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60-Second Sermon: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 26, 2020
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Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020: MT 13: 24-43, Homily
Gospel MT 13:24-43 OR 13:24-30
Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
He proposed another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
He spoke to them another parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020: Cover Art, Column, and Prayers of the Faithful, Link to bulletin
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July 19, 2020
Dear Believers in the Kingdom,
In today’s gospel, Matthew 13:24-43, we are given a few simple images of the Kingdom of God to ponder and to imitate. A little bit of yeast in the dough changes everything. A small mustard seed grows into one of the largest of plants. These images of planting good seed and harvesting weeds as well, are images of immense importance, and reveal even greater meaning for us.
We seldom take time to ponder that the Kingdom of God is within our human hearts. We are always seeking something beyond ourselves. We want results now. We want to be in control of the world around us. We want things to change but with little responsibility on our part to get our hands dirty. We want happiness now. When things don’t work out, we get trapped in violence, sex addiction, alcohol, hoarding, overspending, and keeping up with the neighbors. We are constantly seeking a better false life, a life that others tell us we should have.
We have been trained that happiness, contentment, and purpose, are somehow outside of our own lives. We have also been taught that if we have enough money, better education and purchase more stuff, we will end up incredibly content and happy as a lark. We are also taught when we are young that we are entitled to everything in life. Then when life does not turn out the way we had planned, we simply fall apart.
The Kingdom is within us. The spiritual journey is inside of our lives and hearts. The journey is an examination of how we receive life and how we live it on a daily basis. The Kingdom of heaven is tucked away in our hearts and it reveals itself in how we treat people, what we think of ourselves, and how we love. We can see the Kingdom reflected in the eyes of those we love and in the miraculous presence of people and nature. The Kingdom is not far away or for only the good and the pious. The Kingdom is revealed in how we welcome the stranger, how we speak about others, and how we simply love on this side of the grave.
I grew up with so much provided for me. My folks worked hard sustaining their own business. I never fit into that role. My life went in a very different direction, yet, I appreciate what was given me more every day. As I entered into ministry, my life completely changed. It was no longer about my education or achievement or status. My heart began to accept that I really don’t have answers to other people’s questions. Life is hard. Finding love and purpose is difficult. The more I listen to the stranger and befriend the seeker, the more I realize I am not the one who carries faith and hope. My real education began when I entered into people’s heartache and suffering. In the deepest places of humanity, God reveals tenderness, calm and the love of the Father. Life is revealed in the human heart. The Kingdom is beyond any possession I own or any sense of entitlement to which I cling.
Pope Francis said, “Let us all remember this: one cannot proclaim the Gospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’s life.” I love this line. It shows me that I have a long way to go to seek the Kingdom of God and to live it in my life. Jesus’ challenge for rich conversion, for deep love, for unearthed hope, comes from the Kingdom that is planted deeply within us.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”
God give you peace,
Fr. Ron
Prayers of the Faithful
For our Universal Church, that we may grow in prayer and empathy in uncertain times.
We pray to the Lord.
For courage to act with justice, that we may protect the lives of all people under heaven.
We pray to the Lord.
For integrity for all who preach the gospel, that church leaders may know the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to hear the cries of the poor.
We pray to the Lord
For our parishioners and loved ones who live in fear, for those who have lost their employment, and for those wearied by stress, that hope may prevail.
We pray to the Lord.
For the renewal of family life in these summer days, for safety in travel, and enjoyment in the presence of those we love.
We pray to the Lord.
For our beloved dead and for all who grieve. In this Mass we pray for…
We pray to the Lord.
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020: MT 13:1-23, Homily
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Gospel MT 13:1-23
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020: Gospel Reflection, Cover Art, Prayers of the Faithful
Please read complete bulletin, click here
Bulletin Column
Dear Followers of Jesus,
When I was in 8th Grade, I filled out an aptitude test. When I received the results, a graph showed my expertise as well as my low scoring. Only one subject was scored in 80-90 percentile. Everything else was in the 20-30 range. So, the one area that was my highest score was, “Agriculture.”
