Reflections of the Kingdom

Who do You say I am? Lectionary:  121 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 22:19-23 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8 Reading 2 -  Romans 11:33-36 Alleluia - Matthew 16:18 Gospel -  Matthew 16:13-20 The Noise of Caesarea Philippi If you were to travel to the region of Caesarea Philippi in northern Galilee today, you would find the ruins of an ancient city built against a massive, towering cliff of rock. In the ancient world, this place was a bustling hub of pagan worship. At the base of the cliff was a massive cave known as the " Gates of the Underworld, " from which a spring burst forth. Surrounding this cave were temples dedicated to the Greek god Pan, as well as a grand marble temple built by Herod the Great to honor Caesar Augustus as a god. It was into this exact setting—surrounded by temples to false gods, imperial propaganda, and the overwhelming noise of world religions and earthly power—that Jesus brought His disciples. He did not take them to the quiet solitude...

The Bread That Never Fails Lectionary:  112 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 55:1-3 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 145:8-9, 15-18 Reading 2 -  Romans 8:35, 37-39 Alleluia - Matthew 4:4b Gospel -  Matthew 14:13-21 Have you ever noticed how much of our lives are organized around one simple fact: we get hungry ? We wake up hungry. We plan our days around meals. We gather for holidays around tables. Hunger is one of the most basic, most honest things about being human … Yes, we get hungry for food, certainly. But we are also hungry for love, acceptance, peace, security, meaning, and hope. We carry many kinds of hunger within us. Some people are hungry because they do not have enough to eat. Others have full tables but empty hearts. Some are surrounded by people but feel painfully alone. Some have success, possessions, and comfort, yet still ask themselves: “Is this all there is?” Today’s scriptures meet us right at that intersection of human hunger and divine abundance. Our first ...

Taking up the Cross Lectionary:  97 Reading 1 -  2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 89:2-3, 16-19 Reading 2 -  Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 Alleluia - 1 Peter 2:9 Gospel -  Matthew 10:37-42 Welcoming Christ, Welcoming the Cross ... LESSON: The Cost and the Welcome My brothers and sisters in Christ, today's Gospel ends a long discourse in Matthew chapter 10, where Jesus has been preparing his disciples for mission. He has warned them about persecution, about division, even about being hated for his name. And now, at the very end, he gives us these striking words: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me… whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me." These are hard sayings. They almost seem to contradict everything Jesus teaches elsewhere about honoring father and mother, about loving our neighbor, about the sanctity of family life. So what is going on here? Jesus is not telling us to love our famili...

Pentecost (Day) Lectionary:  63 Reading 1 -  Acts 2:1-11 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 Reading 2 -  1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 Alleluia Gospel -  John 20:19-23 Receive the Holy Spirit LESSON: The Church's Work: Reuniting Mankind Today our 50 day Easter season concludes with Pentecost Sunday, commemorating that day in the early Church … when the Father and the Son poured out the Holy Spirit in a special way upon the Apostles … who then took up the mission of proclaiming the Gospel throughout the whole world.  This makes Pentecost one of the most significant moments in our Christian faith. However, before it was a Catholic feast, it was a Jewish feast … and when we look at Pentecost in that context, we add a deeper and richer understanding of what it all means for us today. In its Greek origin, the word “Pentecost” means simply “fifty” … and … for Christians … occurs 50 days after the Easter Resurrection of our Lord Jesus and marks ...

The Good Shepherd Lectionary:  49 Reading 1 -  Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 23: 1-6 Reading 2 -  1 Peter 2:20b-25 Alleluia - John 10:14 Gospel -  John 10:1-10 I am the good shepherd, says the Lord! So we have reached the mid-point of the Easter Season and come to what is unofficially known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because every year at this time we read from John 10, the famous “Good Shepherd Discourse.” For the most part, the readings are focused around the idea of Jesus Christ as our divine Shepherd. But what is a shepherd like? Now, let’s be honest: most of us have never actually spent much time with a literal sheep. We tend to romanticize them as fluffy, docile creatures on greeting cards. Case in point, despite having midwestern farmers as parents, my experience with sheep is limited to petting zoos and the movie Babe … where except for a very talented pig, Shepherds often drive sheep in different directions using dogs to intimidate them...

The 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises   The Spiritual Exercises are a collection of meditations, contemplations, and practices developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola between 1522–1524 after his own radical conversion, and officially published in 1548 as the foundational handbook for Ignatian spirituality and the training of the  Society of Jesus  (Jesuits). They are designed to help a person discern God’s will and reform their life in freedom from disordered attachments.  Ignatius intended the Exercises to be given by a spiritual director , not self‑guided. They function as a framework for a retreatant’s encounter with God.  The Exercises are structured into four thematic sections, traditionally called "weeks," though their actual duration can vary depending on the retreat format.  These “weeks” are not literal seven‑day periods but movements of the soul. The Four “Weeks” (Phases) First Week (God’s Love and Human Sin): Reflection on t...