Reflection for the 5th Ordinary Sunday 2025

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.

Throughout the Christmas and Epiphany seasons we focused our attention on God’s self-revelation. He came among us, born as a man in a stable in Bethlehem. He was revealed that night to the shepherds. He was proclaimed by Simeon and Anna in the Temple and subsequently to the world through the Magi. At His baptism He, along with the fullness of the Holy Trinity was revealed. At the wedding in Cana His might was shown.

As we complete this short stint in Ordinary Time, and head into Pre-Lent next week, we hear Jesus calling us to the job of revelation.

Jesus, speaking to Simon Peter and thus to us says: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

It seems like a daunting task because we interpret it through the experience of the Apostles who left everything and followed Him.

Yet this task, this call to ministry is not difficult nor is it just intended for a few among the faithful.

Having read the accounts of the Prophets and Kings, having read or listened to the stories of Jesus’ Apostles and disciples, and knowing the stories of the saints through the ages gives us a rather global view of all that happened. We try to absorb a whole life story and then attempt to compare it to ourselves, where we are in this brief moment.

That is why it is essential that we study the moment of calling and then walk as the called did, following Jesus and trusting in Him.

Jesus never laid out for His called an exact roadmap of all their moments and experiences. Rather He just issued the call because He, as God, knows us intimately. He knows the skills and abilities we possess – even if we do not know them.

Paul left who he was and trusted in God’s redeeming grace. Paul let God’s grace move him and look at all he accomplished. Simon, James, and John took a leap-of-faith and followed Jesus. All the saints did likewise. Those called to sacred ministry the same.

So, it must be for each of us, for every faithful person. While we cannot exactly know what lies on the road ahead, we can trust Jesus. While we may not know the skill within us that God will use, we can let Him use it through our hands, minds, feet, and voices. What we must do is trust like St. Paul in saying: His grace to me has not been ineffective.

Reflection for the 3rd Ordinary Sunday 2025

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Today, we are called to reflect on the ministry we have been given.

Jesus tells those listening to Him that Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled. He is the one that came to carry out a ministry of freedom and to draw us into that ministry.

Jesus’ freedom is true freedom. His freedom is not just a concept nor is it a political system. God’s freedom is the essential way of being and living that is in our very essence. 

Freedom comes from our relationship with our Creator God in which He provides every bit of love we need (we call that grace) and where we in turn live and act within that freedom by sharing it everywhere, every time, and without restriction. Our freedom is the reality wherein no one and nothing can bind us nor restrict us. It is the free invitation we offer to all to enter the community of the one body.

Our words and actions of love and grace toward all is not just something we do because we feel like it or have a few extra minutes, or because it agrees with something we hear on TV or online, but rather it is an expression of our love relationship with God. 

Our free love is perfect and complete when we carry out what we have been given by sharing it, by not being possessive of it, and most particularly by not restricting it in any way.

You see, every other form of alleged freedom is more of a bargaining of this for that. Those ‘freedoms’ only work if we give up parts of our freedom in the bargain. Limit yourself here, don’t say that, don’t stand up for them, repeat what we tell you and you can have what we give you. That sounds more like a deal with the devil.

God’s reality is so different. St. Paul shows the Corinthians the nature of our life together. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. We are part of one body. There is no border or division in the Christian life. We cannot cut off one part of us, or another, or another and survive as a body. We must stand together in the many ministries of love given us.

I said at the start that we are here to reflect on the ministry we have been given. It is so true; we each have a ministry we are charged with carrying out and if we do not, the body suffers.

So let us be as the people hearing God’s word for the first time in ages and rejoice as we set forth in the ministries given us to care for the freedom of the whole body.

Reflection for the 2nd Ordinary Sunday 2025

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet

Welcome as we continue in the forty-day celebration of Christmas.

Today, we are called to reflect on the message and the message giver.

As we read through scripture we find about sixty prophets in the Old Testament. Many of those prophets have an entire book as with Isaiah who we read from in today’s first reading. Some are only found in other books.

In encountering the prophets, their journey typically begins with a word from God. In effect, God tells them He has noticed, or taken account of something, and He directs them to spread a message He will give them.

In a bunch of cases, these prophets were taken aback at God’s request. We can echo their words: ‘Who am I?’ ‘How can I?’ ‘I do not have the ability!’ and so on. We all might answer in the same way – and perhaps we still do. We should work on that.

If we look a little deeper, we will find an echo in those words of choice and sending, the echo of God’s direction to His Son Jesus. We hear that same echo in the words the prophets speak, because they are also reflected in the words Jesus speaks to us.

