Observation - November 10th, 2025, Monday

it is 1:00 am

it is dark outside the fifth floor window

the soft-electric light of a vital signs monitor

glows inside the modular room

 

I hear the chatter of nurses in the hall

the door to the room is slightly ajar

they come and go in the dark

to turn my brother and bring him meds

            dilaudid, ativan, haldol  

 

the room is warm and dry

sterile like a hospital room…

it is a hospital room

my younger brother is lying

in a hospital bed

he is forty-nine years old

my younger brother is dying

 

the air compressor at the foot of his bed is humming

the inflatable mattress he is lying on fills and empties

something that reminds of me of surprise crosses his face when it happens

            as if he were rising on a cloud before being slowly let down

as if he were being cradled in a perfect little metaphor

for the experiences we have between birth and the grave

A Homily – The Thirty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year) C

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

 

First Reading – Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12

Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 45(46):2-3,5-6,8-9

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17

Gospel Acclamation – 2 Corinthians 7:16

The Gospel according to John 2:13-22

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

Temples and altars, rituals and magic, these are unimportant places and things innate significance, these conniving gestures all belong to the empty set, the rooted in deception, prevarication and lies.

Know this.

The psalmist is wrong; God does not intervene in human affairs. We know this is true because we know that God made us free, every human being, every sentient creature everywhere…the entire creation is free from divine coercion.

God is not a king a lord; only kings and lords want you to see God this way. God neither seeks nor desires exaltation, only those who want a share in that exaltation do.

Consider the work of the apostle, he makes a clever argument to establish his own authority by claiming that his ministry is grounded in the same work that Jesus of Nazareth had undertaken…and was executed for.

His argument is clever but circular, it is also invalid and should ultimately be considered unnecessary…insofar as his work should speak for itself

Understand this.

The living God dwells within the living you, the living I, the living we; God dwells in all people, in all things and beings, at all times and in all places.

God dwells in you and I, God dwells in the hearts of our enemies (whoever they might be), and wherever God is present, God is present fully; God is fully present everywhere.

Be mindful.

Trust is the essence of faith.

Consider the gospel reading for the day and see how it moves the reader in different directions.

The writers of the gospel present a mix of motivations; on the one hand they wanted to express the understanding that the death and resurrection of Jesus was known  to him, foretold by him and in keeping with God’s plan; on the other hand they wanted to speak to some specific issues of social corruption that were present in their day and affecting the life of their community. In order to fulfill these various motivations, they distanced Jesus and the disciples, and thereby burgeoning Christian movement from the pharisaic Judaism in which it had formed.

In this regard the Gospel for today is a piece of propaganda. It was unnecessary for the gospel writers to make any comment concerning the “Jewish Passover, unless they were writing to people who were not themselves Jewish as well as to those who wanted to separate the movement from its Jewish origins.

Let us be clear, Jess was a Jew, and the Passover to him and his disciples was simply the Passover.

Nevertheless, the commentary about corruption in the temple was not without merit, and remains a matter of deep concerns in whatever passes for a temple, in all religions, everywhere. There was corruption in the priesthood, there had always been corruption in the priesthood, both before the time of Jesus and after…it seems as if this will never change, at least so long as sin and corruption remain a human problem.

Understand this on the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the organization of religion is as much a matter of commerce as it is of spirituality, perhaps more. The just criticism of the Jewish Temple in Jesus’ day, made by his followers more than a hundred years after his death is more likely a criticism of corruption in the Jewish synagogues, which they themselves experienced in their own day, and that this criticism should be applied equally to the entire community of believers, in all times, in all places, in all faith traditions...there is always corruption, because we ourselves are corrupt.

First Reading – Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12

Wherever the Water Flows, it Will Bring Life and Health

The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’

 

Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 45(46):2-3,5-6,8-9

God, our refuge and our strength

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

The Lord is our refuge and our strength,

  a true help in our troubles.

