Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 19, 2026: Your might is the source of justice...

Your might is the source of justice…
Just how open is God’s kingdom? 

    Jesus spends a lot of time in Matthew’s Gospel teaching the crowds about the kingdom of heaven, particularly through the use of parables. We are pretty familiar with the image of the mustard seed, which grows into a large bush where the birds of the sky come and dwell (ordinary mustard seeds do nothing of the sort!) and the image of the yeast, which suggests that God’s kingdom expands in ways we cannot imagine. More complex is the parable of the weeds among the wheat, in which good seed grows and bears fruit, but darnel, a pernicious weed, grows as well. When asked, Do you want us to go and pull the bad weeds?, the master gardener instructs his workers, No, if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. God is patient, not judgmental; like the farmer, God is willing to wait until all have a chance to show themselves. And, as Psalm 86 reminds us, the Lord is good and forgiving, open to all who seek to live in right relationship with him. 

    This notion of God’s expansive compassionate justice is announced in the Book of Wisdom as well. Though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, the author of Wisdom states, and with much lenience you govern us. Rather than simply annihilate the enemies of God’s people, God gives all good ground for hope because God permits repentance for sins, not only to the people of Israel, but to all. God has the care of all. Moreover, should we ever be tempted to impose our own judgment, we should remember what Paul tells the Romans: the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness. The Spirit joins us in our groanings, enabling us to pray for our world and its sinful brokenness. God is the one who searches hearts, and only God is called to judge them. 

    Jesus’ parables reveal a secret: the reign of God is here and the reign of God works more profoundly than we could possibly imagine! We are called to do whatever reveals his love – to let him rule our lives, direct our hearts, rule our hearts. In so doing, we will see that reign dawn and division decrease. But if we give into fear, we lose the very thing we put our faith in. It’s God’s way we follow, God’s justice we enact… not our own. And God’s kingdom is large enough to hold all! 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture Class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 21, 2024: His heart was moved with pity for them...

His heart was moved with pity for them… 

What does it mean to say Jesus saves? 

    The history of the people of Israel is filled with shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of the Lord’s pasture. The prophet Jeremiah takes aim at one of them, Zedekiah, the final King of Judah who failed to take care of the people and protect them from Nebuchadnezzar II. Zedekiah did not understand, as Psalm 23 tells us, that the Lord is his shepherd who will unite, rather than scatter, his people. Unlike King David, Zedekiah did not trust in God’s leadership and insisted on being directed by his own will rather than by God’s. But Jeremiah gives the people hope: Behold, I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; he shall do what is right and just in the land. Jeremiah, like the psalmist King David, knows that God is always there to lead us and to care for us. But we have to have confidence in order to be able to express such confidence. 

    Even when, in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tries to take his disciples away to a deserted place so they can rest a while, the crowds show up in great numbers. Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, who appear like sheep without a shepherd, is so great that his heart is moved with pity for them, and he reaches out immediately. Why is he not annoyed by this intrusion? It has to do with where his heart his: Jesus is mercy, and his instinct is to take care of his people. Jesus is the one God promised who comes to save his people in their distress. He is, as Paul tells the Ephesians, our peace, a savior who breaks down the dividing wall of enmity between Jews and Gentiles, who, through the cross, gives them access in one Spirit to the Father, and brings them into one Body with one life – a life in him – to share. Our shared life in Christ is indeed what saves us, that we might manifest his love to our world, through our unity and community. This is what it means to say Jesus saves… 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 23, 2023: Those who are just must be kind...

Those who are just must be kind… 

What is the kindness of the Lord capable of? 

    The people addressed in the Book of Wisdom have a clear sense of God’s justice. Surprisingly, perhaps, this sense is not predominantly about punishment, but about clemency: your might is the source of justice, the author writes, your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. God is ready to forgive those who disbelieve God’s power or who exhibit temerity, because God desires that we should be one with him and trust in his power in our lives. And if we are one with him, then we too must learn that those who are just must be kind, just as the Lord is, in Psalm 86: Lord, you are good and forgiving. 

    Matthew’s Gospel might, at first glance, seem harsh on this count: Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, we are told, so will it be at the end of the age. There will be wailing and grinding of teeth. These lines are a late addition, however, and to focus on them would belie Jesus’ message to the disciples in the three parables he shares with them. In each case – the parable of the weeds sown among wheat, the parable of the tiny mustard seed that grows in to a large bush, and the parable of the yeast – Jesus is clearly saying that the kingdom of heaven is greater than anything we can imagine, and those who dwell in it are not up to us to select. Notice that even the weeds are useful to the man who sowed them, as he uses them for fuel; God desires to save everything for his purpose! A mustard seed may not look like it can produce much, but be patient and the result will be much greater than the seed promises, just as even a small amount of yeast can leaven an enormous amount of flour. In each case, Jesus recognizes that God has invested so very much in creating us and God wants very much for each of us to fulfill our purpose – even if it requires being patient and waiting just a little. In the end, God’s forgiveness will gather in more sinners than we could ever imagine! 

