Sunday Reflections Plus

Immaculate Conception December 8, 2022 {Holy day of Obligation}

Immaculate conception

The Marian feasts – the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, the Annunciation – all celebrate not what Mary accomplished, but what God accomplished through Jesus. Mary, as the first disciple of Jesus, is the first to receive the benefits of Jesus’ saving work. She is the first to taste the victory over sin by being herself exempted from its stain at her conception. She is the first to celebrate the resurrection of the body through her assumption into heaven.

Gaudete Sunday

Dec-11-2022 / Matthew 11: 2-11 / Advent 3
Then Came Jesus
Imagine buying tickets to a performance of one of your favorite entertainers, months ahead. The evening finally comes, and your expectations are high. You wait to hear all the “oldies but goodies,” but the performance proceeds for two hours and still no renditions of the songs you’d waited so anxiously to hear. Many times, we anticipate certain happenings, but they disappoint us. So, it was with John the Baptist as he sat in a prison cell waiting to be executed for preaching the coming of the Messiah. He had seen Jesus, had witnessed the voice of the Father, and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. But was Jesus the One, or should he wait for another? He undoubtedly had expectations of exciting things that Christ’s coming would bring, but now he was waiting to die. Do you make promises to your friends … if only they will accept Christ? Do you lead them to believe all their external problems will disappear, that they be miraculously healed of their cancer? In our message we will consider how to be assured that Jesus is in fact the Son of God, and how he can encourage you each and every day.

AUGUST 28 THE TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sirach used aphorisms like Jesus used parables: to teach his audience how to put God’s commands into action. Today we hear both Sirach and Jesus counsel us to act with humility. Sirach tells us we will find favor with God; Jesus imagines a wedding banquet where the host
invites the person who took the lowest seat to move up to a higher position. With true humility, for we are all sinners, let us listen today to the word of God

Sirach 3:17–18, 20, Ancient wisdom insists that the more humble we are,
28–29 the greater we are.
Psalm 68 “God, in your goodness,
you have made a home for the poor.”
Hebrews 12:18–19, Far from frightening, our encounter with God
22–24a will be like a glorious holiday.
Luke 14:1, 7–14 Jesus presents his own version of table manners

August 21 2022 TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

It is no accident that the words “disciple” and “discipline” come from the same root: Latin disciplina, meaning “teaching.” As disciples of the
Lord, we are taught through discipline. We need that discipline when we are tempted to compromise our ethics or ignore our conscience
and do something we shouldn’t or fail to do something we should. Hebrews reminds us today that God’s discipline is given out of love,
to keep our conscience strong and our feet on the narrow path. May we keep to the discipline of being a true disciple and resolve to learn
from our missteps

Isaiah 66:18–21 Outcasts will be gathered home by God as a precious offering in glory
Psalm 117 “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”
Hebrews 12:5–7, 11–13 Discipline strengthens what is weak.
Luke 13:22–30 The doorway into the kingdom is narrow.

Sunday June 26 2022

“Follow me,” Jesus calls out in today’s Gospel. He summons us as well, and his call is challenging. Being a disciple means putting aside one’s own personal concerns. It also means following Jesus no matter how difficult. Up until now, Jesus spent his time preaching, teaching,
and healing around Galilee. But now Jesus has set off for Jerusalem. Though the disciples don’t realize it, he has embarked on the journey that leads to the cross. Let us pray for the strength and courage to continue to follow our Lord, no matter the cost, realizing that our reward is the kingdom of God.

Trinity Sunday June 12, 2022

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three persons in one God. Easy to say, but
difficult to understand, for it is a mystery beyond our comprehension.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that everything the Father has
is his and that the Holy Spirit will take from all that they have. Their
relationship to each other is complete and entire. The Father sent the
Son to be united with humanity, to suffer with us, and to redeem us.
The Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always, guiding
and sanctifying us. We come together today to praise God, who through
the Trinity has given us more than we could ever expect.ext content

Pentecost Sunday June 5, 2022

“We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” Acts 2: 11

The Bible is clear about who is in charge. When we think we are like the people who tried to build a tower to the heavens to nudge God off the throne, we get ourselves in trouble. Trouble with a capital “T.” In the Old Testament story, God “fixed” arrogant throne usurpers. He made their tongues speak different languages. Hence, there was mass confusion.

