Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Monday – 17 th Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Matthew 13:31-35 A Real “Dilly” of a Situation Pickling Season! As most of you know, I consider myself a bit of a baker – bread, brownies and, of course, zucchini bread and muffins, among other things.   But I’m not a one-hit wonder; I do have other skills and lately I have been re-visiting my canning recipes and, given the bountiful harvest of cucumbers we are having, I have been prepping and canning dill pickles!   This past week I was putting together all the ingredients and suddenly realized I needed mustard seeds.   But after visiting 4 different grocery stores, no luck!! Not a single seed to be found!    So I thought – just leave it out, what can it hurt!   It’s such a tiny little thing; what difference could it make!   And then I started checking out online comments and the response was overwhelming!   Don’t ever leave out the mustard seed!   It will completely change the ta...

  1 7 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel – Luke 11:1-13 Taking Out The Garbage Mass at the Tomb, Church of Holy Sepulchre with Fr. Steve Over the many decades we lived in our Chicago house, there were many times when I was awakened rather rudely very early in the morning (yes, even early for me) by the sound of clashing glass and metal out in the alley.   No need for me to get up and see what was going on; I knew from experience.   It was my neighbor taking out his trash. He’s been doing it for many years.   Now I do not begrudge him taking out the trash, although the timing could be better.   What does irritate me is that, when I go and take out my trash, I will find that my garbage cans are already full to overflowing.   With his bottles and cans and trash!!!!   Seriously?? After all these years, I think to myself, couldn’t he say something to me?   Sorry for using your trash bins?   Sorry for all the noise at odd hours?   S...