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.

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Year A) June 11 (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-59)

Throughout humanity’s history, people have been challenged to learn the meaning of “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” There is a constant struggle between faith and trust on the one hand and fear and sin on the other. Too often fear wins out and disaster follows close behind.

Most Holy Trinity  (Year A) June 4 (Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; Daniel 3; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18 )

Moses had an extremely important appointment that he had to keep. The appointment was with God, who would be revealed to him. He would also receive the Ten Commandments on stone tablets.