Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

Wednesday - 20 th Week in Ordinary Time   Gospel – Matthew 20: 1-16 Mom Liked You Best Laborer in the Field, outside Jerusalem Back in the day, there was this comedy team – the Smothers Brothers – Tom and Dick – and Tom was this one set routine where Tommy always complined – Mom always liked you best!   You got more Christmas presents than me!   Why did you get the bigger piece of pie?      I think we all know the drill! As parents we know how difficult it is to be both fair and loving, just and compassionate when we deal with our children.   The same holds true for grandparents.    Often when I was blessed with spending the day with my 2 grandsons when they were little, I would treat them, among other things, to lunch. But I made the mistake one time of asking them – where do you want to go??   Big mistake.   I got two completely different answers – Portillo’s and Taco Bell - and the obvious hint that whichever I chose I w...

  Tuesday - 20 th Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Matthew 19:23-30 Unburdening Walking through Jaffa Gate into Old City The image that stands out in today’s Gospel is that of the camel and the gate.   It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.   Our first thought is that of a sewing needle and the tiny eye where we run the thread through.   But Jesus was probably talking about something a lot more familiar to His disciples. There were 8 Gates leading into the ancient City of Jerusalem, most of them still visible and used today – gates like the Jaffa Gate, East Gate, Lion’s Gate, Zion Gate, even the Dung Gate (used to take out the garbage).   But there is also a very narrow, small gate that was used by merchants, known simply as ‘the eye of the needle.”   In order to get their camels through the gate, all the baggage, all the cargo, had to be unloaded off the camel in order for the camel to pass ...