October 25, 2020: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus teaches a great truth in today's Gospel reading when He states the two greatest of all the 600-something commandments in Jewish Law are to love God and love our neighbors.  He furthermore adds that everything depends on these two commandments because love is the motivation behind our call to uphold them.

God has shown us love in establishing a relationship with us.  And while He is unseen, He makes Himself known through pouring out sacrificial love for us, and we reveal Him by pouring out love for others.  As the commands in the first reading declare, we are to care for the needs of those who are in a lowly state.  Like the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt, so we all have had a time in our lives when we were in need.

In the New Covenant in Christ, this love is the basis for our faith, as we imitate Christ-like behavior, showing the love he has first shown us through dying and rising, so that the living God is truly present among us, as the Holy Spirit equips us to live this love.

October 18, 2020: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

With great joy I reflect on these readings, which were proclaimed at my Confirmation Mass 15 years ago.

Jesus masterfully wards off His adversaries' attempt to trap Him by a noble statement of giving to Caesar what belongs to him, and then takes it to a higher level of offering to God what belongs to Him.

Ultimately, everything belongs to God, especially us, because we are made in His image, and walking by faith, we continuously strive to be conformed to His image, as we offer ourselves to God.  

God, enthroned above all the powers of Earth, He chooses certain individuals as instruments to accomplish His purposes, like Cyrus, the Persian king, Who he called the annointed one, the Messiah, and Cyrus fulfilled that designation as the one who sent the Israelites back to their land and even helped rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Indeed, God has chosen each of us to bear His image, and be part of His purposes in our world, which He accomplished through the Gospel, which is worked in us powerfully through the Holy Spirit, and so we strive in faith, hope, and love.

October 11, 2020: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Like St. Paul writes, God supplies us abundantly with everything we need.

In fact, He offers us a great banquet, where we can delight in His presence.

It is a great invitation, and it compels us to respond by coming, and fully embracing the life God offers us, which is not an invitation that everyone in the story completely accepts.

So let's put on the Christian dignity He gives us, as I see symbolized in the wedding garments given to the guests, and head toward the Heavenly banquet, keeping that dignity unstained.

Today is the day in 1962 when the Vatican II Council convened, which opened up a new understanding for all the people of the church to embrace the universal call to holiness.

As Jesus says, "Many are invited, but few are chosen."

The invitation extended to all provides a great opportunity as we strive to take hold of the great riches God offers us, flowing through all parts of our lives.  We acknowledge that God equips us and strengthens us for all things, so we can live consistent with all that God provides.

October 4, 2020: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God has lavished so much upon us, even the blessing of forming us into His people.

While it is a great gift freely given, it compels us to make something of it.

The story told in slightly differing versions in Isaiah and then the Gospel according to St. Matthew tells about how God had expectations that His people, represented as the vineyard, and those attending the vineyard, and was disappointed when they didn't produce good fruit in keeping with His blessings.

So as is told in the Gospel reading, the owner of the vineyard gave care of the vineyard to other people who would produce its fruit, which happened when the way was opened for the Gentiles to enter and tend to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

All of us are freely given the gift of blessing as God's people, and all of us are compelled to share those blessings. We are called, as St. Paul writes in the 2nd reading, to focus on what is worthy, drawing constantly and closely to God in prayer, and abiding in the way of righteousness.

On this Respect Life Sunday, may we behold the great gift of Life we have each day, and embrace the noble and worthy responsibility to uphold it for all.