Tag Archives: Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us a valuable lesson on helping others.  A scholar of the law asked Jesus a question “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

Jesus answered, like he often did, with a question: “What is written in the law?  How do you read it?” 

Listen to the scholar’s answer:
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.” 

Jesus responded with: “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”  The scholar could have walked away and lived as Jesus told him.  But he didn’t. 

How many times are we like the scholar?  We want to justify ourselves before others, so we just have to push the issue, to push the point one more step.  So, the scholar asked another question: “And who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus tells the parable we all know as the Good Samaritan.  Why do we call it the Good Samaritan?  The Jews looked down on Gentiles and Samaritans.  The Messiah would only come to bring salvation for the Jewish people, not the Gentiles nor Samaritans. 

Further, the Jewish people considered the Samaritans to lower than the dogs which were not pets as we know them today but were avoided because if a dog licked a person, that person would unclean and need to go through the purification rites to worship in the synagogue. 

Now we begin to understand why this parable is referred to as the “Good Samaritan” because all Samaritans were considered BAD.  The Samaritan’s hated the Jews and mistreated them as well.

In the parable, Jesus tells us “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho nineteen miles from Jerusalem.  Jericho, the second city of Judea, was a city of the priests and Levites, and thousands of them lived there.  The two mentioned here are returning from serving their temple duties in Jerusalem. 

Notice that the Gospel tell us that when the priest and the Levite saw the victim on the side of the road, they passed by on the opposite side of the road.  We don’t know why they passed on the opposite side of the road.  It could have been for fear that the robbers were still close by.  It could have been that they didn’t want to touch the victim because that would make them unclean and prevent them from serving in the synagogue in Jericho.  It could have been because the victim was going to die anyway so why bother.  We just don’t know. 

Notice that the first mention about the Samaritan was that he was moved with compassion at the sight.  Gregory The Great said “He who gives outward things gives something external to himself, but he who imparts compassion and tears gives him something from his very self”. 

After Jesus told the parable, Jesus asked the scholar: “Who was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”  The scholar answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”  Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”  Those who have compassion for someone give something of themselves.  Jesus said for us to: “Go and do likewise”.  We must have compassion for those in need and treat them with mercy, even those whom we dislike or hate. 

The disciples were arguing amongst themselves about which of them was the greatest.  Jesus used a child to help the disciples understand the simplicity of following him.  He said, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” 

In this usage, “in my name” means the same as saying “in my behalf”.  Jesus was trying to tell the disciples that greatness was not important; but that everyone, even the smallest and frailest of the world, were to be accepted in Jesus’ name.  Those in the margins of society who have no one who even cares about them are great in Jesus’ eyes. 

A child is totally dependent on others for care and protection.  The sick, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the immigrant in need of help are the least of those among us. 

The person on the street corner begging, the person sleeping on the sidewalk, the woman standing on the street who is being trafficked by her pimp in the sex trade, and the child who is screaming because they are not getting their way are to be accepted as though we were receiving Jesus himself. 

Yet we typically turn our head away from them and look the other way.  This is not what Jesus wants us to do.  Jesus did not turn away.  He healed the sick, provided someone to care for the widow and the orphan, and welcomed the stranger and immigrant. 

All the least of these have one thing in common; their inability to repay us for our acts of kindness for them.  This is the message of the Gospels; love God with all your heart and others as yourself.  Jesus brought this message to his time, and it is for us today as much as it was when he spoke these words in person. 

Are we willing to stand for the rights of others?  Are we willing to speak out for those who are mistreated?  Are we willing to spend time in prayer for unity and peace in our nation and in our world? 

It’s simple.  Jesus asks us to receive all the vulnerable in his name.  When we help the vulnerable, the least of these, it will not bring us wealth of fame on earth; in fact, it might bring ridicule and hatred.  Afterall, that’s what happened to Jesus. 

Lord, help me to disregard the desire to be great on earth, and live life like you taught us, so you will receive me into eternal life in Heaven with you. 