I am not sure if I missed my real vocation. But I do know that I enjoy watching things grow, including faith in people’s hearts. This is where today’s gospel comes in, Matthew 13:1-23.
We all know the expression, “You reap what you sow.” In other words, we get out of life what we put into it. If we offer love and peace to others, those gifts will eventually come back to us. If we perceive the world with violence and hatred and aggression, we shall receive those things bountifully.
Before we give something, we need to receive something from God. I do believe that we will never offer people genuine love, authentic hope or real understanding and kindness, unless we come to terms with God who heals us and forgives us. We have to deal with our resentments, our fears and our losses and even our bigotry before we can offer people a bountiful moment of love and tenderness.
God desires to offer us what we need. The Word of God is housed deep within our hearts and lives. I believe God alone softens the hardened heart. If we can allow our bitterness to be open to new possibilities, the seed of God’s love will take root within us.
During our lockdowns these past months, we had an opportunity to come face to face with our own lives. If we had the courage to move beyond our fears, we could see how God is inviting us to live differently. A softened heart can become the rich soil where love and tenderness can grow and develop.
We continue to reap huge divides in our Church, our society and even in our households. We need to do things differently to get different results. If we keep doing what we have always done, the results will be the same. So now is the time to plant hope in God in the very soil of our daily lives.
In fact, the issue of racial divides is just one example of how we need God to help us. Faith is not just a pious moment in the church sanctuary, it is a tool to change the world. I realize that many folks will never look under their own feet to see the life that they have planted. They will only see the green lawn of the neighbor and always remain jealous. Today, more than ever, we need to plant hope so deeply that when it sprouts, we will be surprised and filled with joy.
As we look out into the field of the future, what do we see? I know many folks around the country only see fear, not only in the distance, but also right here under our feet. If we can cultivate faith rather than fear, love rather than hate, community rather than personal entitlement, we may face the future with hope for others.
I am not sure how we are going to look up from our fear at the parish. I am not sure about how to serve people in these times. We are working on those issues. There is a long way to go walking in this forest of COVID-19. Right now, we may not see the forest for the trees. However, eventually, new things will grow, change, and become known to us. In the meantime, we need faith, love and hope planted deeply into our hearts for God to reveal to us something new, different and flourishing.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
God give you peace,
Fr. Ron
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray for all faith leaders, may they sow seeds of God’s word far and wide.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for all who struggle in these COVID-19 months, may we be attentive to people who are isolated, alone, and afraid.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for farmers throughout the world, may God produce bounty in every land and nation to nourish all people.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for the ill of our parish communities, may God protect our loved ones and give them courage.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for those who will go to bed hungry this night, may we learn to nourish the needs of our sisters and brothers.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for our loved ones who have died and for all who grieve, may God give them home in the Kingdom of Heaven. In this Mass we pray for…
We pray to the Lord.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020: MT 11:25-30, Homily
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Gospel MT 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
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.”
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020: Bulletin Art, Column, Prayers of the Faithful
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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 5, 2020
Dear Followers of the Christ,
The gospel today is a deep well of love. Matthew 11:25-30 is an invitation to rest in the full embrace of Christ Jesus. The life that Jesus promises is revealed not to the cleaver and wise, but to the innocent and the lost. The life that Jesus offers us is not earthly power or unwieldy authority. His life is rooted in an abiding love for those who are weak in the view of society. This life is completely different from a gospel of prosperity or riches. Jesus’s life within us is not about our accumulation of possessions and earthly grandeur, but in an experience of humility and trust in God.