Confusion and mayhem on earth always come as a result of ignoring God … or worse yet, trying to “play” God. That is the essential meaning of the old story in Genesis 11. What is the antidote? It is the New Testament story of Pentecost. Acts 2 tells of how God’s Spirit came down upon the first Christian believers and brought understanding, harmony, love, unity and power. The church was born when God, worshipped properly, brought the love of heaven into receptive hearts.

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EIGHTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME – FEBRUARY 27, 2022

We are surrounded by devices that we use to communicate. Our cellphones not only make phone calls, but they can record video and take pictures. The computers we use at home and at work monitor what websites we visit and store every email we send. Just about every screen we look at also has microphones and cameras that, in turn, could be looking at us. Every street corner, stop light, and store have security cameras that store footage of us every time we step in front of them. Even some private homes have cameras recording not only what is going on in their property but in the street and in their neighbors’ yards. What if it turned out that all these devices were recording everything that we say? What if, somewhere out there, there is a huge database with your and my names on it keeping track of everything we’ve said, every email and text message we’ve sent, and every image we’ve looked at over the past 10 years or so? Worse still, what if, for some reason, all that information was broadcast to the world? What if our neighbors could hear everything, we’ve ever said about them? What if our parents could discover everything we’ve said and done behind their backs? Chances are we have said many things in private that we would never have said if we knew they were being recorded. What we have said would probably reveal that we are not the kind and sympathetic people we want others to believe we are. It could be that our words reveal our prejudices, our ignorance, and our pettiness. In today’s first reading from the Book of Sirach, we hear that our faults appear when we open our mouths. What we say reveals the kind of person we are. We’ve all had the experience of “putting our foot in our mouths”, that is, saying something thoughtless or offensive. We might apologize right away and say we didn’t mean it. But, in fact, we blurted out the mean thoughts that we had been carrying around with us. It is not that we didn’t mean to say it, but that we didn’t want others to hear it. Jesus speaks about this also in today’s gospel: “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” Therefore, if our hearts are full of love, goodness, and compassion we will say loving, good, and compassionate words. However, if our hearts are full of resentment, malice, and spite, we will say resentful, malicious, and spiteful things. Whatever we are cultivating in our hearts through our thoughts is what will come out when we open our mouths. Thankfully, we can choose which thoughts we want to allow into our hearts and what words we speak with our lips. Though thoughts often pop up spontaneously in our minds, we can choose either to dwell on them or to dismiss them. If we dwell on pure and loving thoughts, we will become pure and loving people and that will be reflected in our speech. It is clear that we can do a lot of harm through what we say. But it is also true that our speech has the power to do a lot of good. What are some ways that we can begin today to use our tongues in positive and uplifting ways? • Expressing gratitude is a beautiful way to use our power of speech. A simple “thank you” can mean so much to someone. • Another way we can use our power of speech for good is by encouraging others. A sincere compliment can do wonders for a person. • Speaking out for those who cannot defend themselves is also an important way that we can use our power of speech. • Finally, one great way that we can use our power of speech is by deciding to remain silent. Choosing not to speak is often the wisest thing we can do. Sometimes, we should be doing more listening than speaking. What we choose to say reveals the type of person we are. Spend a few minutes today thinking about what you have said lately. What does it reveal about you? And if you discover that you have said some unkind words and haven’t been as grateful and supportive as you could have been, there is a place you can go where there are no cameras and no recording devices. It is the Sacrament of Confession. There you can use your power of speech to confess to God your sinfulness and weakness. And there you can hear words of mercy and forgiveness. In this great sacrament of God’s love, Jesus heals hearts that are wounded and makes them more loving. With hearts transformed by God’s love, we can then speak tenderly to others.

Sevent Sunday in Ordinary Time ——– February 20, 2022

1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23, Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 1 Cor 15:45-49, Lk 6:27-38

