Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time [II]
Philippians 2:1-4  +  Luke 14:12-14
November 5, 2018

“For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Although Jesus’ words today take the form of a command (“do not invite…”) to us as His disciples, we can reflect on His words through a process of inversion.  That is, we can consider ourselves as those invited to a banquet.  The one inviting us is the Lord Jesus.  The banquet is the sacramental celebration of the Last Supper:  the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Continue reading →

The Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
Deut 6:2-6   +   Heb 7:23-28   +   Mk 12:28-34
November 4, 2018

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’”

During the last Sundays of the Church year, which lead up to the feast of Christ the King, conflict comes to forefront.  With each of these Sundays, the conflict becomes more pronounced.  Finally, Christ the King presents both the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time and His Last Judgment of mankind. Continue reading →

Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time [II]
Ephesians 4:32—5:8  +  Luke 13:10-17
October 29, 2018

Blessed the man who… meditates on His law day and night.

In today’s Responsorial Psalm, we hear the first psalm of the Psalter, and it helps bring focus to our spiritual life.  If you were to ask one hundred Christians whether they knew any of the psalms by heart, you’d probably not garner many “Yes”es.  Among those “Yes”es, most probably have memorized Psalm 23.  But those looking for one of the psalms to memorize ought to consider Psalm 1. Continue reading →

The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
Jeremiah 31:7-9  +  Hebrews 5:1-6  +  Mark 10:46-52
October 28, 2018

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

Reflect on how the greatest gift—the strongest virtue—that Jesus offers is the virtue of caritas (sometimes simply called “charity”, or “love”).  The Joyful, Luminous and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary lead to the Glorious Mysteries in the way that the chapters of a novel lead to its climax.  So too, the virtues of the Christian life lead to its goal:  the divine virtue of caritas; divine charity; divine love:  the life of the Trinity who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Continue reading →

Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time [II]
Ephesians 2:1-10  +  Luke 12:13-21
October 22, 2018

“‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you….’”

Regarding today’s Gospel passage, we need to reflect both upon Jesus’ interaction with the jealous brother, and His parable to the crowd.  Here, consider the latter. Continue reading →

The Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
Isa 53:10-11  +  Heb 4:14-16  +  Mk 10:35-45
October 21, 2018

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

The New Testament Letter to the Hebrews, from which Sunday’s Second Reading is taken, offers a profound meditation on the meaning that suffering gains through Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross.  Here one of the best-known definitions of “courage” is illustrated:  “not the absence of fear, but fear that has been prayed over.” Continue reading →

St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Galatians 4:22-24,26-27,31—5:1  +  Luke 11:29-32
October 15, 2018

These women represent two covenants.

In today’s First Reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, the Apostle to the Gentiles uses a very direct allegory.  Abraham begat one son by a free woman, and another son by a slave woman.  St. Paul sees the slave son as an allegory for those held bound by the Law, while the free son is an allegory for those who share in the freedom of Christ. Continue reading →

The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
Wis 7:7-11  +  Heb 4:12-13  +  Mk 10:17-30
October 14, 2018

Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands.

At the beginning of Sunday’s First Reading, the virtue of prudence is invoked.  The Old Testament scribe proclaims:  “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.”  Now honestly, to many persons, prudence does not seem the most interesting of the Christian virtues.  After all, it’s not as simple as the virtue of humility, or as bold as the virtue of courage, or as sublime as the virtue of charity.  To be honest, as virtues go, prudence seems sort of like oatmeal. Continue reading →

Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time [II]
Galatians 1:6-12  +  Luke 10:25-37
October 8, 2018

“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Today we hear one of the more famous parables of Jesus.  The Parable of the Good Samaritan ought profoundly to shape our spiritual and moral lives.  That order of things is important, however:  spiritual and then moral. Continue reading →