Today, Isaiah speaks of an urgency, to speak out, to not be silent. For the sake of God’s people proclamation must occur.

This is resounded in Jesus’ miracle at Cana. By His mother Mary’s direction, those who would serve, both the house servants and the disciples, are to listen to Jesus’ words and act on them: “Do whatever he tells you.”

In the hymn we will sing today at the conclusion of Holy Mass, ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain’ we hear: Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.

The event at Cana provides us with that imperative – to tell what we see, hear, and experience.

To our old responses God gives answer: ‘Who am I?’ You are my sons and daughters, baptized into My Kingdom. ‘How can I?’ Because you can do anything with My grace. ‘I do not have the ability!’ Yes, you do because I created you, and each day I make you able.

As the disciples grew in confidence at Cana, let us do so as well. Let us take every opportunity in confidence to bring those we encounter to the wine of eternal life. 

Jesus fulfills the directions to, and the words given to, the prophets. So must we fulfill Jesus’ words in our lives and in our proclamation. 

Reflection for the 33rd Ordinary Sunday 2024

“They will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds.”

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him.

Jesus’ journey continued as He moved from Galilee into Judea and on to Jerusalem. He is now very near the end of His journey. His arrest and crucifixion are  now hours away. Along the way of this journey Jesus has discussed the many ways we are to apply His presence within us.

In certain ways we can understand the darkness of Jesus’ discussion with his disciples. His life was quickly coming to an end, and He knew it. Just prior to today’s gospel passage, the disciples were pointing out all the magnificent stuff around them in the Temple area.

We would be wrong to just say, well Jesus is in a dark time and write it off with that. Instead, we are called understand what Jesus is talking about and is asking of His disciples and us. He wants us to take our focus off stuff and place it on what is most important.

Those important things are the traits He says the elect will have: Knowing that He is near; We will all awaken from death; The wise will shine brightly; and Those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever. It is also important to know and acknowledge the alternative.

So, what about us? We can certainly know He is near. That is no problem, but am I wise, and do I lead many to justice?

I think back to those days when I helped my children with their school projects. I thought I could lead and that I was wise. What I quickly learned was that I was not wise or a great leader when the grades they received with my help were – well let’s say – not great.

Most of us can connect to those thoughts. If I am not wise and leading people to justice, if I’m not all that great, how will I ever make it?

What needs to happen, is like the disciples, we need to change our focus. We place emphasis on greatness, accomplishment, stuff, and success. Jesus never asked us to be great – rather servants. He did not ask us to be accomplished or successful, but rather to be disciples and witnesses. He did not ask us to acquire stuff, but to sacrifice all we have for the Kingdom.

We are the elect because we do as Jesus asks. We are those wise leaders when we give example, live in Christian witness, and stay focused on our real home.

Reflection for the 32nd Ordinary Sunday 2024

So also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him.

Jesus’ journey continued as He moved from Galilee into Judea and on to Jerusalem. He is now there about a week before His arrest and crucifixion. This is Jesus’ ultimate journey to the sacrifice He would offer for our salvation which the Letter to the Hebrews speaks of. Along the way, Jesus has discussed the many ways we are to apply His presence within us.

Today we hear of God’s great provision. We start in First Kings with Elijah’s visit to the widow of Zarephath. Jesus would speak of this visit and God’s provision when He went back to His hometown of Nazareth. Jesus pointed out to the Nazoreans that this woman acted in faith toward the One true God despite her desperate situation – and because of that she was rewarded. It was not because she was Jewish – in fact she wasn’t. The people of Zarephath worshiped various gods and stone columns. Yet she changed, not based on facts or teaching, but rather based on inspiration. The people of Nazareth refused that inspiration and the asked for change in their lives.

Our witness to Jesus’ presence within us is how we changed in our reactions. For us, we must act as the widow – inspired by trust in God’s mighty provision.

In our Gospel lesson, Jesus points to the trust of the poor widow. He is reinforcing the call to trust. The opposite of that, as Jesus points out, is the self-preservation and the building up of the Scribes egos.

Listen carefully to our prayer over the gifts today where we will hear: May we realize that we are truly rich only when we are truly Yours.

Our witness of trust is best exemplified in our ability to give of ourselves beyond measure, beyond respectability and caution, against practicality. The Letter to the Hebrews points out Jesus’ total self-giving and speaks of our call to eagerly await Him.

Over the next two weeks Jesus speaks of the end times and approaches His crucifixion and death. The journey from Nazareth to Galilee to Judea and Jerusalem comes to completion and we are saved.

Now we await Him, His second coming not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him. How we witness to Him in us and await Him counts. Let us, like the widows, do so unburdened and with trust.

