Sunday Reflections

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.  

Who is my neighbour?  This question often haunts followers of Jesus, as we realize more and more what it means to be brothers and sisters of one another, united in Christ.  The Samaritan was the last person expected to help the stricken Jew, since their tribes were not united.  There was dis-trust between them, but here is the Samaritan caring for the Jew.  He shows us what compassion looks like.  Compassion means ‘to suffer with’.  The other two, who as Jews were more obliged to help, had only pity, keeping their distance (so as not to be made unclean by conta

Today’s readings, as usual, are powerful and easy to understand.  Today’s readings are also very personal and speak to our baptized vocation in Christ.

Notice the very beautiful sentiment in today’s First Reading: “as a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” This is God our Father/Mother talking to you and me – we are God’s children!  Something we should really really celebrate! The Responsorial Psalm answers for us: make your joyful noise to God.

One might expect that the Scripture Readings for the first Sunday of Summer would leave us with notions of rest and relaxation however, if we do expect this, we would be sadly disappointed.  Quite the opposite!  There are strong aspects of Paschal Mystery in today’s Gospel: Luke 9:51-62.

The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi, gives us an opportunity to reflect on what this great Sacrament means in the life of each of us.  In this Sacrament Jesus shares His life with us, as we receive His Body and Blood.  His power has transformed the bread and wine, and it now is a source of spiritual and eternal life for us.  Through this miraculous Sacrament, He takes up residence in us, making His ‘home’ in us.  What a beautiful and reassuring image of that intimate relationship with Jesus through His Body and Blood.   Unfortunately, in o

Today we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Trinity (God’s being three Persons in one God).  This is the most fundamental and most foundational doctrine of our Catholic Faith. It clearly is a mystery to us.  We cannot figure it out and it even is hard to grasp in any fundamental way.  How can God be so is beyond us.

St. John Chrysostom wrote, “He whom we love and lose is no longer where He was before; He is now wherever we are.” This quotation seems to articulate the experience of Mary of Magdala when she encounters the Risen Lord and hears that she must let go, for He will be ascending “to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17).  It is difficult for her to let go of the one that she loves for she is experiencing the loss of a certain way of relating to Jesus. But, as she does let go, she is able to experience the Risen Lord in a new way through the Holy Spirit.

The Feast of the Ascension brings to an end the Paschal mystery, together with the suffering, death and resurrection.  Now, after significant appearances of the risen Lord to the disciples, Jesus ascends into heaven.  He leaves the disciples with a mission.