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Jesus refused to pit religion against politics, saying "give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Of course, the whole world in all its wonder already belongs to God, so let us use what God has given us to solve problems, not to make more problems.

Fr. James Marchionda, OP breaks open the parable of the Wedding Feast in the Gospel of Matthew and its parallel in Isaiah, pointing out that God is preparing a banquet in heaven and all are invited, but those who want to go are challenged to respond properly to the invitation.

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.

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.

Fr. James Marchionda, OP breaks open the readings for the Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, explaining that to pick up our cross and follow Jesus means more than "suffering, for the sake of the Gospel," but to have the wisdom to know God's particular call for us and to have the courage to act on it.

Jesus promised his disciples that whatever they have given up in family ties or wealth they will be given 100 times as much, as well as eternal life.... and yet, we often still choose our "stuff" over God.

Jesus tells a rich young man to give all his possessions to the poor and then to follow him. The young man goes away saddened. Do we own our possessions and are free to use them wisely, or are we owned by our possessions and enslaved by them?

A Word of Hope by Fr. James Marchionda, OP
Jesus shares the parable of the wheat and the tares growing together to let us know that we are not to judge those who are different from ourselves, that is God's job at the end of time. But can we benefit from learning from people who are different from us?

A Word of Hope by Fr. James Marchionda, OP
Jesus teaches us to sell everything for the Pearl of Great Price. What more would we be willing to give up for the Kingdom of God?

Breaking open the readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. James Marchionda, OP reminds us that if we have God's plan as our highest goal, whatever befalls us, we can be sure that God will make things well in the end.