Reflections on the Sunday Readings

“Here's a question for our culinary experts: What food product contains the following ingredients: Annatto Extract, Cellulose Gum, Cocoa Powder, Coloring Agents, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Eggs, Gelatin, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Modified Cornstarch, Monocalcium Phosphate, and Salt, among many others? If your answer is "Chocolate Fudge Stripe Layer Cake," you're correct! For most of us, this list of ingredients might seem mysterious, even puzzling. However, to the baker who knows the recipe, the relationships between these elements are perfectly clear.” 1 Just as it is difficult on our own perhaps, to make such a cake, still harder it may seem to be  to follow Jesus ’ recipe,  found in this weekend’s gospel, for living a full and rich life in his kingdom. By ourselves it would be very difficult indeed.    But with the grace of the Holy Spirit in our lives, it is possible and most achievable to live the way Jesus  has asked of us.  And how can ...

In the liturgy of the Mass, there comes the time where the congregation, together with the  celebrant, prays the Our Father. We stand and with our arms and hands outstretched, we  pray that prayer together. With arms outstretched and hands open, we take this particular  stance to receive the blessings from God. With our palms held upward we are called to  remind ourselves of our own poverty and our never-ending need for God’s blessings. In  such a stance and prayer as this, we remind ourselves also of our relationship to all of  creation. For all of creation is sustained and nurtured solely through loving care of our God.  In the gospel, Jesus extends his remarks to a large group of humanity, literally all of us. As  the gospel says he stands on “level ground: with us. He is not above us where we cannot  reach, but rather he stands level “on level ground with his disciples and a great crowd of  people.” He speaks to those who are the “b...

“There was once a successful businessman whose life seemed perfect from the outside, but deep within, he felt restless and unfulfilled. Troubled by his emptiness, he sought guidance from a wise and godly monk.                                                                                                                                    ...