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28th Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

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  28TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A] It’s the year 1924. Your name is George Mallory. Members of the press are surrounding you. What are they after? They want you to explain yourself: why are you setting out to climb Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the known world? Your sense is that they are reading too much into it. Therefore you offer an explanation that is simple and straight-forward: I’m climbing it because it is there . That’s your explanation. That’s how you operate if you are the famous explorer and mountaineer, George Mallory.  Now, let’s pretend that it’s not 1924. We’re moving further back in time, to the eighth century BC. The mountain in question is not Mt. Everest; rather, we’re faced with a mountain that is shrouded in prophecy. We’re setting out to climb the mountain portrayed in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 25. If a member of the press were to ask you “Why?”, you’ll have to go beyond the George Mallory explanation. You don’t climb Isaiah’s mountain simply beca...
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27th Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

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  27TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A] It’s not as if they intended to gather in a harvest of wild grapes; it’s something that just sort of “happened” (see Isaiah 5:1-7). We could say the same about the vineyard featured in Matthew chapter twenty one. They were anticipating a routine transaction . It wasn’t that they were aiming to stir up a dose of trouble. The trouble is something that just sort of “happened” (Matt. 21:33-43). It gets bad, sometimes. It’s not that we desire the bad; it just sort of “happens.”  For example, it might get bad within your mind and your soul. It’s not that you want it to get bad. It’s just something that sort of “happens.”   You’re like the seminarian who feels discouraged. He consults with his spiritual director, complaining that the face of God seems so very far away. An array of cobwebs stands between the seminarian and his Lord, obstructing the view. The spiritual director explains that it’s typical for webs to form when there is a...
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26th Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

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  26TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A] We’ll begin on the farm, where something exciting is happening: the new chicks are arriving! The little girl, who lives on the farm, has been checking daily, with eager anticipation. It’s a thrill for her, seeing the broken shells and the new life that has emerged. However, she notices an egg that has not completely hatched. A partial opening has formed, and there is evidence of movement within the egg. In an effort to be helpful, the girl reaches forward, forcing the shell to come apart. The chick responds by stumbling forward, gasping momentarily…and then it collapses.   Immediately, the little girl runs off, searching for her mother. The mother, having assessed the situation, provides an explanation: by intervening, the little girl did more harm than good. Her intentions were pure, but she actually hastened the baby chick’s demise by removing what was left of the shell. In truth, the chick NEEDED to undergo the process of breaking f...
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25th Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

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  25TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A] He’s called Doctor Strange . Dr. Strange became part of the comic book world back in the year 1963 [Marvel’s Strange Tales #110]. In more recent times he has been appearing on the Silver Screen. The first Dr. Strange movie premiered in 2016, and then a sequel was released in 2022. Either way, whether you’re encountering him through the comic books or through one of the feature films, you’ll find that the storylines are not easy to follow. You won’t always understand what’s happening. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to recognize that he represents the good. He is looking out for the human race. He’s on your side. He somehow manages to be both strange and also benevolent. In this case, strange doesn’t necessarily mean bad.   We can say something similar about our Lord. His ways are mysterious, as we hear in the Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty five (55:8-9). The ways of our Lord are mysterious, and they can also be described as counter-intuitive. No...
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24th Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

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  24TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A] What is Paul describing? He’s describing a plan that centers around the notion of solidarity . Jesus has of course descended from Heaven. Why? It’s so that he can be in solidarity with us. By being produced from the womb of a human mother, he enters into a state of solidarity with the human race. Is it a complete solidarity? Not yet. He still has to take his place among the dead. He takes his place among the living by being born of Mary. He takes his place among the dead by dying upon the cross. Now the solidarity is completed. Now he can be called “Lord” of both the living and the dead (see Rom. 14:9).  This begs a number of additional questions: what does it mean when we acknowledge Christ in this way: as “Lord” of the living and the dead? What is the objective behind all of this? Is it the pursuit of authority? Is that his primary desire? Is it simply that he wants to have authority over as many people as possible? Is he a megalomaniac? O...
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23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

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  23RD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A] You find yourself in front of the TV, channel-surfing. You pause for a moment on a broadcast of the 1964 production: My Fair Lady . You know that it’s supposed to be a love-story. But as you tune in, you’re thinking that it doesn’t sound like much of a love-story. Here’s Dr. Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) being vigorously scolded by Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn). Her tone is severe and her words are highly critical. As for Professor Higgins, he’s definitely NOT feeling the love. If anything, he’s feeling pain and also a measure of shock.  Having joined the film in progress, you’re wondering how she can be classified as a “fair” lady? It seems to you that she is being decidedly un fair. That’s certainly how Henry Higgins is looking at the situation. At least, that could be regarded as his initial assessment. Now, he’s seeking out a moment of solitude, so that he can ponder and reflect. And it’s clear that something is happening to him as he ...
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22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

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  22ND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A]  It’s sinking in for the prophet Jeremiah: suffering and spirituality go hand-in-hand. He’s not necessarily happy or enthusiastic about the idea. But he’s adjusting (see Jeremiah 20:7-10). As for Simon Peter, he’s not there yet. If Jerusalem means trouble for us, then we should stay away from that location (see Matt. 16:22). Note how Jesus responds: he compares Peter with Satan (vs. 23). Why? What do they have in common with one another?  Recall what happens earlier on in Matthew’s Gospel. Who is that out in the desert, roughing it? That would be Jesus. He proceeds into the desert voluntarily, so that he can subject himself to a pattern of penance and discipline. Who is that visiting Jesus? It’s the devil. Satan appeals to Jesus’s sense of hunger. Why go on, being hungry? Turn this stone into a loaf of bread (Matt. 4:3). In other words, you shouldn’t be following the path of suffering. That’s for people like John the Baptist. You belong ...
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