19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Aug. 13 (1 Kings 19:9, 11-13; Psalm 85; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:21-33)

Elijah expected a grand show. The word of the Lord directed him to stand on the mountain because God was going to pass by. At first, it seemed that he would not be disappointed. There was a wind so strong that it split rocks. But God was not in the wind. This was followed by a strong earthquake — but no God. Finally, there was a consuming fire, but God was not even in the fire. 

Transfiguration of the Lord  (Year A) Aug. 6 (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 97; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Matthew 17:1-9) 

Violent and frightening times always give birth to new theologies, and the time of the Maccabean War in the second century B.C. was no exception. The people of Judea were being persecuted by the Seleucid Greeks of Syria, who sought to obliterate the Jewish religion, customs and traditions. Many were dying for their faith while others were more than happy to serve their new overlords.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time  (Year A) July 30 (1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52) 

What if we were offered the fulfillment of one wish? What would we choose? Our choice would say a lot about us and our values.

Walking down a city street, I overheard a real estate agent talking with a prospective buyer about a house on the street.  “And when that stone church on the other side gets made into a condominium, the home value will go up,” she reasoned to her customer. 

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) July 23 (Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Psalm 86; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43)

There is a huge difference between raw power and sovereignty that is linked with strength. Power can be and often is used to subjugate and dominate others and to enhance one’s own glory. Power is often used against those deemed to be adversaries or enemies and sometimes even against family members and fellow Christians. Even a superficial skimming of a history book will confirm that power has often been used as an instrument of oppression, both in the distant past and the modern era.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) July 16 (Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 65; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23)

The word of God is far more than squiggles on a page or sound vibrations in the air. It is active and dynamic, expressing and fulfilling the divine will in our world and our lives.

In a parish discussion — a mini-synod, you might say — we had a roundtable talk about whether people would return to Church once pandemic restrictions ended. One young participant saw it this way: “If the Church has something people need, why wouldn’t they return?”

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) July 9 (Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30)

The radiant prophecy from Zechariah is familiar to most as the text associated with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The evangelist clearly saw Jesus as the embodiment of the king in this prophecy. Scholars are not certain as to the time in which it was written — many dates have been proposed, but none is certain. It was written as an oracle of hope during a time of distress and fear, which means it could have been written at almost any time. The best estimates place it after the exile, possibly in the fifth century BC. It was probably an independent oracle utilized by the author of the book.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) July 2 (2 Kings 4:8-12a, 14-16; Psalm 89; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42)

Throughout the Old Testament, acts of hospitality and kindness were often the setting for miracles and the granting of divine favours. The most memorable example was the hospitality granted by Abraham to the three angelic visitors at Mamre. On that occasion, one of the visitors promised that when they returned Sarah would have a son.

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time  (Year A) June 18 (Exodus 19:1-6a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8)

A scant three months had passed since the Israelites left Egypt. Their liberation was incredibly dramatic. Plagues, parting seas and the humbling of one of the superpowers of the ancient world were the means by which God had led them to freedom.