Mass was beginning one Sunday morning in a small Latin American town when a band of revolutionaries, armed with machine guns, stormed their way into the chapel. The priest and the congregation were terrified. The men dragged the priest outside to be executed. The leader came back inside and demanded, “Anyone else who believes in this God stuff, come forward!”  Everyone was petrified. There was a long silence.

Finally, one man came forward and said to the leader, “I love Jesus.” He was then roughly tossed to the soldiers and taken outside. A few others stepped forward and said the same thing. They too were marched outside. Each time someone was taken outside, machine guns were heard. When no more people stepped forward, the leader told them to leave. “You have no right to be here!” He then herded them out of the chapel where they were astonished to see the priest and the others standing there, unhurt and very much alive.

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20th Sunday in Ordinary TimeRead More »

“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Jesus’ advice to his disciples alludes to the first Passover,mentioned in the first reading, when the Israelites were cautioned to be ready on moment’s notice to leave Egypt for the Promised Land. Luke and his peers honestly anticipated the return of Christ in their lifetime, thus he was urging them to be prepared when he did.

Twenty centuries later, his followers still await the coming of Christ. Countless self-proclaimed prophets have made predictions of when he would return even though Jesus cautioned that no one knows the moment when that would happen. Those of us gathered here are not likely to witness such an awesome encounter, known as the rapture or the parousia. Instead, we will experience the coming of Christ in a personal way, namely at the moment of death when we take our last breath. And when we do, will we be ready to begin our journey to the Promised Land of heaven?

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19th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Scripture:
1st Reading   Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
2nd Reading  Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Gospel Luke 12: 13-21

In an attempt at leading her young class on an exploration of their values, a second grade teacher gave the following assignment to her class: Take a large piece of butcher paper or cardboard and draw a line down the center. On the top left side of the line write “Needs”.On the top right put “Wants”.

A few days later when the assignment was due, the classroom was filled with colorful and candid reminders of the materialistic nature within which Christianity is challenged to make an impact. Little fingers and small hands, those of innocence, had cut out images of video-game systems, giant-screen t.v.’s, multi-speed bicycles, as well as the necessities of a young persons diet: ice cream sundaes, cookies, pies and cakes, and a large assortment of candies.

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18th Sunday in Ordinary TimeRead More »

The old city of Jerusalem, filled with small shops that sell anything from cooking utensils to souvenirs made of olive wood, is a fascinating place to visit. If I showed any interest in his wares, a merchant may toss out a price, expecting me to respond. I might roll my eyes, give a wave of the hand and move on. If he senses that I am at all interested, the merchant might bait me by lowering the price. “For you, I will offer it for only 200 shekels.”

“No way!” I would say. “Still too much. I can buy it cheaper in Tel Aviv.” Perhaps I would then make a counter offer and he would moan, “How can I feed my family at that price? Already I am offering you the lowest price in the city!” The bickering continues until either a sale is made or this would be customer walks away empty handed.

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17th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

SCRIPTURE:
1ST READING: ISAIAH 66: 10-14C
2ND READING: GALATIANS 6: 14-18
GOSPEL:LUKE 10:1-12, 17-20

Sometimes I feel like I am wearing a heavy backpack. It is a backpack wrapped tightly around my mind, my knees buckling under the weight as I trod down the trail of life.

Along the way I continue to pick up feelings, beliefs, thoughts, experiences and memories that I have come to on my own and that others have helped me form; each new addition making my load heavier.

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14th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »