Reflections for Ordinary Time

Let’s be clear upfront – in today’s reading Jesus isn’t recommending HR policy, or advising on labor relations! The Lectionary actually adds a preamble telling us this is a parable. That first sentence isn’t in the text of Matthew’s Gospel. Why? – well Mathew’s original readers wouldn’t have any difficulty recognizing it as a parable. […]

This week our readings continue the theme of how to respond to others who do us wrong. This one really doesn’t seem to call for any interpretation – what is there to add? We can note that Jesus really isn’t going beyond what we read from Sirah in the first reading. Sirah shows how the

Ever since Cain declared “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, it’s been clear that the answer is yes. God does hold us responsible for looking after those around us.  The extent of that responsibility is a bigger question. Sure we should help each other out, but ultimately other people are responsible for themselves – aren’t they?

Jesus gives us a daunting challenge: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Denying ourselves and taking up a cross sounds pretty tough. Coupled with Jeremiah’s lament “All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me” this really doesn’t sound like something we

Jesus’ famous play on words “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church” (Peter and rock are the same word in Aramaic) has always been seen as the basis for papal authority. It’s not very clear what Jesus had in mind when he referred to “his church” – the concept is

Prejudice and discrimination between different groups of people is as old as human history. There was plenty of it in the history of the Israelites. Isaiah stands out as a prophet recognizing the universality of God’s love and redemption. We hear today one account of many where he emphasizes the universality of God’s kingdom. The

Last week we had a large scale miracle – the feeding of thousands. This week we have a miracle at the opposite end of the scale – only a few disciples are involved. Miracles in some way show the power of Jesus. But that power comes in many different shapes and sizes. In the case

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Today we hear Paul’s strident affirmation that there is no power in heaven or earth that can separate us from the love of God. Christ’s power is total and nothing can stand against it. Isaiah tells us that anyone can come and eat and drink what

I suspect everyone struggles at some time with the question of how a good God allows bad things to happen. And more specifically why bad people get away with it. For some this is an insurmountable barrier to believing in God. “I can’t accept a God that lets such things happen.” This feeling isn’t new.