Therefore we do not fear,

  even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea,

the waves roar and foam

  and rise up to shake the mountains.

The streams of the river give joy to the city of God,

  the holy dwelling-place of the Most High.

God is within it, it will not be shaken;

  God will give help as the day dawns.

The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter:

  at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water.

The Lord of strength is with us,

  the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come and see the works of the Lord,

  who has done wonders on the earth.

He puts an end to wars over all the world:

  he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire.

Stop and see that I am God:

  I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.

The Lord of strength is with us,

  the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Amen.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

 

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17

The Temple of God is Sacred, and You Are That Temple

You are God’s building. By the grace God gave me, I succeeded as an architect and laid the foundations, on which someone else is doing the building. Everyone doing the building must work carefully. For the foundation, nobody can lay any other than the one which has already been laid, that is Jesus Christ.

  Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.

 

Gospel Acclamation – 2 Corinthians 7:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, for my name to be there forever.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel according to John 2:13-22

Destroy this Sanctuary and in Three Days I Will Raise It Up

Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.

 

A Homily – The Thirty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

A Homily - The Thirty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

All Souls Day

 

First Reading – 2 Maccabees 12:42-45

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 62(63):2-6,8-9

Second Reading – Philippians 3:20-21

Gospel Acclamation – John 6:39

The Gospel According to Luke 7:11-17

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

The narrative from Maccabees attests to a belief in the an afterlife, an ideology that was present and burgeoning in this era that we often refer to as the intertestamental period (a two-hundred year span of time between the last writings to be included in the Hebrew Testament and the letters of Paul, which were the first writings of the Christian Testament).

The narrative from Maccabees misappropriates the faith by suggesting that God, the creator of the universe, had a stake in the Maccabean Revolt; God did not. God does not choose the victor in battles, but rather laments over all of the violence that we inflict on each other.

Know this.

God is not concerned with temples and idols, fetishes and tokens, or what kind of talisman we might be wearing beneath our clothes. God does not require that sacrifices be purchased at the altar so that the spirits of the dead can be freed from sin, or any other terrible fate in the next world.

Be mindful.

It is right to thank God for all the good things that come our way, neither should we blame God for the hardships we suffer in our bodies, on this world, in this life.

The good and the bad come to us irrespective of who we are, what we do or have done, or who we might become…there is no plan it; God is no respecter of persons, and does not love any single one of God’s children more than God loves any other.

Praise God and give thanks for the good we enjoy, while we enjoy it, share it if you can, as far as you are able…and do not dwell on the bad.

Understand this.

There is peace to be had in patience, in contemplation, meditation and prayer…make your life a constant prayer, asking only for the grace that comes from God and bringing peace to the spirit.

Let the peace of God within you bubble up like a fountain, like a spring overflowing for others to see, let their thirst be quenched and their spirits sustained by it.

Know this.

God truly dwelt within Jesus, as God dwells within all of us. God is with us now, as is Jesus…wait for them no longer, the transfiguration which Jesus passed through was not of this world, but marked his passage to the next…like Jesus we were made for eternity by God.

Not one of us will be lost.

Consider the gospel reading for today and what message it is sending; the authors of Luke present us with a fiction of magic and miracle making, a narrative filled wonder working and acts of power, equivalent too and perhaps greater than works of the prophets from the ancient world.

Understand this.

None of the authors of Luke’s Gospel ever met Jesus, not a single one, including Luke himself, who was a follower of Paul, who also never met Jesus. At least half a century had passed from the time of Jesus’ death, to the time that Luke’s Gospel was written, and by the time it was written; Palestine (Judea and Samaria) were completely under Roman rule, Jerusalem had been ruined, the temple destroyed and the population scattered across the Empire in the second great diaspora.

There were no witnesses to the events Luke describes, like the raising of the widow’s son. There was no one to any stories with him concerning the reactions that had been present among the assembled people in the crowd. The story itself bears all the hallmarks of a fabrication…it is a myth, it never happened, but it became a part of the Christian tradition and was handed down as evidence that Jesus had both great compassion and great power.

