Reflections of the Kingdom

The Unknown Day and Hour   Lectionary: 1 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 2:1-5 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 122: 1-9 Reading 2 -  Romans 13:11-14 Alleluia -  Cf. Psalm 85:8 Gospel -  Matthew 24:37-44 '... Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.' Introduction  As we gather on this First Sunday of Advent , we also mark the beginning of the Church’s new liturgical calendar and a four-week preparation period leading up to Christmas. The word Advent comes from either of two Latin words, which simply mean “to come” (Ad-venire) or “to arrive” (Ad-ventus), and as early as the fourth (4th) century, Christians have had this special time of preparation towards Christmas. Of course, Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas; Even as we begin the material preparations for the social celebration of Christmas, the liturgical celebrations of these weeks invite us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. But what does the co...

A Silent Retreat with the Trappist Monks of St Joseph's SAINT JOSEPH’S ABBEY 167 North Spencer Road Spencer, MA 01562 508-885-8710 retreats@spencerabbey.org. '... Silence, all people, in the presence of the LORD, who stirs forth from his holy dwelling  ...' --  Zc 2:17 As part of our on-going formation, deacons are expected to go on a retreat at least once a year ... so with time running out, I joined four (4) of my classmates at Saint Joseph's Abbey for a late year "silent" retreat just before our first year was up.  Ironically ... the theme of the retreat was "Silence" and its relationship with Prayer ... made even more interesting given that Trappists are historically known for a way of life characterized by radical silence in the service of contemplative prayer (AKA The Silent Monks) to the point that, from the 17th century until the second half of the twentieth century, most would use "Trappist" sign language to avoid speaking at all...

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector   Lectionary: 150 Reading 1 -  Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18 [sic] Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 Reading 2 -  2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Alleluia -  2 Corinthians 5:19 Gospel -  Luke 18:9-14 '... for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.' In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents us with the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. This story is closely connected to the one which comes just before it about the persistent widow who secures a just decision from a dishonest judge. While the first encourages us to pray and never give up. The second reminds us how, and in what manner, we ought to pray. However, to fully understand the example Jesus gives us, we should look more closely at first the century audience that He initially spoke to. A faithful Jew at that time would have assumed two things: That the Pharisee was a very holy and devout man.  And that...

Lazarus and the Rich Man (Dives)   Lectionary: 138 Reading 1 -  Amos 6:1a, 4-7 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 Reading 2 -  1 Timothy 6:11-16 Alleluia -  Cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9 Gospel -  Luke 16:19-31 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.' Justice, both socially and spiritually, is at the heart of today’s readings. Social Justice is about seeing the “unseen”… remembering the “forgotten” in our society. It’s about the men, women and children who only want a better life in a world that God has given to all of us, just not a select few. In our first reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, we hear from Amos, the prophet of social justice. God called him to speak to the rich of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. The country was about to be destroyed by the Assyrians while the wealthy “lie on beds of ivory” and “drink wine from bowls,” confident that “the ruin of Joseph” ...

The Narrow Gate Lectionary: 123 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 66:18-21 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 117:1, 2 Reading 2 -  Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 Alleluia -  John 14:6 Gospel -  Luke 13:22-30 Our First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah speaks of a magnificent gathering. This vision is expansive, reaching out to distant coastlands and peoples who have not yet heard of God's glory. It speaks of a time when all people from all nations will be brought as an offering to the Lord, and some will even be taken as priests and Levites. This prophecy foreshadows the universal reach of God's salvation, a theme that resonates deeply with the Gospel. Our Gospel Reading from Saint Luke presents a challenging counterpoint to this expansive vision. As Jesus journeys towards Jerusalem, teaching in towns and villages. We can picture Jesus resting during his travels, seated on a stump or a rock outside a town, or maybe on a low wall inside a town square . He is surrounded by a crowd of followe...

Teach Us To Pray Lectionary: 111 Reading 1 -  Genesis 18:20-32 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8 Reading 2 -  Colossians 2:12-14 Alleluia -  Romans 8:15bc Gospel -  Luke 11:1-13 Today we’re celebrating the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time; and our readings for the Mass invite us to reflect deeply upon the power and nature of prayer. From Abraham's bold intercession on behalf of Sodom, to Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray, we are called to a renewed understanding of our relationship with God. But first we should probably talk about what is prayer … If we look up “prayer” in the English dictionary, we see prayer defined as: a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God .   It come to us from a French word that is based on the Latin precarius, which means ‘obtained by entreaty.’ For many of us, this is what first comes to mind when we pray … we are asking for something from God; after all, it was easy for the Israel...