Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Tuesday – 21 st Week in Ordinary Time Gospel - Matthew 23:23-26 Rotten on the Inside I’m A Little Teacup!   All in all, I think I do a reasonably decent job cleaning around the house.   Regularly cleaning and scraping the grill, washing the floors, windexing the windows, swiffering the floors, and washing the pots and pans (all the dishes that don’t fit in the dishwasher)!   But the absolute worst things to clean are dirty teacups!   You can’t always just stick them in the dishwasher, and it takes more than just soaking them in the sink.   It takes time and effort and some creative ingredients.   And I have tried them all – baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, denture tablets, magic erasers, salt, even hydrogen peroxide, you name it! In the end, for me, it’s a simple Rescue pad and lots of elbow grease that does the trick!   And you have to do this after every use; you can’t just let it go; otherwise, the stain builds up and becomes har...

  Monday -21 st week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Matthew 23:13-22 The Blind Leading the Blind Western Wall, Jerusalem According to Google, 93 million selfies are taken and uploaded every single day. Among adults 18-24, every third photo they take is a selfie!   The average person takes over 450 selfies every year.   Why do some people spend so much time taking selfies?   Is it image?   Are they so intent on impressing others?   Are they so worried about perception?   Think about it!   With selfies, we are the ones who control our image.   We can appear any way we want, whether it’s truthful or fanciful!   We control how others see us! Is that any different with the Scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel reading?   Jesus calls them ‘blind guides’.   Consumed with pride and greed, they are more concerned with appearances and gold than with the faith of the people.   They maintain control over the Temple by demanding ...

  21 st Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel – Luke 13:22-30 The Narrow Gate Open Market, Old City, Jerusalem   There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?" "Bed... hard..." said the monk.    "I see," replied the head monk. Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"   "Food... stinks..." said the monk.    "I see," replied the head monk. Yet another ten years passed, and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, "Wh...