Fabrications of this type possess little into the teachings of Jesus unless we treat it as a metaphor, therefor let me suggest this:

The raising the dead man at Nain was not a physical miracle, it was an assertion of the notion that widow should not be left alone, with no husband and no son to protect her in a world where women needed male representation to survive. The resurrection of the widow’s son represents the role that the church will play in protecting widows everywhere. It is a summary of values, stating that the church will pick up the familial obligations for the woman, to protect her and keep her in life. This is the role of the church, to be the guardian of the meek, to serve as caretaker...this is the miracle, see it as such because it is in contradistinction to the common way of life, which commonly saw widows and orphans forced out into the margins of society.

Understand this.

God does not violate the laws of nature; not once, not ever; God does not reserve to God’s self the right to abrogate the laws God in God’s own self has established. If we are going to accept this story as a part of the Gospel we must find a way of reading it that rules out the supernatural, because there is no such thing as magic.

This reading does just that; it is not that the widow’s son died and returned to life. It is that Jesus appointed the church to care for the widow, in place of her dead son; this is what keeps her well  and this is what puts Jesus directly in the tradition of the prophets…not the miracle making, the wonder working, the acts of power and the phantasmagoria of magic. It is his work as an advocate for Justice, for community, and compassion that make Jesus of Nazareth into prophet that he was.

First Reading – 2 Maccabees 12:42-45

Sacrifice for the Dead

Judas took a collection from them individually, amounting to nearly two thousand drachmae, and sent it to Jerusalem to have a sacrifice for sin offered, an altogether fine and noble action, in which he took full account of the resurrection. For if he had not expected the fallen to rise again it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead, whereas if he had in view the splendid recompense reserved for those who make a pious end, the thought was holy and devout. This was why he had this atonement sacrifice offered for the dead, so that they might be released from their sin.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 62(63):2-6,8-9

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;

  for you my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for you

  like a dry, weary land without water.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary

  to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,

  my lips will speak your praise.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

So I will bless you all my life,

  in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,

  my mouth shall praise you with joy.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

For you have been my help;

  in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.

My soul clings to you;

  your right hand holds me fast.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

 

Second Reading – Philippians 3:20-21

Christ Will Transfigure our Bodies into Copies of His Glorious Body

For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.

 

Gospel Acclamation – John 6:39

Alleluia, alleluia!

It is my Father’s will, says the Lord, that I should lose nothing of all he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Luke 7:11-17

The Only Son of His Mother, and She a Widow

Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

 

A Homily - The Thirty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

All Souls Day

A Homily – Feast of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation (Year C)

First Reading – Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 23(24):1-6 ©

Second Reading – 1 John 3;1-3 ©

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 11:28 ©

The Gospel According to Matthew 5:1 – 12a ©

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

God, the creator of the universe, is not a king. The divine person is not the lord of dominions, God does not sit on a throne, wield a scepter or wear a crown.

Know this.

The multitude John witnessed in his vision is a society without number, there is no upper limit to its measure, it is continually aborning and seamlessly without end. John’s multitude is comprised of every person who has experienced the tribulations of living, of every single one of us who has come into being and suffered while they sojourned through time and space. Every human being who is alive today, has ever been or will ever be, all of us belong to the multitude…all of us are children of the living God--gathered together in the great continuum of being, and none of us are lost…this is the good news, and in it lies the way.

We are not saved by the blood of the lamb, not in the literal sense, this is a metaphor. There is no sanctification or justification through ritual sacrifice, but there is in the feast that follows, where we all come to the table to share in the communal gift…this is the symbol that is important.

We may experience something of salvation in the here and now, if we let go of our enmities, forgive those who have wronged us, as God has forgiven us, and when we have accepted the forgiveness of those we have wronged; when we have done that we may experience a forestaste of what is to come.