Today’s Gospel reminds us to be open with our faith.  Jesus said that no one lights a lamp and conceals it with a vessel or puts it under a bed.  Putting a lamp under a bed is not the safest thing for us to do because the heat from the bulb might start a fire.  When you realize that electricity didn’t exist when Jesus was teaching this lesson, it meant the lamp was an oil lamp with an open flame and the lit lamp under a bed is extremely dangerous. 

Jesus frequently used the ridiculous to make a point.  The people of that time were farmers and shepherds.  When Jesus told the parable of the shepherd who left 99 sheep to fend for themselves while he searched for one who was lost, the people wondered what he was thinking.  No one in their right mind would leave 99 sheep alone in the wild to fend for themselves.  Sheep are prone to wandering and wild animals would attack such an easy prey out in the field without any protection.  Jesus was making the point that God loves us so much that he will go to extremes to save us. 

The same is true for lighting a lamp and hiding it.  Oil was expensive so one would not waste it by covering the lamp with a vessel; let alone put it under a bed where it could start a fire and possibly burn the house down.  Jesus is telling us that our faith must be visible for all to see.  All things, the good and the bad will become visible in due time. 

Jesus is teaching us an important message in this short Gospel.  We are called to be a witness to the world around us.  We must live our lives in such a way that people will know that we are Christians.  Be a light to the world, be a shining example of love and peace to everyone we meet. 

Some people are too concerned with how others will perceive them, and whether people will accept and like them, or avoid them.  Jesus tells us not to hide our faith from those all around us.  Even if we try to hide our faith, it will eventually become known.  Jesus said that nothing will be kept secret, and when that happens, the response is usually negative. 

Do we try to conceal our faith?  Maybe we bow our head to pray over a meal when we are out in public places but not make the sign of the cross because that would identify us as Catholic.  Maybe we skip mass when we are traveling with friends, so they will think that we fit in with group. 

We must place our lamp, in other words, our life, on a lamp stand so that all will know that we are Catholic, that we are followers of Jesus.  Our light will proclaim to all that we attend mass regularly, and all will know that we defend the person who is being belittled or bullied, all will know that we are Pro-Life from conception to natural death. 

We must ask ourselves, “Is my light up on a lamp stand shining brightly for all to see?”  Or am I hiding it under a vessel to be accepted by others?

Am I a good steward?  That is really the question the Gospel is asking us today. 

We don’t use the word steward much today so what is a steward?  Merriam Webster defines steward as “one employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (such as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts).” 

Jesus came to proclaim the Good News to the poor.  When Jesus mentions the steward in the parable, everyone who was listening knew the function of the steward and the peasant farmers could even tell you the name of the steward in their lives. 

There was a very strict class system in place that defined the rich from the poor.  The peasant farmers, who rented the land, were controlled by the steward of the wealthy landowner who held the promissory note for their harvest.  As in all situations, some were good, and some were difficult to live with or even downright evil.  In today’s Gospel, the steward was caught squandering his master’s resources. 

The steward is in a bad situation because tradition was that the steward was responsible for any losses they caused their employer, the master in the parable.  The steward is extremely fortunate that the master didn’t have him thrown into jail until the loss for his mishandling of the resources was repaid.  The steward knew that he didn’t have much time until word would get out that he was fired so he had to act quickly. 

The steward position is what we would consider a management position in today’s world.  When word gets out that he was dismissed for mishandling his master’s resources, no one would hire him in that position again.  And he knew that. 

The only options left for the steward would be physical labor or begging.  The steward acknowledged that he was not strong enough for physical labor and that he was too ashamed to beg. 

In those days, it was customary for promissory notes and contracts to be written in the handwriting of the person making the promise to pay.  That explains why the steward had the person write a new note in their own handwriting. 

We have talked about the value that was placed on honor in the ancient world.  John Pilch helps us understand that the landowner is in a difficult position since the steward is the legal representative of the landowner and had the promissory notes rewritten.  He wrote:

“When the master discovers the steward’s strategy, he faces a genuine dilemma.  If he rescinds the steward’s new contracts, as he is legally entitled to do because they are unlawful, he will alienate the renters and the entire village.  They have already been celebrating the master’s generosity! 

