2009

Lectionary #122



Joshua 24: 1-2a, 15-17, 18b
Ephesians 5: 21-32
John 6: 60-69



We see in the first reading and the Gospel reading, people being asked to make a choice; to step over the line; to cross the Rubicon; to fish or cut bait…you get the idea. What we have are groups of people being asked to make a life changing decision.

In the Book of Joshua, we see God giving the people of Israel an opportunity to get out of the covenant they first entered into with God at Mount Sinai. God, who freed the Israelites from the Egyptians; who guided and sustained them through the desert; who protected them from their enemies; is giving them a do over. God does not want to coerce a commitment from Israel; he wants them to accept his way freely. They can be like other people in the land of Canaan, trying to control their lives through worshipping little idols. Or, they can be transformed into God’s unique people, with all the glory and challenges that transformation will bring. The people chose to “serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

In today’s Gospel, we are at the end of the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus has announced that he is the bread of life, that his flesh and his blood is true food and true drink. Anyone who feed on him will receive life eternal. His disciples, his followers hear this and do not know what to make of it. Some must have thought that Jesus was a crazy person. Others heard this teaching, and could not understand its meaning. Others must have heard the words, and understood them, but were afraid to accept them. For to accept the meaning of his words, is to be open to a radical transformation. The disciples could not make that choice, so they left Jesus, all but the Twelve. Peter, speaking for them all, has made the decision to continue to follow Jesus, because he has “the words of eternal life.” In making that choice, the lives of the Apostles are forever changed.

Every Sunday, we hear the Word of Lord, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and receive the Body and Blood of Christ. But are we letting ourselves be transformed, are we saying yes to Christ by entering into his life and letting him enter into us. Every day, we make that decision anew to serve the Lord by serving others, to love the Lord by loving others, by being people of hope.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 16, 2009

Lectionary #119

Proverbs 9: 1-6
Ephesians 5: 15-20
John 6: 51-58

“The Jews quarreled among themselves saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’” (Gospel of John)

There have been surveys that asked Catholics whether or not they believed the Church’s teaching on Christ’s Real Presence in the sacrament of the Eucharist. One survey was taken by Gallup in 1992, and the other survey was taken by the New York Times/CBS news. The results of these surveys showed that a growing number of Catholics, especially young Catholics, no longer believe that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist. Why this unbelief? Is it a perceived lack of reverence in the Eucharistic liturgy? Is the result of Western skepticism about all things mystical? Or could it be that we have not lived Eucharistic lives?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because he loves us so much, is willing to give himself to us in the form of bread and wine; so that the gift of divine life will be renewed within us. And what have we done with this gift? When we eat this bread of life, do we open ourselves completely to the Presence of Christ? Do we allow Jesus in, and allow him to transform us? Have we forsaken foolishness? It is we who will provide living proof of the power of the Eucharist to transform.

I want to close with the words of St. Francis of Assisi, from his writings, The Admonitions, “And we may ask in the words of Scripture, Men of rank, how long will be dull of heart? (Ps. 4: 3). Why do you refuse to recognize the truth and believe in the Son of God? (Jn 9: 34) Every day he humbles himself just as he did when he came from his heavenly throne (Wis. 18: 15) into the Virgin’s womb; every day he comes to us and lets us see him in abjection, when he descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar. He shows himself to us in this sacred bread just as he once appeared to his apostles in real flesh. With their own eyes they saw only his flesh, but they believed that he was God, because they contemplated him with the eyes of the spirit. We, too, with our own eyes, see only bread and wine, but we must see further and firmly believe that this is his most holy Body and Blood, living and true. In this way our Lord remains continually with his followers, as he promised, Behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world (Mt. 28: 20).”*


*The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi, Franciscan Herald Press, 1976

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 9, 2009

Lectionary #116
1 Kings 19: 4-8
Ephesians 4: 30-5:2
John 6:41-51


This Sunday’s Scriptures begins with the story of Elijah, fleeing the anger of Ahab, King of Israel. To escape, he flees into the desert. We have already seen in the previous Sundays’ readings, what the desert meant to the early Israelites. The desert heat drained them of energy; its lack of food and water weakened them; the starkness of the desert frightened them. It has the same affect on Elijah, just one day’s journey into the desert, and he is ready to give up. He complains to God that he has suffered enough, and is ready for death.

Most of us have had a “desert” experience in our lives. The struggles, the challenges of daily life can sometimes drain us of life, of hope. Some of us may experience a life crisis, a burden that we find too hard to bear. Like the desert heat, life can sometimes beat down on us, so much so that sometimes we feel like giving in to the despair, the hopelessness. Or else, like the early Israelites, like Elijah, we want to give up the journey we began when we were baptized. We want to give in to the bitterness, the anger, the hatred.

In the Gospel, we hear Jesus’ response, “Stop murmuring..” As God did for Elijah, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, comes to provide “the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.” Jesus Christ, “the living bread,” comes to feed us, to strengthen us, to renew the life within us, so that we will get up and begin the gospel journey again. As the bread Elijah ate, gave him the strength to reach Mount Horeb, where he encountered God; so to when we receive the Eucharist, we are united with God. Through the Son, our hope is renewed, the darkness of despair dispelled. Feed by the “living bread,” anger, bitterness, and hatred are removed, and kindness, compassion, and love are reborn.