Be mindful!

The reading from Genesis is powerful, but do not look for God to come down from the heavens draped in glory, wielding powers and heralded with honors; remember the humility of Jesus and look for the divine presence there.

All things and persons have their being in God; the divine is the foundation of all that is, without God there is nothing, without God there is not even the possibility of something, Therefore, if you wish to climb the mountain, and you are going there to find God, that is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, God is there, but God is closer than the mountain top, simply turn to your neighbor, open your heart and you will see God reflected in their face. Behold the face of God in their eyes, it is you and it is them…together, and in God’s holy presence give thanks  

Knowing that God loved you before creation, when only the possibility of you existed, do not worry about your own relative state of your own holiness; act as if you believe that you are a holy vessel, worthy of God’s adoration, simply because you are. All things and everyone are loved by God, there is no better measure of holiness than that

Look for God’s blessing in the service you provide to your neighbor, to your mother and father, to your sister and brother, if you are to be justified by anything, let it be by the quality and extent of your mercy.

If you go looking for the God of Jacob, instead of seeing God in Jacob (even in his folly), you will only be staring at idols.

Know this!

God is not confined to the pages of a book or by the inked letters on a scroll, the divine is not bound by the history and mythology of a people. It is fine to see in those things glimpses of the divine, the records and remembrances of past encounters, but if you seek the living God you must look among the living.

Consider the work of the apostle:

When you are preaching the faith you are always speaking to the children of God, and there is nothing you yourself can do to affect their salvation, their salvation has already been accomplished in God by grace and grace alone.

The teachings of Jesus cannot be treated like a shell game, though they often are, and often have been since the beginning, as Matthew illustrates; the way is not a long can, it is not a bait and switch, it is a simple teaching that cannot be controlled or owned by any one group of people.

The wise and the powerful, the learned and the clever, the weak and the meek, everyone has access to the same truth and to the knowledge of the divine, of justice, of hope and love; just because a person may be wise and powerful, learned and clever, or a child of the church, does not mean they recognize the truth when they see it, or act upon it when they do.

It is not your station in society, it is not how other people regard you, it is not the titles you have earned, or the ways that you have been marginalized that give us the tell on how you will fulfill the calling to follow Jesus. What matters is what is in your heart, and your willingness to trust in the content of your hope.

Consider the Gospel reading for the day:

Much has been written about the sermon on the mount. It is hard for me to believe that I would have anything new to add to that discussion, but adding something new is not as important as sharing the story and how it has shaped my perspective on the Gospel.

Also, adding something new happens all by itself, and by sharing our perspective we keep the conversation moving…this is the living tradition of our faith.

In the reading for today Jesus shares a way of seeing the world, of living in society, of understanding our relationship to the creator; a way that reverses the expectations of the social compact that were prevalent in his time.

Jesus might have said that the providence of heaven belongs to all people, regardless of who they are, where they came, or how far they think they are from the love of the creator, no matter what creed they profess or what traditions bind them…no matter how little they may think about God.

He might have said that the gentle of heart do seek to possess things, therefore they have nothing to guard making themselves unguarded and free, the gentle of heart who by freeing themselves from their desires, have gained everything.

He might have said have hope, all of our woes are temporary, all sadness, and all mourningand all grief will come to an end.

He might have said strive for what is right and just, for what is universal and true, for what touches all people; give up your concerns for yourself and your tribe knowing that these narrow paths lead to loneliness and misery, while the broad road leads to joy and fellowship with the multitude that are walking along it…walk there in the company of friends.

He might have said mercy follows upon mercy, as the sun follows the rain…you may be sure of it.

He might have said that all people come to the vision of God; it is certain because God wills I, just as it is certain that in time they will come to know their true selves, at which moment they will see the fullness of God at the center of their being, dwelling within everyone and uniting us as one.

He might have instructed us to accept the parentage of the divine, and the reality of our status as children of God, to take up the task set before us: to love justice, be merciful and make peace wherever we go..