Reflection for the 31st Ordinary Sunday 2024

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him. For the rest of Ordinary Time and the special Solemnities of our Church, Jesus discusses applying His presence within us. How do we do it?

In case you haven’t noticed, Jesus’ journey has been continuing. Jesus moved from Galilee into Judea and on to Jerusalem. In today’s Gospel passage He is now there about a week before His arrest and crucifixion. This is Jesus’ ultimate journey to the sacrifice He would offer for our salvation.

Thus far Jesus has been doing a great job silencing those who were seeking a reason to arrest and kill Him.

After the Herodians and Pharisees ask Jesus about taxes, His answer silences them. After Jesus answers the Sadducees about the resurrection, they fall quiet. Now the Scribes show up in the form of this one man.

The Scribes were learned men whose business was to study the Law, transcribe it, and write commentaries on it. This man knew his Mosaic Law.

In a way, the man’s question, meant to entrap Jesus, was a silly one. The Shema prayer was repeated daily by all the Jews. It is still recited by Jewish people today: Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And as for you, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Everyone in Jesus and the Scribe’s hearing knew this was the most important thing in the Law – For Jews it was and is the bringing of everything and the mark of their relationship with God. Factually, it is for us as well.

Jesus couldn’t answer in any other way. The Scribe affirms His answer. Then something amazing happens. This man, on a mission to entrap Jesus is affirmed by Jesus. Jesus saw something much deeper in the Scribe.

The Scribe answered with understanding. This aspect of the Law was not just words to the Scribe, not just part of his studying, transcribing, and commenting job – but part of his life. The Scribe got it deep down and understood what it called him to do, and he allowed it to mold his life. 

Did the Scribe then believe in Jesus? Did he follow Him or walk away afraid of rejection and the loss of approval? Perhaps he believed and followed Jesus in secret? We may never know what happened in the silence. What we do know is that we must get and live God’s Law of love, allowing it to mold us into the image of Jesus.

Reflection for the 30th Ordinary Sunday 2024

The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him. For the rest of Ordinary Time and the special Solemnities of our Church, Jesus discusses applying His presence within us. How do we do it?

In case you haven’t noticed, Jesus’ journey has been continuing. Jesus is moving from Galilee into Judea and on to Jerusalem. This is Jesus’ ultimate journey to the sacrifice He would offer for our salvation, freedom.

At the end of our summer journey, we first encounter Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees. Subsequently He heals a man who was deaf and mute. Ears were opened and speech was made clear – a metaphor for what Jesus wanted to accomplish along the way where people would hear His voice and wherein, He calls them to proclaim His gospel message.

Along the journey, Jesus speaks of the cross – what He must accomplish to free us from sin and death. He was so intent on this because He knew the desire of His own heart – to free all of us.

God has an ideal for us, a vision for a life free and full.

This is what we hear about in today’s scripture.

In Jeremiah we hear prophecy of Israeli’s return from captivity. They are not just free, but free to be guided by God Who provides them with all good things and brings them home.

In the gospel we now hear of a blind man. This is, in a few verses, a wonderful analogy for what God wants for us and from us.

We begin in calling out to Jesus and to be persistent in our call. Our call to Jesus must not succumb to the dissuaders and the doubters, to the people who say ssshh.

The second part is a call for us to both listen for the voice of Jesus and to evangelize. The blind man had to hear Jesus and that was accomplished by those who heard Jesus told the blind man that Jesus was calling.

The blind man then throws everything aside. He went to Jesus directly leaving every tie to his old life behind. What keeps us in captivity must be left on the roadside so we can be free in walking with Jesus.

Jesus tells the man who has been freed from blindness to ‘go his way.’ In his new freedom he followed Jesus on the way.

We walk in the freedom God won for us. Our call to apply His freedom by following Him and speaking of Him.

Reflection for the 29th Ordinary Sunday 2024

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. 

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him. For the rest of Ordinary Time and the special Solemnities of our Church, Jesus discusses applying His presence within us. How do we do it?

Today, Jesus walks us through an experience wherein we are to take account of what we care about or invest in.

It might help sometime in the week ahead to create a list for yourself. List the things you care most about. Do it in any order at first, just brainstorming your list. Whatever pops up is fine.

After doing that, take the list and sort and order it. Place the things you care about in order from most to least important.

This might seem like a childish thing to do, or something not worth doing, but if you give it a short you will likely find it very revealing.

Some things will stand out as very consistent with your everyday life. Others may cause you to wonder why they are there – I never really considered that important, but here it is. And, you just might find some very important things missing.

That, of course, isn’t the end. We may find we need to readjust and re-prioritize. Maybe we will find everything in order, and we can rejoice in that.

