Sunday Reflections

The portrayal of the prophet Amos that we read in the first reading is a person filled with anger. This anger when understood and put in context appears to be justified. Amos finds that those who are in privileged positions in society are claiming all the wealth of land and possessions and exploiting the poor in obtaining this wealth. The result of these actions is him experiencing human suffering. Those who are the weakest and most vulnerable are suffering at the expense of the most powerful.

I have found a popular reaction to this reading of the Prodigal Son is, “It’s not fair!”  Although we may identify to some extend with the disobedient and selfish son, most prefer to align themselves with the dutiful and obedient other son.  I believe he was more motivated by fear of his father, than love.  If he had left home, I doubt he would have ever returned, doubting that the father would love him enough to forgive him.  So, he felt justified in rejecting his newly welcomed brother, and was angry with his father.  In our human condition, are we welcoming of th

INTRODUCTION: We are at the end of summer and have only a little bit left of this very beautiful season.  All of us are fully blessed and loved by God Who has generously given us His/Her Word (the Scriptures) in order to speak directly to us, God’s children.  This Word is too important for us not to increase and improve our graced approach to it in our Sunday Masses.  Please allow me to explore with you a way for doing this before we approach this Sunday’s Scripture readings. And thankyou for letting me make these reflections a bit longer so I can do this.

I was at a perpetual vow ceremony last weekend. I did not know anyone there and was unfamiliar with the practices of this group. I asked another priest if we should sit in a particular place and he indicated that this was a suitable place for us. No sooner had we sat down, and someone came by to explain to us that we were sitting in the section reserved for the family. The person “graciously” led us toward the back of the room where the clergy were to sit! This led, of course, to some TEMPORARY embarrassment.

How embarrassing to hear, as in the gospel, someone say, “I don’t know you”.  In this parable, Jesus calls us to be faithful to Him, and to show that we belong to Him by our quality of life.  It is not a Baptismal certificate or First Communion photos that will get us into heaven.  We make ourselves “first” in the kingdom, by our humility and obedience to Christ.  Humility helps us realize that all that we have and are comes from God.  This also helps us to see ourselves ‘on a level playing field‘ and in harmony with others.  Our obedience is to the will of God

Welcome to another Faith-filled encouraging and powerful Eucharistic celebration.  Let us open our ears, heart and mind to what God proclaims this Sunday – another grace of graces to and for us!

In the parable offered this Sunday, being honest, generous, reliable, humble, persistent, and alert are qualities Jesus encourages his followers appropriate if they want to be among those whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom to.  This would have been the kingdom that was foretold by prophets, imagined by visionaries, and embraced by faithful Jewish people for many generations.  It was truly the fulfillment of their deepest longings and, if lost, it became the source of their greatest disappointments and fears.  To hear that God is pleased to give them this great gif

In our human condition, we sometimes lose sight of what is really important.  Ambition and being industrious are not bad things; being wealthy is not bad.  However the criticism of Jesus in this gospel (and others) is because often the fruits of this ‘success’ leads people to become independent of God, forgetting that all that they have and are has come from God.  It also can lead to a breakdown with others, feeling superior and more worthy.  Our true treasure is not in barns, grains and goods, but in the values and virtues of the kingdom of God.  These last forever

Today’s Scripture Readings and Scriptural References in the Gospel Acclamation and the Communion Antiphon, for example, arouse us to deeper faith by our hearing more deeply God’s powerful word to us.  The readings and Scriptural references are like a little catechism teaching us so much about God and ourselves.

Our scriptures this Sunday provide stories of hospitality. In an “appearance of the Lord” to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, Abraham and Sarah welcome three men. As Jesus entered a village, a woman whose name was Martha and her sister Mary welcome him.