A Word of Hope

Jesus preached that tax collectors and prostitutes were getting into heaven before many of his listeners, because they realize their need to change. Do we?

On this memorial of St. Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, we remember the centrality of the Word of God in our lives, and are afforded an opportunity to sit and pray with our Bible today.

On this Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, we are asked to take another look at these helps to our salvation. Angels are not just for children, we all can use their help.

The prophet Haggai tells us the time is NOW to quit building our own house and build the House of God. Fr. Wisdom got a text, "Christ will be arriving in four minutes," which caused him to consider his ways. Is he building God's house, or his own?

Jesus gave the twelve the ability to cure all diseases. This continues to be the work of the church, a great saints like Vincent de Paul understood that to heal someone we need to deal with everything that tears away at human flourishing.

In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus raises an important question: do we begrudge God's generosity to others? Do we think that God should love us more than others, or that we deserve more?

Jesus said to "take care of the way you hear." Do we listen to God and to one another?

In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus raises an important question: do we begrudge God's generosity to others? Do we think that God should love us more than others, or that we deserve more?

Large crowds followed Jesus around from town to town. As Christians, we join others in following Christ, and our faith is enhanced by following him together with others.

Jesus had crowds following him around because they believed in what he was saying. Are we true followers of Jesus? Do we live out his message?

Jesus had mercy for Matthew the tax collector, and so called Matthew to follow him. God has extended that same mercy to us, and so we are called to go out and extend it to others, showing them mercy and calling them to something better.

In a parable about his ministry, Jesus said "We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep." Are we involved in the church and in the world around us, or do we just sit on the sideline of life?

In the first reading for today, Paul tells us that good bishop is someone who manages his family life well. Do we have good life within our own home?

In the Gospel today, a Roman Centurion receives a miracle cure for his servant because he believes that Jesus can heal him. Do we believe that Jesus has already ransomed us from sin, or do we still believe that we are powerless against it?

Jesus tells us to forgive as we have been forgiven. As we free others from the debt of sin, we will find our own freedom.

Jesus asks, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?" One reason is because we do not trust that God loves us. If you are having trouble trusting in God, maybe go to Mary and let her show you the way.

On this Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, we remember how Mary accompanied Jesus through his suffering and death on the cross. She did not look away. May we have the courage and the empathy to walk with others in their pain.

Today's Gospel proclaims that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to save it. Thus, the cross is transformed from a tragedy to a climax of God's saving action in the world. Trusting this can transform all of the crosses that come our way.

Luke's Beatitudes begins with Jesus saying "Blessed are the poor" and ends with "Woe to you who are rich." A Pastor at two parishes in Jamaica, one poor and one middle class, reflects on this.

In his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul tells us that Christ forgave all our transgressions, "obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims." We can best celebrate that by forgiving one another insteading of using the law to blame one another.

In the readings, the world seems turned upside down as St. Paul rejoices in suffering and the scribes and the Pharisees are enraged at goodness. But St. Paul is really rejoicing in how his suffering reveals God's mercy to the gentiles, and the Pharisees simply refuse to embrace God's mercy.

The prophet Ezekiel tells the son on man that he has an obligation to warn sinners of the error of their way. We have an obligation to share our knowledge of God with the spiritually poor as surely as we need to share our wealth with the financially poor.

Jesus' disciples were criticised for picking grains of wheat to eat on the sabbath because they were hungry, to which Jesus famously said "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath." Do we serve the law, or do we serve people, as did our saint we remember today, Peter Claver.

On this feast celebrating the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are reminded that Mary is not the end point of our faith, but the starting point, since she always points to Christ.