If he allows these reduced contracts to stand, he will be short of produce this year, but his “honor” will spread far and wide (as also will the “honor” of the shrewd steward for arranging the deals).  People will praise the noble and generous landowner.” 

Notice that the dishonest steward also retains his honor if the master permits the contracts stand at the reduced amount.  That meant the steward could live without physical labor or begging through the obligation that the peasant farmers would have for him because of their reduced promissory note.  

Does this mean that dishonesty is right or condoned?  Definitely not!  While it may seem that the dishonest steward is being held up as an example, the dishonest steward is still dishonest.  Jesus is telling us that we must be honest in all our dealings, with people and with God. 

Dennis Hamm, a Jesuit emeritus professor at Creighton University, reminds us that the Aramaic word “Mammon” means wealth or property.  Today’s Gospel ends with Jesus saying: “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” 

John Kavanaugh, a Jesuit professor at St Louis University, expanded on Jesus’ words when he said, “Our attitudes to the poor and our attitudes about security are the best indications of our discipleship.”

If this is true, the steward in today’s parable is only concerned about his own security.  He is only looking out for himself, not the poor who will be able to keep more of their harvest, nor his master who is going to lose even more of his resources because of the steward’s rewriting of the promissory notes. 

Are we really that much different from the steward in the Gospel?  We live in America, the best country in the world.  While our freedoms are being eroded as time goes on, we still have more freedom and wealth than any other country in the world.  We are so blessed and should thank God for these blessings he has given us. 

This sense of comfort and security also makes it easy for us to become complacent with the level of security that we have attained.  It is easy for us to focus on the retirement funds and business dealings, in other words – the mammon – the wealth and property, that will support us now and when we retire. 

Jesus makes the point that while the dishonest steward was commended for his shrewdness, we are required to attain a higher level of service to God and all of God’s children. 

We don’t like to think about the starving in Africa or Latin America because it makes us squeamish.  It doesn’t fit our idea of security. 

We generously support school children in Jamaica, but do we really understand the dire needs of the Jamaican people who live in poverty and fear of the crime all around them?  Or the people in Haiti who are starving because they never recovered from the earthquake in 2010 that destroyed their infrastructure?  Jesus is telling us to wake up from our complacency, to wake up from our love of mammon and truly care for those in the world around us. 

John Kavanaugh’s statement really made me think: “Our attitudes to the poor and our attitudes about security are the best indications of our discipleship.” 

It made me examine my life, and I invite each of you to take a moment and do the same.  Am I more interested in security for myself and my family than the plight of the poor?  Am I more interested in Mammon than eternal dwellings?  

There is a paragraph in today’s Gospel that should stand out to every Catholic. 

“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. 
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed. 

Does it sound familiar? 

What was Jesus’ reply? 

“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 

Jesus was impressed by the faith of a centurion, a Roman Army officer in charge of one hundred soldiers.  Jesus healed his slave without even seeing or touching the slave because of this Gentile’s faith.  It’s no wonder that Jesus said: “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 

Jesus’ reply is incredible.  He said that this Roman Gentile had greater faith than anyone in his own faith, the people of his fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Jewish people Jesus was so desperately trying to reach. 

What do the words of the Centurion mean for us today?  These words are so important that we repeat them at every mass.  At the Communion Rite, the Priest holds the Body of Christ over the Chalice of his Blood and says:

Behold the Lamb of God
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.  
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

And we say:

Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed. 

I am not worthy. 

In one of his homilies, Father Richard Rohr reminds us of the radical and transformational power of forgiveness:  

“When all is said and done, the gospel comes down to forgiveness. I’d say it’s the whole gospel. It’s the beginning, the middle, and the end. People who know how to forgive have known how good it feels to be forgiven, not when they deserved it, but precisely when they didn’t deserve it. 

If we’re Christian, we’ve probably said the “Our Father” ten thousand times. The words just slip off our tongues: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” By saying this prayer, we’ve asked and prayed for forgiveness. Notice the full correlation between how we give and how we receive: “Forgive us as we forgive.” They’re the same movement. We need to know that we need mercy, we need understanding, and then we also need to know how to give it. Each flows with the energy of the other.”