It is one thing when we hear of people talking about equality, justice, and love. But when we actually see people living out those values that is when we start to pay attention. We will listen and we will follow such people. People who are willing to live the gospel in an uncompromising way. Many times, when Christians get together, we end up talking about how we can get people to come back to church again. The simple fact is that, if we would put Jesus’ words into practice, people would come from miles around to worship with us. If we were a community that truly valued the poor among us, that welcomed the homeless, and that reached out to sinners, then people would want to join us. All of us who listened closely to Jesus’ words in the gospel today were probably moved by the beauty of what we heard. It makes sense that if we only love those who love us back and only do good to those who do good to us then there is nothing upright or heroic in that. The truth of Jesus’ words rings in our hearts. It makes us want to be the type of people who can love even our enemies and do good even to those who wish us harm. In the core of our being, we want to be people who forgive, who bless others, and who love unconditionally. However, as we try to live those words, we come face-to-face with our human weakness. As much as we may want to forgive, we find ourselves holding on to petty grudges. As much as we may want to do good to others, we hear a voice within us asking, “what’s in it for me?” And as much as we want to be generous with our possessions, we fear that we will be taken advantage of. So, few people live up to today’s gospel because of pride and fear. And when we see others holding back, we are tempted to do the same. Is it really possible to live the words of today’s gospel? Is it really possible to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who mistreat us? Is it possible to turn the other cheek to those who strike us and give money to those whom we know can never pay us back? The fact is that, no matter how much we may admire Jesus’ words and hope to live up to them, it is impossible to do so with our human hearts. Only those who know the love of God and have received that love into their hearts can then show such unconditional love to others. Only those who have experienced God’s forgiveness can then turn around and forgive others. Only those who know that they are accepted by God just as they are can then love their neighbors without judging them. Only those who understand that all they have comes from a generous God can then give generously to others.

Jeremiah 17:5-8; Response: Psalm 1:1-2, 3-4, 6; Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

It is true that everything we have comes from God. He has provided for us in the past, He will provide for us today, and He will provide for us in the future. Nothing can happen that will change that. When we have this level of trust in God, we can face anything with confidence. We know that God is in charge and that He will see us through whatever challenges we may face. However, if we do not trust God, everything will seem overwhelming to us. We will start to panic and make rash decisions. We will hold on to what little we have rather than be generous with it.

It is precisely when we are under stress that we realize what level of trust we have in God. What gives us hope when we look to the future? Is it God and His love for us or is it the balance in our checking account? Is our hope for the years to come based on God’s goodness or in the strength of the economy? Does our sense of security come from God who never changes or in the government? Or, as the prophet Jeremiah would put it in today’s first reading, is our trust in human beings or in God?

Jeremiah tells us very clearly what people whose hope is only in the things of this world are like. They are like a barren bush in the desert that stays dry, brown, and dead. It can never grow or flower because it is rooted in land that is rocky, salty, and empty. That is what happens to us when our only hope is in the economy, in politics, or in people. We will be let down and

disappointed. Everything will be bitter to us. Nothing will live up to our expectations. We will always be complaining because nothing is good enough.

However, Jeremiah holds out a promise for those whose trust is in God. They will be like a tree planted beside a river, that is constantly irrigated and refreshed. No matter how hot or dry it is, it will always have plenty of nourishment. Even in times of drought, it flowers and bears fruit. When we trust in God, we have joy both in good times and in bad times. Nothing makes us afraid because we have our eyes fixed on God who promises to provide for us. People who trust in God look to the future with hope because all things are possible for our Heavenly Father. The whole world and its future are in His loving hands. People who trust in God are free to be charitable and generous. Like the businessman who pledged a quarter of a million dollars in a bad economy, they can give freely because they know that God will continue to provide for them.

What kind of person do you want to be? Do you want to be fearful, miserable, and despairing? Or do you want to be hopeful, joyful, and generous? The secret is simply to look to God and His love for security and hope. He can never let us down.

Putting our trust in God is also the key to understanding today’s gospel.

Those who trust in God do not look to wealth for their identity. They can flourish even in poverty because their hope is in the Kingdom of God. They also do not look to food and drink to comfort them when things are difficult. Instead, they look to God for consolation and so can be joyful even in hunger. Those who trust in God are not indifferent to the suffering of others. They feel sadness at a society that puts the unborn to death, that considers the sick and elderly as disposable, and that closes its borders to those who are fleeing corruption and violence. Even as they mourn over a world that has lost its way, they look to God to give them hope and comfort. Finally, people who trust in God do not care what other people think of them. They stay true to their beliefs and principles even in the face of violent persecution. It is just such people whom God will bless.

In today’s second reading, Saint Paul tells us, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.” Christians have a vision of life that transcends this world. Our homeland is in heaven. That is where our hope lies. Even while we work to make this world a place transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we keep our eyes fixed on the world to come. Trusting in God does not mean that bad things will not happen to us. Christians experience poverty, hunger, sadness, and persecution as much, if not more, than anyone else. The difference is that we can be joyful in it all because of our hope in God. Our world is in desperate need of hope and it can only come from God. If we live generously, caring deeply about others, and sacrificing ourselves to meet the hunger of those around us, we will bring others to the God who is the reason for our hope and the source of our blessings.