The providence of heaven belongs to all people, it is the inheritance of everyone who comes into being, the it may only be received in full by those who share it without reservation, distributing it to all of those in need.

If you are abused and persecuted for the sake of peace and mercy, have no fear, the powers of sin and evil, along with the pain they bring, the reality of sickness and death; these are temporalities, and they will come to an end.

First Reading - Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14

I Saw a Huge Number, Impossible to Count, of People from Every Nation, Race, Tribe and Language

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

  After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

  One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

 

Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 23(24):1-6

The Lord Comes to His Temple

The man with clean hands and pure heart will climb the mountain of the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

  the world and all who live in it.

He himself founded it upon the seas

  and set it firm over the waters.

Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?

  Who will stand in his holy place?

The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,

  who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.

He will receive the blessing of the Lord

  and be justified by God his saviour.

This is the way of those who seek him,

  seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

  and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of might and power.

  The Lord, strong in battle.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

  and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of hosts

 – he is the king of glory.

Amen.

The man with clean hands and pure heart will climb the mountain of the Lord.

Alleluia!

 

Second Reading - 1 John 3:1-3

We Shall be Like God Because We Shall See Him as He Really Is

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

 

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Matthew 5:1-12a

How Happy are the Poor in Spirit

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

  they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

  they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

  they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

  they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

  they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

  they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

 

A Homily – Feast of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation (Year C)

A Homily – The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

First Reading – Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14, 16-19 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 33(34):2-3, 17-19, 23 ©

Second Reading – 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18 ©

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 11:25

Alternative Acclamation – 2 Corinthians 5:19

The Gospel According to Luke 18:9 - 14 ©

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

Be joyful when you hear the wisdom of the sage who says that God, the creator of the universe, that God is not respecter of persons, neither of the rich nor of the poor. There is no differentiation in God’s love; God loves all of God’s children equally. God listens to all prayers, ignoring none of them, but God will not come to your aid, not while you live on Earth; do not wait in the expectation of it. God’s deliverance comes after the body perishes, when you are delivered to the new world, when you enter a place beyond time and space.

Be humble, serve your brothers and sisters as you wish that God would serve you; come to their aid, be the hand of God in this world, showing love and mercy in the spirit of humility and kindness.

Be mindful!

If you intend to seek God; look no farther than your hear; you will find God in loving, and in loving you will be blessed…praise God through works of love.

Look for no other glory than that of a servant, knowing that true greatness is measured by the extent of the caring that you exhibit in the world…God is great because God cares.

Know this.

God has no name, therefore do not praise the name of God, rather you should exalt the loving work of God that is found in creation.

Listen to your neighbors, rescue them from fear; it is then that God’s light shines through you, spreading like fire by the hope you kindle and the love you share.

Remember.

With God there is no shame; God is no respecter of station, class or wealth. God distributes the same portion of love to everyone, it is infinite and enduring.

As you pass through the troubles of the world, recall the life of Job and do not look for God to save you from what pains you; we are all Job, in a way, we are all beset with woes. Therefore, have faith in the way and testify to how transient our troubles are…look to your family and friends, to your neighbor or the stranger among you if you are in need of rescue, that is how the divine will reach you, through them.

Know this.

All pain is temporary, but love lasts forever.

Do not fear, speak the truth, avoid evil and do good…this is the wisdom of the psalmist, God sees all, hears all, knows all, because God is with all of us, indwelling all of us, God knows our innermost thoughts, our deepest secrets, desires and hidden motivations. God understands our experience as we understand it ourselves…ours and everyone’s.

Keep your mind in the present; do good world for the sake of doing good, not as a means of increasing your share of providence. God’s love endures forever, but we only feel it in the immediate-present of our lives.

Receive the gospel with a heart full of hope, you will find peace; ignore the fear-mongers who have lost sight of the way.

