Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 111

Reading 1

Gn 18:20-32

In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out."

While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom,
the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer and said:
"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?"
The LORD replied,
"If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham spoke up again:
"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?"
He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty."
Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there."
Still Abraham went on,
"Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?"
The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty."
But he still persisted:
"Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?"
He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

R.(3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;
against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Reading 2

Col 2:12-14

Brothers and sisters:
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead
in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
 obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

Alleluia

Rom 8:15bc

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a Spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, Abba, Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'
and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'
I tell you,
if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

God does not want to condemn us but wants to redeem us. He wants to give us every opportunity to enter into a relationship with Him and to experience His love. The conversation between Abraham and God regarding the future of Sodom and Gomorrah is an important aspect of our own relationship with God. There should be no fear of punishment but more a desire to do the right thing. When we do right, things go correctly in our lives. It is when choosing not to live up to the expectations that God has set forth before us when things go wrong. We are the ones who set up obstacles and challenges to a joyous life, all the while welcoming negative thoughts which impede us further. Sin truly does weigh us down and returns us to the brokenness from whence we came. Avoiding sin and choices that might lead us to sin, will force out negative things and will enable us to clearly see what we must do to welcome The Love of God into our hearts. Sodom and Gomorrah reveled in their sin, embracing it while rejecting God. The result of rejecting God and embracing sin is utter destruction. It is a destruction not brought on by God, but by us through our choices. If we don’t want to be destroyed through our thoughts and actions, all we have to do is change them, aligning them to the will of God.

 

 

The Apostle Paul describes it so beautifully in his letter today:

 

“And even when you were dead

in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

he brought you to life along with him,

having forgiven us all our transgressions;

 obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,

which was opposed to us,

he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.”

 

The heavy lifting has already been done. What is left is for us to realize what Jesus has done for us and act accordingly. We can be alive in Christ and become new creations when we accept that there is so much more to life than that which has their origin in the desires of the flesh. The Cross of Christ remains that undeniable sign that we do not have to fade away with everything else that this world has to offer. Asking, seeking, and knocking. The more we do these things, the more will be able to see how Jesus responds to us. Just as in any relationship, the more familiar we get with Jesus, the more intimate it becomes. This is accomplished by staying engaged with Him. Petition Jesus daily. Search for Him in all things. Pursue Him constantly. He will always respond. This is what He promised. Our thoughts truly determine our lives. If our thoughts are transfixed on Jesus, then only good things can result.

 

We live in a world of distraction. It is very easy to be overwhelmed by all of the things that compete for our attention. As a society, we are overstimulated and desensitized. Even things that could be considered of critical importance, such as the Corona Virus and the war in Ukraine, soon lose our attention. It is amusing that one of the biggest worries of the Ukrainian Government is that of Ukrainian War Fatigue, as the interests of foreign government and foreign peoples are attracted elsewhere. Our attention span continuously decreases regardless of what the circumstances are. This cannot happen to our faith. We are already facing a society that is becoming more secularized and one that actively pursues an agenda that includes removing the influence of God. We cannot participate in this, but instead must counterbalance this by displaying how important our relationship with God is. Actions speak louder than words. In this case our actions and words must be centered on God. The distractions will then decrease while our spirituality will increase. Being persistent in our faith will be rewarded by the persistent presence of God who will make Himself known to us.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 108

Reading 1

Gn 18:1-10a

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,
as he sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."

Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before the three men;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.

They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

R.(1a) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
One who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
One who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Reading 2

Col 1:24-28

Brothers and sisters:
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his body, which is the church,
of which I am a minister
in accordance with God's stewardship given to me
to bring to completion for you the word of God,
the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles;
it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

Alleluia

Cf. Lk 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply,
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her."

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

There is always so much to do. The demands of work, family, and the constant drive for material wealth can become a predominant force which can then blind us to what is important. Even though our intentions may be good; developed by the willingness to take care of ourselves and those we love the most, we can be focusing on the wrong things without even realizing it. From early on, we have been taught to work hard, expecting to be rewarded for our work. The more we do, the more we get in return. What is it that we are looking for? Are our intentions rooted in good things or in pride? Are we looking to achieve a certain goal or are we looking for some sort of unhealthy validation, thus increasing a self-perceived vision of ourselves that might be threatened by other areas that we are falling short in.

