Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Saturday – 21 st Week in Ordinary Time (revisited) Gospel – Matthew 25:14-30 Building Our House Building Our Home                                                                                                                              An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is y

  Friday – 21 st Week in Ordinary Time Gospel - Matthew 25:1-13 Tough Love Church of Holy Sepulchre Anybody have one of those friends, someone who always seems to be in trouble or in need?   Someone who always runs to you for help, for money, for solutions, for bail, or maybe even an alibi!   And out of friendship, out of love, you always help them out.   I mean, face it, isn’t that the Christian thing to do? And let’s turn the tables around.   What about that one best friend who always tells you the truth.   They tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear.   They are honest and sincere.   They look out for your best interests even when you don’t want to hear the truth, much less follow their counsel.   Now that is tough love. I think that’s what’s happening today in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.   The foolish ones are asking for help; give us some of your oil.   But the wise ones say NO!   What?   How rude!   How unkind!   How unfrie

  Thursday – Passion of John the Baptist Gospel – Mark 6:17-29 Speak The Truth Church of John the Baptist, Ein Karem In one episode of the long-running sci-fi series, Doctor Who gives what amounts to a closing speech to his companions.   The words that ring ‘true’ today are these: Never be cruel.   Never be cowardly.   Hate is always foolish.   Love is always wise. Speak the truth and be kind. Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind. John the Baptist does indeed speak the truth but it certainly does not come across as kind.   He is blunt and to the point, telling people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.   It is a necessary part of his mission to call people back to repentance.   And that is what he is doing with Herod, telling him in no uncertain terms that marrying his brother’s wife is wrong! Herod seems to be on the other side of the truth, saying only what he thinks people want to hear.   He is interested only in his popularity and his