Category: Reflections

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings:Wisdom  6:12-16Psalms  63:2-81 Thessalonians  4:13-17Matthew  25:1-13 Towards the end of this liturgical year, and every year, our minds are turned toward the end of time, when, as our second reading says: “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and the… Continue reading THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS (2020) Readings:Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14Psalms 24:1-61 John 3:1-3Matthew 5:1-12 All of us are called to be holy. Very few of us will reach the heights of sanctity achieved by those we celebrate today, at least those recognized by the Church in the process we call canonization. However, what we celebrate today is… Continue reading THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS (2020)

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings:Exodus 2:20-26Psalms 18:2-4, 47, 511 Thessalonians 1:5-10Matthew 22:34-40 With all of our attempts at loving, one would think more of us would be better at it. Why is it that we are not better at loving? Why do so many marriages fail, or devolve into abusive relationships? Perhaps, it… Continue reading THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020)

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings:Isaiah 45:1, 4-6Psalms 96:1, 3-5, 7-101 Thessalonians 1:1-5Matthew 22:15-21 Our first reading from Isaiah highlights the universal sovereignty of the God we worship, the King of the Universe. In a typically Jewish way, all things and all persons are seen as being under the mantle of One God, even… Continue reading TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020)

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings:Isaiah 25:6-10Psalms 23:1-6Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20Matthew 22:1-14 Our gospel for this Sunday, not unlike last Sunday’s gospel, is an allegorical parable on the kingdom of God. It is given by Jesus during the last week of His life, and surely is being used by Matthew to suggest the increased tensions which would… Continue reading TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020)

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalms 80:9, 12-16, 19-20 Philippians 4:6-9 Matthew 21:33-43 The image of God’s vineyard has a long history in the Judeao-Christian church of which we are apart, and it has already been used by Matthew several times in this year’s cycle of Sunday readings. The image appears… Continue reading TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020)

Pro-Life Message from Fr. Christopher in Honor of Respect Life Sunday - 2020 Particularly with the process of choosing a new Supreme Court Justice going on, it is important to make a statement on the issue of pro-life. There is a vast amount of disinformation going on, including that which is coming from priests and… Continue reading Pro-Life Message from Fr. Christopher in Honor of Respect Life Sunday – 2020

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings:Ezekiel 18:25-28Psalms 25:4-9Philippians 2:1-11Matthew 21:28-32 Readers will remember the striking parable from Luke that we call (wrongly?) ‘The Prodigal Son.’ While it is fully different in so many ways from this Sunday’s gospel, there are some similarities that help us to understand today’s parable from Matthew. You will recall… Continue reading TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020)

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings:Isaiah 55:6-9Psalms 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18Philippians 1:20-24, 27Matthew 20:1-16 Capitalists beware! You are not going to like this week’s gospel parable. But before we deal with the gospel, let us look at the preparation for the gospel which the the first reading from the prophet Isaiah provides.Isaiah gives us an important perspective… Continue reading TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020)

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020) Readings:Sirach 27:30-28:7Psalms 103:1-4, 9-12Romans 14:7-9Matthew 18:21-35 In what is called “lectio continuum,” the gospel begins from where last week’s gospel ended. With the exception of the opening sentence (which Matthew shares with Luke), the parable is once again unique to Matthew. The readings take us into a world which is… Continue reading TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2020)