Sunday Reflections
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is interesting that the two lepers who expressed gratitude to God were foreigners. Naaman was a Syrian, whose cure in the river Jordan was brought about through a young slave girl from Israel.…
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Habakkuk lived probably sometime in the seventh century BC, when the power of Babylon was growing. It was a time of upheaval and his uncertainty about God’s plan has relevance for today, when we…
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today we have another well-known parable which Jesus told, which is unique in that he named a character in the story. The poor man was called Lazarus, which means “God is my help.” The rich man…
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The parable of the Unjust Steward comes between the stories of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:19-33) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). These teach about squandering resources and sharing…
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
On 14 September 335 a relic of the cross, found by St Helena, was venerated by the people in Jerusalem. The cross, which was used as as an instrument of cruel and humiliating punishment,…
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
When Moses stood with God, receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites made a golden calf and worshipped it (Exodus 32:1-4). We may laugh at their credulity; but the message is a stark one.…
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
The theme of today’s readings would appear to be the qualities required of someone seeking the Kingdom of God. We are all too well aware today of people who feel that greatness lies in dominating…
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Jews were the chosen people. God spoke to them first and guided them through a long journey, before Jesus, the Christ, was born from their race. They had a sense of being special and…
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah prophesied from 626 BC to 586 BC, mostly in Jerusalem. Like many people who speak against the status quo, he was often in trouble. The message from God was that Judah should not resist…
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The word “servant” evokes pictures of Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs and would seem to have little place in a modern republic. However, the story of Abraham would seem to…