Our life in God is often hidden before our eyes. Our human heart is usually the last place we look for such authority and wisdom. Our lives bear the mystery of Christ. Our lives offer hope that enable us to give witness to Christ in ways in which we least expect. If we want to find the real message of Christ, then we should look within our hearts. I suspect for many of us, that look will take years in order to sort through all the obstacles we find there. We need to sort through all of the mystery in our human judgements, selfish behaviors and false claims. Our hearts are a convoluted map and confusing place. Sometimes we are last ones to know what God is actually doing to love us, to change us into his own image here on earth.
Jesus invites us into his life, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened.” Jesus desires us and wants to heal us in ways we least expect. We may not trust such an invitation if we have a history of abuse or a history of ongoing personal pain or weariness. We may think that we are not good enough in God’s eyes or we may just feel unworthy to the core of our being. Sometimes the old tapes of how we view ourselves continue when we hear this invitation.
Often, we simply do not want to change. We can remain in the old patterns of behavior for decades because that is the only way we think we can survive. Unworthiness can become a security blanket. Negative thoughts can become our companion when we wake up in the morning and then we may take them to bed with us every night. Only through genuine prayer can we learn to shut off those tapes and listen, not to our unworthiness, but to the miraculous invitation of Jesus in our lives to be set free.
So how can you accept such an invitation of Jesus? How can we as a Church and society grow closer to the one who transforms our lives? These questions are the work of personal prayer, attending Eucharist, and learning how to serve people. God can create empathy in every human heart. We then learn even more that God’s love is for us and not just for a certain few. Creating empathy for people will help us examine this text of mercy, when we realize that we are not in charge of the world or of people around us. Suffering can change everything. Compassion is the key that can unlock our stubborn hearts and help us explore who Jesus is and who we are in his sight.
“For I am meek and humble of heart.” I don’t know about you, but I take great consolation in this statement from Jesus. In these confusing days of COVID-19 and in the wake of reflecting on our profound racism in our society, I ache to find the healing balm of God. In God, we find healing for our hurts and hope in our grief. Our task is to live the message we proclaim. This is the most difficult aspect of faith, to interpret Jesus in our lives and to be converted by his grace. To live and act in the tenderness of Christ Jesus takes a lifetime. I pray that we can all take Jesus seriously and take him at his word. His heart is a welcoming place, a healing shelter and a humble miracle where we will all find what we truly need and desire.
God give you peace,
Fr. Ron
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray for our Universal Church across every land and nation. That we may learn a new humility among people who are different from ourselves. May love be our tool for justice and for peace.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for a humble and peaceful heart. That our lives may point to Jesus, our source of hope, to bridge differences among the lost and powerful.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for the wise and the learned. That we all learn to listen to the voice of God who whispers hope in our daily lives, within our hearts, and among people hurting by life.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for unity and compassion among people in our nation. That we may celebrate our nation’s integrity and past without hatred and division today.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for the sick and suffering. That people humbled by illness and despair may be lifted up by our common heritage of justice for all people.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for our sisters and brothers who have died and for all who grieve. In this Mass we pray for…
We pray to the Lord.
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle 2020: JN 20:24-29, Homily
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NOTE: This will be my last daily homily. I will post a Sunday homily, but not every day.
Gospel JN 20:24-29
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But Thomas said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Saint Thomas: Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC 2017
Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2020: MT 9:1-8, Homily
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Gospel MT 9:1-8
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time 2020: MT 8: 28-34, Homily, July Intention
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Gospel MT 8:28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
JULY PRAYER INTENTION OF THE SUPERIOR GENERAL
For an end to all prejudice and racial injustice
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” (Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.).
Recent manifestations of racial inequality and injustice this past month have raised the world’s consciousness about the sin of racism and prejudice that is often hidden, but yet so prevalent in society. As Pope Francis said, “We cannot close our eyes to any form of racism or exclusion, while pretending to defend the sacredness of every human life.” Let us pray that our Lord will wipe away the darkness and open our eyes wider to the light, love, and dignity inherent in all of humanity.
Broken But Not Divided 