Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Saturday 33 rd Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Luke 20:27-40 Just Wait! Chapel at Cana I love riddles!   My high school students?   Eh, not so much!   I would inundate them with a non-stop set of logic problems, most of which they wouldn’t/couldn’t solve.   They probably thought I was doing it just to get under their skin.   Despite that, they are good examples of applying logic and careful thought to a problem.   Hypocrisy – Round 2!   Today it’s the Sadducees turn to try and get under Jesus’ skin by asking a ridiculous question (riddle) about heaven.   What if a woman ended up marrying 7 men (brothers)?   Then who is she married to when she gets to heaven?   Let’s be clear; the Sadducees don’t even want an answer from Jesus; they just want to make Him look foolish.   They don’t even believe in a resurrection.   And that, I think, is the point.   Their only focus is on this life. They believe there is nothi...

  Friday– Presentation of Blessed Virgin Mary Gospel – Luke 19:45-48 Rise and Shine! Church of Dormition, Jerusale   Every day of our lives, sunny or cloudy, stressed out or relaxed, we all rise and face a new day. Especially when we were little and getting ready for school, I can remember always standing before my mom as she made sure I (we) were prepped and ready to meet the bus from the steps of Dad’s store.   Shoes were shiny, shirt tucked in, hair combed, and school bag packed.   She wanted to be sure we were ‘presentable’!   Today’s Feast of the Presentation of Mary is based on an ancient tradition that says Mary was taken up to the Temple in Jerusalem when she was 3 years old and dedicated by her parents, Joachim and Anna, in service to God.   It is a recognition of Mary’s holiness from conception to Assumption and her faithfulness to the will of God. Today’s First Reading from the Book of the Maccabees recounts the story of Judas and his b...

  Thursday – 33 rd Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Luke 19:41-44 Missed It By That Much! Chapel of Tears, Jerusalem I have a tendency to distract (maybe irritate) Ginger a bit when we are watching a movie or tv show, especially any of the BBC mysteries.   I can spot an actor in the background of a scene or simply recognize a voice and then proceed with a long list of their past appearances in other shows or movies.   “You remember them; they were in …..    How could you have missed it?”    I suppose it gets annoying and obviously it really isn’t all that important but at least my memory is still working (overtime).   But it makes me wonder how often I miss the main plot and storyline because I was so focused on the trivia! Have you ever missed out on something big, something momentous, something important or one of a kind?   Maybe it was an historical event, maybe something so breathtaking in its simplicity or so unique that it could ...