    Leniency and mercy and forgiveness themselves have a purpose, that we might know depth of God’s love for us and then respond more profoundly to that depth. God has gone to extraordinary efforts to help us see this, and, in case we have difficulty, Paul tells the Romans, God sends the Spirit, who comes to the aid of our weakness, particularly in the context of prayer, interceding for us with inexpressible groanings when God searches our heart, ensuring our connection to God, who incessantly seeks ways to show us his mercy and forgiveness, that we might go forth and do the same for our world. 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class. 
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 17, 2022: The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre...

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre… 

What would you do if you met the Lord today? 

    When, in the Book of Genesis, Abraham, sitting in the entrance of his tent, looks up and sees three men standing nearby, he immediately springs into action, offering them hospitality in great abundance: a tender, choice steer, curds and milk, and rolls made of three measures of fine flour. It’s a feast! Not only that, Abraham waits on them under the tree while they eat. Abraham offers all of this as pure gift to other, giving them his complete attention. He does not know that he is in the presence of the Lord who appears to Abraham under the guise of these men; that fact will become clear to him once his aging wife Sarah is with child. But Abraham embodies the teaching of Psalm 15 – He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord – in his openness to God and to God’s promise. His life is dedicated to other; to do justice is to serve other, building up the community God has created. 

    Martha and Mary have a similar opportunity to offer the Lord hospitality in Luke’s Gospel: Jesus enters a village where a woman whose name is Martha welcomes him. And Martha busies herself with the efforts of hospitality to the point of criticizing her sister Mary’s inaction in this regard: my sister has left me by myself to do the serving, Martha tells Jesus. Martha’s hospitality is gift, to be sure, but it cannot be total gift to Jesus because it is diminished by her resentment. Mary’s gift to Jesus, on the other hand, is one of undivided attention; she is present to him, sitting beside him at his feet. The Word of God, which Mary receives from the source, is what Paul strives to offer the Colossians, in order to make known the riches of the glory of God and teaching everyone with all wisdom. Paul has never known the hospitality of the Colossians, yet he is present to them as he sends them the wisdom of Christ, that they might participate in the mystery that is a life dedicated to other, a life in which they too may rejoice in their suffering for the sake of all. The Colossians will meet the Lord and have the opportunity to offer him their hospitality as well. Christ is present to them in the Word and in each other; they are to proclaim him, ministering to all, building up their community.  We are called to no less.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class. 

Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 18, 2021: They were like sheep without a shepherd...

They were like sheep without a shepherd…

Who is your shepherd?

   King David knew without a doubt that The Lord was his shepherd, as he reminds us in Psalm 23. David, as shepherd-king of the people of Israel, was never meant to fulfill that role alone; he was meant always to act in the company of God: I fear no evil, for you are at my side, he sings. However, the prophet Jeremiah castigates the kings who followed in the line of David for having failed to continue to shepherd the people of Israel: Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. God then promises the people shepherds who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble. God’s desire is to bring the people back to covenant, that they might be united in their fidelity to God.

   Unity in God is the ultimate goal, one that Jesus comes to achieve for all mankind. When, in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus invites his apostles to come away by themselves to a deserted place and rest a while, he is working to meet their needs in the moment. Yet when the vast crowd arrives, Jesus immediately shifts gears, aware that the needs of the whole take precedence over the needs of the individuals in his immediate care. His heart is moved with pity for the people who come to meet him, for he sees that they are like sheep without a shepherd. They look to Jesus for direction, so he begins to teach them many things. His first commitment as shepherd is to do God’s work. As Paul tells the Ephesians, Christ came and preached peace both to those who were far off and peace to those who were near. Jews and Gentiles alike have access to covenant through the cross, and access to the Lord, their shepherd.

   Like the psalmist, we can look forward to dwelling in the house of the Lord so long as we recognize our dependence on the Lord, our shepherd, and walk faithfully in his presence, allowing him to walk in ours, guided in right paths by his judgment. When the Lord is indeed our shepherd, there is nothing we shall want.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 19, 2020: Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds...

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds…

What can we learn about the kingdom of God 

from the parables of Jesus?

  As he does with the loaves and fishes, Jesus multiplies his parables.  In Matthew’s Gospel, he speaks to the crowd using parable after parable, among them the parables of the weeds, the mustard seed, the yeast, and more.  The first of these stresses the time required for the kingdom of God to grow, and its limitations on earth.  When a man sows good seed in his field but his enemy sows weeds all through the wheat, the man does not rip out the weeds – his concern is that the good might be cast out with the bad, and so forbearance must be shown to all who might potentially play a part in that kingdom.  After all, the Book of Wisdom tells us, God judges with clemency, and governs with leniency. Psalm 86 echoes the idea that God is merciful and gracious to all:  Lord, you are good and forgiving, sings the psalmist, praying for mercy.  It isn’t up to us to predict – or second guess – God’s judgment, but to trust in God’s wisdom in all things.  And God, in God’s wisdom, will make the kingdom grow.