 

Our faith needs to be the guiding force within our lives to sort through these questions. Focusing on our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ can help us answer these questions, keeping us in a healthy spiritual condition. The Apostle James reminded us that,” Faith without works is dead.” Notice the focus is on faith first. Before any work can be done, we must be moved to do these things through the pre-empting of The Holy Spirit. Love needs to come first then the works that we do should be in reaction to that love. We can then be assured that what we do is for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones. Martha had a job to do. She took these responsibilities seriously. Unfortunately, she forgot why she was doing what she was doing and for what purpose, thus it became a burden instead of an act of love. When a good work becomes a burden, then it there is no joy in it. There is no more reaction to the presence of Jesus Christ. Instead, love is replaced with jealousy, envy, and pride. The work becomes a thing of division instead of a unifying factor.

 

 Jesus Christ said, “I came into this world for judgement, so those who do not see might see, and for those who do see might become blind.” It is through Him that things can be put in two categories: Things of the earth and things of the spirit. The things of this earth will always be a burden for us. When we strive for them, putting our time into gaining them, we will be exhausted and unfulfilled. Content for a moment, we will then become discontent and begin the pursuit of fulfillment all over again. The things of the spirit will lead to satisfaction and the presence of Jesus Christ. As Jesus pointed out, “ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When Jesus is the focus and our good works flow because of the presence of His love, then there is no negative thoughts or actions as a result from doing these works.

 

The Apostle Paul mentions how he rejoices in his suffering. His sufferings were not coming from the pursuit of material gain or personal satisfaction. He was suffering because of the work he was doing in the name of Jesus Christ and The Church. His sufferings then became not a burden, but something that could serve a unifying factor between him and Jesus Christ. This is where our focus needs to be. If we can suffer with Jesus for the glory of His name, then we will experience joy instead of joylessness.

 

Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote,

 

“All things have an end, and two things, life and death, are side by side set before us, and each man will go to his own place. Just as there are two coinages, one of God and the other of the world, each with its own image, so unbelievers bear the image of this world, and those who have faith with love bear the image of God the Father through Jesus Christ.” It is our duty to bear the image of God the Father through Jesus Christ. If we bear that image, then our actions will reflect it in all things. As a result, our burdens in the name of Jesus Christ will not be burdens, but cause of celebration.

 

Deacon Tom

 

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 105

Reading 1

Dt 30:10-14

Moses said to the people:
"If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God,
and keep his commandments and statutes
that are written in this book of the law,
when you return to the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul.

"For this command that I enjoin on you today
is not too mysterious and remote for you.
It is not up in the sky, that you should say,
'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?'
Nor is it across the sea, that you should say,
'Who will cross the sea to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?'
No, it is something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out."

 

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37

R. (cf. 33)  Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I pray to you, O LORD,
 for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
 with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness:
 in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I am afflicted and in pain;
 let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
 and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
 you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
 and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
For God will save Zion
 and rebuild the cities of Judah.
The descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
 and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

 

Reading 2

Col1:15-20

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Alleluia

Cf. Jn 6:63c, 68c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

The words of Moses are both beautiful and loving. Here, Moses simplifies what we make more difficult through our pattern of super-analyzing things that really are more obvious to a child. Through our relationship with God, we already know what we must do in order to live a joyous, purpose-driven life. Created in God’s image, we have been given a gift of understanding that God loves us and that the only thing that He wants us to do is to love Him back fully and completely. When love is the central aspect of our relationship with God, everything else will automatically fall into place.

 

The Book of Deuteronomy is basically a Book of Instruction. Moses is giving his final instructions to The People of Israel before they enter The Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the desert. This is seen a time of preparation. The Israelites are getting ready to cross over The River of Jordan and to lay claim to that which God has promised to them. Moses has brought things down to a very personal, intimate level, which reflects the relationship that God wants to have with us. At the same time, he indicates that what he is saying is nothing new. What is at the center of a joyous life, prosperous life is a close relationship with God. He foreshadows times of disobedience and rejection of God, but then offers a solution:

 

“If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God,

and keep his commandments and statutes

that are written in this book of the law,

when you return to the LORD, your God,

with all your heart and all your soul.”

