Today’s readings are not very cheerful. Ecclesiastes asserts, “All things are vanity!”  The responsorial psalm reminds us that in the end we will all “turn back to dust.” Paul urges us “Put to death the parts of you that are earthy,” namely our sinful addictions.  And Jesus calls the rich man a fool for being so obsessed with his worldly possessions that he has lost sight of what really matters in life. Have we done that?

The rich man doesn’t see his wealth as something to be shared. Instead, he naively thinks that his wealth will secure his future. Hence, he has no need of others or even of God. How mistaken he was to identify good living with material things and ignore what matters with God. The inheritance that truly matters is not what can be given to us in someone’s last will and testament but the one that God offers us: eternal life. …

18th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

The first reading from Genesis brings back memories of my travels to Jerusalem. Bargaining in the old city can be an adventure. If a merchant thought I was a tad bit interested in his wares, he would toss out a price, expecting me to respond. I might roll my eyes and move on but if I did, the merchant would persist, baiting me with yet a lower price.

“No way!” I would reply. I might make a counter offer and he would then moan, “How can I feed my family with such a low price? Already I am offering you the lowest price in the city!” The bickering would persist until either a sale was made or this would be customer moved on empty-handed. …

17th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Two readings today invite us to reflect on a virtue that stands out as an essential characteristic expected of any Christian: the virtue of hospitality. To open our doors and hearts to friends and strangers, as Abraham and Martha did, is what God expects us to do, not just here in this gathering, but in our homes, our neighborhoods, at work and in the marketplace as well.

Like Martha, most Christians are a welcoming people but how readily do we really welcome Jesus and what he has to say into our daily lives? How well do we know him? Those questions brings to mind the story of a little black boy in a small Southern town where blacks lived on one side of the tracks and everyone else on the other side. One Sunday morning, he set out to see what people did on that side so he crossed the tracks, came to a huge church, heard the singing and decided to go in. When an usher spotted him, he went over to the boy and said, “Son, why don’t you just go back to where you came from? Now, scoot!” Heart-broken, the boy sat down on the steps of the church and cried.

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16th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

A man in a small southern town was waiting at the station to catch the bus to Macon, Georgia. Bored, he walked around, watching the clock. He noticed a large scale that promised to tell not only his weight, but his name and other facts as well. Curious, he stepped on the scale and deposited a quarter. Instantly, a slip popped out that said, “Your name is Harry Hanson. You live in Sparta, Georgia. You weigh 197 pounds. You are 17 pounds overweight. You are on your way to visit your sister in Macon. The bus to Macon has been delayed. Have a nice day.” …

13th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

We began our liturgy singing a rather upbeat song that celebrates the joy of Easter. Even if you didn’t actually sing along with the rest of us, I hope these words spoke well for you too. “I will give thanks to you, my Lord. You have answered my plea. You have saved my soul from death. You are my strength and my song.”

Then moments ago, we heard a rather somber message. “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Is there a link between these two messages?

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12th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »