Reflections for Ordinary Time

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 28, 2024

Jesus clearly made an impression. So much so that many important and powerful people decided it was necessary to kill him. But that’s still in the future. For now we’ve heard how the impression he made on his first disciples was so strong that they were willing to put aside their lives and livelihoods and […]

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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 21, 2024

This week we hear Mark’s version of the story of Jesus calling his first disciples (Mk 1:14-20). This includes the familiar line “I will make you fishers of men”. But it has the same sense of immediacy as we got from John last week. The picture of the fishermen just dropping everything and running after

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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 14, 2024

One of the striking things about the story of Jesus calling his disciples is that there is no discussion, no questioning, they simply up and follow. In John’s version (Jn 1:35-42) it isn’t even Jesus who initiates the process. It’s John the Baptist who says something that triggers the first two disciples to turn and

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Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 29, 2023

Which of our laws are most important? Sometimes it’s easy – a law against murder is more important than a law about fraud, and we really don’t care much about a law regarding speed limits. Some tie us in knots. Is a law protecting freedom of speech more important than one that prevents riots, or

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Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 22, 2023

I grew up with a version of Christianity that had no political content whatsoever. If anyone had suggested there was any relationship between religion and politics I think the reaction would have been bafflement. As I grew older I became aware of the many linkages between Catholicism and politics, historic and current, from the close

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Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 15, 2023

This week Isaiah is at his most exuberant: “a feast of rich food and choice wines, for all peoples” as God “wipes away the tears from every face” and “destroys death forever”. (Isa 25:6-19a) This is followed by the caressing tranquility of Psalm 23.  But in our reading from Matthew’s gospel (Mt 24:1-14), Jesus continues

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