Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Saturday – 1 st Week of Lent Gospel – Matthew 5:43-48 Enemy Mine! Praying At The Western Wall   Who’s your biggest enemy?   That co-worker who is always trying to undercut your efforts?   That family member who always treats you like you were 9 years old?   That former best friend who betrayed your deepest secrets?   That parent who just doesn’t understand you?   Enemies, we all have them or so we think.   They vex us, torment us, and make us think of sad and hurtful times.   They refuse to forgive and move on; they harp on the past and treat us like we will never grow up.   And sometimes we do exactly the same thing to them! I have to admit (confess) that I am very ‘good’ at making those around me as miserable as myself.   I get in a mood, I get upset at something or someone, and I proceed to take it out on everyone around me.   And you know what that means?   Out of all my perceived ‘enemies’ in my l...

  Friday – 1 st Week of Lent Gospel – Matthew 5:20-26 The Damage That Was Done Caiaphas’ House There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the f...

  Thursday – Chair of St. Peter Gospel – Matthew 16:13-19 A Chair Full of Memories Pop Pop’s Chair I am realizing that, at this point in my life, the ‘chair’ has played a rather significant role. My grandfather (Pop Pop) was a master carpenter.   Even though he passed away over 30 years ago, many in our family still have hand-crafted examples of his remarkable workmanship – china cabinets, book cases, hutches and dressers. One of the very last projects he completed before he died was to create 3 small simple chairs – one for each of his 3 great-grandchildren.   Even today, that chair sits in our dining room.   Looking at it, you would probably see just a simple basic child’s chair, a little worn but still sturdy and strong.   As for me, I still feel his presence and that simple chair remains a constant reminder of his love and affection for his family and his amazing skill at carpentry. There’s that red metal high chair in the middle of the kit...

Wednesday – 1 st Week of Lent Gospel – Luke 11: 29-32 Give Me A Sign Mount Carmel, Galilee   There are some pretty bleak words in today’s Gospel.   People complaining to God – give me a sign!   An evil generation!   Condemnation and judgement!   Nations rising up against another! It all seems rather hopeless!   Signs are demanded and yet, when the signs are given, they are ignored.   It feels almost as if Jesus is speaking directly to us today and His words resonate with all that we are dealing with: political battles, war and violence, hatred, racial unrest, anger and bitterness, selfishness and a lack of basic kindness, not to mention all the personal stresses of illness and caring for family.   Is it any wonder sometimes that people are demanding a sign from above – show me things will get better!   But that demand also displays a certain lack of faith in God, trust that He has a plan and we need a bit (a lot) of patience and ...

  Tuesday – 1 st Week of Lent Gospel – Matthew 6:7-15 It’s All in the Name Chapel of St. Joseph, Nazareth Ever notice how a name, what we call someone, speaks volumes about our relationship with them.   Sometimes formal and aloof, sometimes affectionate, sometimes comical and relaxed.   When I was little, I always called my father “Father”.   It was formal, respectful and reflected a very proper sort of relationship.   It reflected my view of him as a rock, steady and strong.   As life went on, though, that relationship changed and I began to call him “Dad” and our greetings always included a warm hug.   One regret I have is that my dad never had the chance to enjoy being a great-grandfather!   He would have been awesome!   I can just picture him with Tyler or Nate as infants, rocking them on his knee, holding them up high like an airplane or passing on his unique sense of humor.   His pride over watching them perform at ...