Whether you are pure and without flaw, or dirty and soiled with corruption, God only comes for you when you at the point of departure, when you are done with this world. God comes for the saint and the sinner alike, not because you deserve it, but simply because God loves you.

God is always at your side and will deliver you, place a halo, like fire, upon your head, not for any righteousness you have accumulated, but because God has claimed you for God’s own, a feast for the prodigal child to celebrate the return.

Do not shun the gift because everyone receives the same, do not devalue it because it is free. Do not think less of God’s love when you see those who persecuted you and those who abandoned you receive the same blessing as you from the same loving God.

Do not turn your wrath on God when you that those who would not listen to you, when those who ignored you, when those who actively opposed you are present with you on the same pilgrimage to the divine.

Consider this:

The apostle tells us in the simplest of terms that the singular mission of the church is to proclaim our reconciliation with God, as fulfilled in Jesus according to the providence of God and the divine plan.

Everyone is reconciled in the loving embrace of God and the church is meant to announce it, to be the ambassadors of this good news. The church is not, nor should it ever be a recruiting agency, organized around the purpose of signing up members, for whom reconciliation with the divine is presented as perk of joining, or some kind of payout like a reward.  

Know this!

Our reconciliation with God has already occurred, it occurred at the beginning of time, for in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, through and in whom all things have their being…it is the mission of the church to proclaim it.

Consider the Gospel reading for the Day:

Do not be mistaken; both of the people in the narrative are beloved by God, without qualification, loves all people without preference.

In the person of the Pharisee and in the person of the tax collector; there is both good and there is evil; this is true of everyone. It is true of you, and it is true of me, but God loves us despite our faults and failings.

The Pharisee was born into the life of a Pharisee, he was given the means to live the life he lived. He had some say in how he would handle his inheritance; just as we all do, whatever that inheritance might be, even if our inheritance is nothing more than wind and sand.

This is not to excuse the Pharisee’s miserly behavior, it is simply to state our understanding of human nature…do not be surprised by it. Each of us is free to be prideful or humble, regardless of what we do or do not have; all of us are in different ways both.

A person who manifests an ugly sense of pride in relation to one aspect of their life, may be loving and humble in another. Do not believe that because you see one side of a person, you have seen everything about them.

The tax collector also inherited his circumstances; perhaps making choices along the way to establish himself in the role he occupied, nevertheless, like all people, his role in his community was partly determined by free will and partly determined by the exigencies of his community.

A person may have an occupation which they know causes harm to others, but nevertheless they cannot walk away from it, for any number of reasons: because of unseen obligations such as a responsibility to family, to friends to community. The fact that they are engaged in a sinful occupation does not tell us the whole story of who they are. They may be fierce and aggressive in the pursuit of their duties and yet come to their prayers with humility and contrition…only God knows what is in their hearts.

Therefore be welcoming to all who come to you; do not judge them based on the outward expression of their piety, their occupation or their place in society…we are all of us a mix of good and bad intentions.

First Reading – Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14, 16-19 ©

The Humble Man's Prayer Pierces the Clouds

The Lord is a judge who is no respecter of personages.

He shows no respect of personages to the detriment of a poor man, he listens to the plea of the injured party.

He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication, nor the widow’s as she pours out her story.

The man who with his whole heart serves God will be accepted, his petitions will carry to the clouds.

The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds, until it arrives he is inconsolable, and the Lord will not be slow, nor will he be dilatory on their behalf.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 33(34):2-3, 17-19, 23 ©

The poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

The poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

  to destroy their remembrance from the earth.

The just call and the Lord hears

  and rescues them in all their distress.

The poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;

  those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.

  Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.

The poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

 

Second Reading – 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18 ©

All there is to Come Now is the Crown of Righteousness Reserved for Me

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

 

Alternative Acclamation – 2 Corinthians 5:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Luke 18:9 - 14 ©

The Tax Collector, Not the Pharisee, Went Home Justified.

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

 

A Homily – The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)