  The parables of the mustard seed and of the yeast add a nuance to this discussion of the kingdom.  Both are tiny – the smallest of all seeds, a bit of leaven – yet both yield tremendously, and so it should be with God’s kingdom:  starting with the most insignificant and hidden of elements, God is an irresistible force that will transform all of creation.  So even if we don’t see huge results in our individual efforts to make the kingdom a reality, we need to persist, to keep on keeping on… for God, in God’s wisdom, will make the kingdom grow.

  The parables of Jesus are not easy to understand; indeed, he spends a good deal of time explaining them to his disciples, and whoever has ears ought to hear.  In his Letter to the Romans Paul suggests additional assistance when deciphering of the parables:  the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness, helping us not only to pray in the traditional sense of the word, but also to discern the meaning of the Scriptures, so that we might be receptive to the challenges they pose, open to the eager yet sometimes inexpressible revelations of God and of the kingdom God is growing around us all the time.

Image source: www.wordclouds.com 

Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 21, 2019: Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things...

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things…

Are you open to an encounter with the Lord?

  Abraham is a nomad.  In the Book of Genesis, Abraham is bound by the laws of hospitality to be other-centered.  So, when the Lord appears to Abraham in the form of three men, Abraham goes out of his way to serve them.  Offering them first water and a place to rest, then a copious amount of food – curds, milk, rolls and a choice steer! – Abraham’s attention is entirely upon his guests.  He receives the messengers of God, and is open to God and to God’s promise, which will be life-changing for him:  I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.  In the words of Psalm 15, Abraham does justice, leading a life dedicated to other, geared to building up a people, a community.  Free of sin in all its forms – slander, usury, bribes, and so on– men like Abraham have access to the presence of God.  Observant Jews who wanted to enter the temple prayed Psalm 15, asking Lord, who may abide in your tent?  Clearly, Abraham would have passed with flying colors.

  Martha is perhaps not quite there yet.  In Luke’s Gospel, both she and her sister Mary have Jesus in their very home.  Both have the opportunity, each in her own way, to be present to him:  Martha through service, and Mary through her attention to Jesus’ words.  But Martha’s hospitality is marred by her resentment of Mary’s position.  Tell her to help me, she says.  Her resentment prevents Martha from offering service that is entirely pure gift to other.  She is in the presence of the Lord, to be sure, but she has not yet opened herself fully to his promise.

  On the other hand, Paul’s openness to that promise is radical.  In his Letter to the Colossians, Paul says he rejoices in his sufferings for their sake.  Paul has been beaten and persecuted for spreading the Good News, proclaiming Christ, teaching with wisdom, so that all may enter into relationship with God, and be fully present to the Lord, perfect in Christ.  Paul, having encountered the Lord on the way to Damascus, now sees God present in those he meets:   it is Christ in you, he says, the hope for glory.  He is open to an encounter with the Lord at every turn, and is generous in his service of other, to the point of painful suffering on their behalf.

  We never know when we might encounter the Lord – indeed, we encounter him daily, hourly, perhaps even more often than that!  To be open to that encounter, open to seeing Christ in other, open to doing all we can to serve them, is to reveal Christ in us as well.  Indeed, it is only through radical openness and generous service that we, like Mary, can choose the better part.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.

Image source:  www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, July 22, 2018: He shall reign and govern wisely...

 He shall reign and govern wisely… 

 What do we need from our leaders? 

   When he witnesses injustice and poor governance, the prophet Jeremiah calls out the leaders of his time, shepherds who mislead and scatter the flocks, incompetent rulers who fail to govern wisely or care for the people of Israel.  But through Jeremiah, God promises to provide a new leader for his people:  Behold, the days are coming when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David, God says.  And the most important characteristic of this leader?  He shall do what is just and right in the land.  Like the good shepherd of Psalm 23, the leader God provides will show loving care for his flock:  in verdant pastures he gives me repose; he refreshes my soul.  The good shepherd gives from the heart, grounded in goodness and kindness, offering protection and strength to his flock, so that they need fear no evil.

   God’s promise will of course be fulfilled in the person of Jesus, our good shepherd, who, though he & his apostles are weary and in need of rest themselves, responds to the needs of the people with compassion.  Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus’ heart is moved with pity for them, these sheep without a shepherd, the vast flock he adopts as his own throughout his ministry in Galilee.  Through his death on the cross, Jesus becomes the source of all peace, reconciling the people, Jews and Gentiles alike, with each other and with God, as Paul tells the Ephesians, putting enmity to death, eradicating division, that hate might end and all might be at peace. 

   It is this unity of purpose, born of love and concern for other, that Jesus embodies and that our own leaders – political, spiritual, etc. – are called to mirror; he is a compassionate companion on our journey, able to lift us out of all fear, giving us confidence that he will be with us always.  Jesus is a model we, like our leaders, might do well to emulate.  

Image source:  www.wordle.net