November 13, 2020: A Reflection for the Feast of All Benedictine and Cistercian Saints You might say the core meaning of God’s revelation to Julian of Norwich can be summed up in the “showing” where she gazed upon a hazelnut which God revealed to her as representing the created world and she expressed God’s reason for creating it as: His reason is love. All creation, you, me, Jesus’ self-sacrificing love…
November 8, 2020: A Reflection for the 32nd Sunday in Ord. Time, Year A Matthew 25:1-13 While the foolish virgins went off to buy oil for their lamps, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. (Mt 25:10) “Everybody’s looking for something” goes the old saying. Today’s Gospel of the wise and foolish virgins speaks to that ‘something’ for which we all ultimately…
August 9, 2020: A Reflection for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a Matthew 14:22-33 After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When Elijah heard this he hid his face in his cloak. (1 Kings 19:13a) Take courage it is I; do not be afraid. (Matthew 14:29) You reveal yourself in the most unlikely places and ways, Jesus. Is it any wonder that…
August 2, 2020: A Reflection for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Matthew 14:13-21 There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves. (Matthew 14:17) Jesus, today’s readings envelop us in the free gift of your love. We don’t have to earn it: “Come without money and without cost.” We come from Love and by very definition of our creature-hood we are the…
July 26, 2020: A Reflection for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Matthew 11:25-30 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. (Matthew 11:30-31) Labor, burdens, rest. Jesus, that is something you, like us, were no stranger to. It is the cycle of…
June 28, 2020: A Reflection for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Matthew 10:37-42 What would you say unifies Jesus’ life and teaching? Today’s Gospel gives us some manifestations of what this unifying focus is. When Jesus counsels us to take up our cross and follow him, to lose our life in order to find it, to see his Presence in every person and make it our purpose…
June 21, 2020: A Reflection for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Matthew 10:26-33 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:31) Here we are again, Jesus, dealing with fear. You approach it from so many angles. Today, it is “Fear no one.” Other times it is, “Do not be afraid” and “Do not live in fear.” You know how our fear…
May 24, 2020: A Reflection for the Feast of the Ascension, Year A Matthew 28:16-20 Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) “I am with you always,” you proclaim to your disciples as you ascend from their vision, Jesus, and return to the Father. How comforting it must have been to hear you promise to remain with them – and yet how puzzling…
May 17, 2020: A Reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter, Year A John 14:15-21 Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. (John 14:20) This is not how we usually think of expressing love, Jesus: doing what you ask of us. If we had our way, it would be something a little warmer and fuzzier. Yet you equate the two in today’s gospel and…
May 10, 2020: A Reflection for the 5th Sunday of Easter, Year A John 14:1-12 DWELLING PLACES Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. (Jn 14:1-2) Jesus, how comforting it is to hear you remind us time after time: do not be afraid, do not live in fear, little flock, fear not. And today you remind us again to rest our concerns…