James and John’s approach to Jesus was based on a misunderstanding of Who He is, what He was going to accomplish, and how He was going to do it. Jesus helped them to re-prioritize. 

The letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tested in all the same ways we are, and truthfully more strongly that we are. Yet, through it all, He persevered with His priorities set straight. He knew what was important to His Heavenly Father, and how He had to get there – through the cross.

When we read the last line of today’s gospel: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve…” we tend to fixate on the idea of serving other as the end all and be all of priorities. We kind of miss the second part: “and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus put His entire self, His very life, at the center of accomplishing His mission, following through on His chief priority – saving us.

Let us take Jesus’ presence within us and use that grace to get our priorities right and to follow through on them.

Reflection for the 27th Ordinary Sunday 2024

When Jesus saw this… He said to them, “Let the children come to Me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him. For the rest of Ordinary Time and the special Solemnities of our Church, Jesus discusses applying His presence within us. How do we do it?

A certain way to live out the presence of Jesus is faithfulness.

The Pharisees come to Jesus, as usual, to test Him. This was their mode of operation, to constantly question, test, debate, and argue. In general, this is not a bad approach. It is a way to debate with a goal of arriving at the truth. This method however falls apart if it is only intended to trap and without openness to acceptance of God’s truth.

The question they ask concerns divorce. To this day, among Orthodox Jews, a husband has the power to issue a Jewish divorce. The husband ends the marriage by giving his wife a Get. The marriage ends formally if the wife receives it willingly.

Of course there are traps there. If a husband issues a Get the wife will quickly realize his support has ended; there is no way out, she must accept it. 

In Jesus’ time men left their wife behind by just issuing a document and moving on. Like today where divorced women statistically tend to end up more impoverished, leaves behind a wake of destruction.

This is not a discussion of abusive situations, which always must end, but rather one of faithfulness. Jesus was encountering a people who treated faithfulness cheaply. They were not living up to the very faithfulness that God showed toward them. 

The same today. Get an itch, see a better bank account, desire more fun, set aside faithfulness and move on.

Jesus reminds the Pharisees and us of God’s faithfulness and our call to that very same faithfulness. We tell young people to reach up, to strive for the best. So, we must do the same in terms of faithfulness to our commitment to each other. As God sets the example for us, we must set the example for each other and our children,

Today we welcome our pets to church. This is always a blessed event, and again shows us the power of faithfulness.

Today’s gospel ends with Jesus embracing children. It seems odd in this divorce discussion but is not. It is intended to show us the true value of dedication and faithfulness. Living His presence in us.

Reflection for the 26th Ordinary Sunday 2024

There is no one who performs a mighty deed in My name who can at the same time speak ill of Me.

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him. For the rest of Ordinary Time and the special Solemnities of our Church, Jesus discusses applying His presence within us. How do we do it?

A certain way to live out the presence of Jesus is to avoid both personal and faith possessiveness.

Notice in our reading from Numbers, Eldad and Medad prophesy – they express outwardly the gift God’s Holy Spirit has bestowed on them. They are doing exactly what God wants them to do, living His gift out.

Right away, a boy runs to tell on them and Joshua is ready to shut them down. The boy and Joshua engaged in a possessiveness towards God’s gifts that was uncalled for. Moses sets them straight.

In the same way, the Apostles come to Jesus telling on someone driving our demons with His Name. They engaged in the same type of possessiveness that Moses had to deal with. Likewise, Jesus deals with it. He turns the Apostles attitude from one of possessiveness to one of acceptance and welcome for all who are with God and who are using God’s gifts rightly.

St. James illustrates what happens when we live possessively toward the gifts in our lives. It is cheapness of life, distractedness through a sole focus on gaining and possessing things of little to no value. In a stunning condemnation, St. James tells his listeners that their sin of possessiveness killed Jesus. Their greed killed love.

We may sadly know people who possess much. We see the lifestyles of the rich and famous in movies and on TV, we can join Rap star 2 Chainz on his show “Most Expensivest” and see people spending to excess on worthless things. If one were to look just a little more deeply, we would find lives lacking fulfillment and a bunch of damaged souls left behind.

Jesus is strongly reminding us to value things rightly. To damage someone’s soul, especially that of an innocent person, it would be better if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. It is about properly valuing, caring for, and living rightly. If we do it wrong in selfishness, placing ourselves first, there is a consequence.

What we possess, even our bodies, must be put to work for Jesus’ Gospel and the Kingdom. The presence of Jesus within us calls us to offer it all, and to do so both willingly and rightly, getting rid of whatever holds us back.