 

Throughout history, these words would be echoed by the prophets, as God continually seeks to re-establish a relationship with His children when they wander away, which we all tend to do. The solution is placed before us. It is mercy for the repentant. When we sin and when we do not listen, God is ready to forgive if only we ask for forgiveness, listen, and come back to Him. Notice Moses uses the phrase, “return to the Lord.” It is never God who leaves us, but it is us who leaves Him. He wants to be close to us, as a child is at rest in its mother’s arm, to comfort us and protect us from ourselves. We are our own enemy. God knows this, so He presents the solution even before the problem arises.

 

This is a simple solution but one that has confounded all humanity since we were created. There is a part of us, rooted in original sin, that leads us to rebellion. This defect is something that cannot be completely removed while we live but can be reduced in effectiveness by focusing on our relationship with God. Our faith needs to be strengthened and maintained to serve as a counterbalance to the evil influences of this world that present themselves daily. God reminded us through Moses that,

 

“Both what is still hidden and what has already been revealed concern us and our descendants forever, that we may carry out all the words of the law.”

 

This means that there is no end to this process until we are finally one with God. We will always struggle with our relationship with God. We will have our successes and our failures. We will please God and we will disappoint Him. When we fall victim to the bad things that this life has to offer and are engulfed in sin, it is important to realize our shortcomings and return to God so that we may be healed of our infirmities.

 

Psalm 69 is a prayer that is described as A Cry of Anguish in Great Distress and describes the healing process and the promise that God offers for those who call out to Him. It lists all of the sufferings and describes beautifully the lament of the soul in a time of great crisis. It then offers a solution through a promise that God makes to us:

 

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad:

You who seek God, take heart!

For the Lord hears the poor,

Does not spurn those in bondage.

Let the heavens and the earth sing praise,

The seas and whatever moves them!”

 

Even before our times of distress have ended, we are promised that God will rescue us from ourselves if only we turn to Him. Our burdens will be lifted and our sufferings relieved if we just turn them over to God. He knows we cannot do this alone and He doesn’t want us to even try. The more we dedicate ourselves to loving God, the easier our life will become.

 

We are part of God’s creation. We are created in God’s image. At the pinnacle of His creation is Jesus Christ. Everything else is below Him and is subject to Him in all respect. It is through Jesus that The Law has been brought to its fulfillment and a New Covenant was established. It is through Jesus that all things are transformed from the imperfect to the perfect. He serves as the gateway to The Father. With this understanding we go to Him. Our spirit is drawn to Him because it is from Him from whence we came. He knows our innermost thoughts and knows what is best for us. As is always the case, it is better to listen to someone who has more wisdom than ourselves. That alone should serve as an encouragement to do this, but the point is further emphasized when the love He has for us is taken into consideration. It would behoove us to love that which is pure love and who loves us so much that The Blood of the Cross still screams out in response to that question that we all have uttered at some point in our miserable lives, “How much do you love me?” The answer is true and obvious. It is right before us.

 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a story that Jesus told to make a point. We all should live our lives with an expectation of being forgiven and healed by God. This comes down again to relationship. The closer that we are to God, the easier that it will be for us to experience His forgiveness, love, and Divine Mercy. When we encounter God and are better as a result, we are then expected to give away freely what was given us. This is an example of being involved in The Trinitarian Relationship. God works in us and then He works through us. Our job is to get out of the way and let Him do the work He wants to do. We can either fight the process or encourage the process. When we resist, there is friction and chaos, thus leading us back to our previous state of brokenness. When we accept the process, we are healed along with all of those whom we interact with. Through this acceptance, a higher truth is revealed. The base of this truth is within The Greatest Commandments where the entirety of The Law is defined. It is through and by loving God and our neighbor that the imperfect fades away and perfection is revealed. The Good Samaritan can be seen as Jesus as we can be seen as the man wounded and beaten by the side of the road. Jesus cares for us, cleans us, and bandages our wounds. He then turns us over into the loving arms of The Church, where we are further tended to and can recover from our seemingly hopeless situation.

 

We can leave the confides of the inn at any time, forgetting about the man who so lovingly cared for us and nurtured us back to our previous state, or we can remain in the warmth and security that has been provided for us. Outside it is cold and foreboding. Inside, everything for us is provided for at no cost. It is there that we can wait for the man’s return to celebrate our good fortune and our good health from which we have been restored to. We need not suffer at our own hands. We only have to love and be loved.

 

Deacon Tom