He ended with: “If we’re honest, none of us have lived the gospel.  None of us have loved as we could love, or as we have been loved by God.  I talk about it from the pulpit much better than I live it.  And yet that very recognition—that I have not yet lived love—allows me to stand under the waterfall of infinite mercy.  It’s only then that I know how to let mercy flow through me freely.  That I receive it undeservedly allows me to give it undeservedly.” 

This applies to each of us.  I know how true it is for me.  And yet, God still forgives me.

I am not worthy, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. 

Have you ever become angry with someone who did something good?  Why were you angry about it?  What triggered the feelings within you? 

Was it because the person was honored for the good deed they did, and everyone praised them?  Did they do something better than you did in the past?  Was it because it broke the norms for our group or culture? 

Did you resent the person for the good acts because you didn’t think of it first?  Why am I upset because some one did an act of mercy or kindness to another person? 

What happens in today’s Gospel is more than just being angry with Jesus because he did something good.  The Pharisees were waiting to see if Jesus would heal a person whose hand was deformed on the Sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.  They were deliberately trying to trap Jesus. 

The Pharisees had over six hundred rules to live by and insisted that everyone obey them.  They were very strict and harsh in their condemnation of anyone who broke the rules.  Healing on the Sabbath was wrong because the Pharisees believed that “Healing” was work. 

Some scholars believe that Jesus was a Pharisee since Jesus was frequently dining with a Pharisee.  A person did not share a meal with someone out of their class so a Pharisee would not eat with the poor like Jesus did.  It would also help us to understand why Jesus was so harsh with the Pharisees.  He was not condemning a group from the outside, he was condemning his own group for their pride and arrogance as leaders. 

We have talked about the how important the family was to the Middle Eastern families and that meals were an important ritual for networking and building bonds within families.  As a Rabbi and teacher, Jesus ate with everyone and established the meal as place for all to be equal, unlike the strict class system of his culture.  Jesus gave us the Eucharistic Feast where we are all equal and invited to partake of his Body at each mass. 

Jesus consistently turned his world upside down by his teaching.  Yesterday we heard how Jesus said that we must hate our family to follow Jesus.  Hating one’s family in Jesus’ culture was unheard of because family was everything. 

John Pilch explained that the word hate was a bit strong, and it would be better translated as prefer Christ over family.  However, the result was still the same – Love God more than anything in the world, including life itself. 

When we see someone doing a good deed, an act of mercy or kindness, even if it’s not the way we would have done it, let pray a prayer of thanksgiving for their kindness to another person and ask God to protect them to do more in the future. 

Let us also pray that God will take the resentment and jealousy from our hearts and help us not to be critical because someone performed an act of kindness but stumbled doing it or didn’t do it the way we think it should be done. 

Continue to follow Jesus. Continue to Pray.  Continue to help others.  Your smile or kind words may make all the difference in the life of someone you meet today. 

Each of us has a cross to bear.  Mine is different from yours and yours is different from everyone else’s cross.  Jesus gives us some insight into the burden of our cross in today’s Gospel. 

Jesus is going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for the last time.  Many people would have been going to Jerusalem for to celebrate Passover too.  And many of those people probably sought out Jesus when they saw him to walk with him and maybe receive healing for themselves or a family member or friend. 

Jesus turned to the great crowds following him and said:
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” 

John Pilch helps us understand the context behind the words of Jesus.  He said:

“This Middle-Eastern understanding of “meals” helps a “foreigner” (Deacon Joe: like us two thousand years later) to understand Jesus’ comments on discipleship in today’s reading.  A follower of Jesus who ceased “networking” by means of meals would jeopardize a family’s very existence.  The disciple must then choose between allegiance to the family and allegiance to Jesus.” 

Choosing Jesus is thus equivalent to letting one’s family go, “hating” the family.  Hate is more suitably translated “prefer,” that is, one who “hates” family actually prefers another group to the family. 

Recall the tight-knit nature of the Middle-Eastern family. Sons, married and single, remain with the father.  Everyone “controls” one another. 

The tight knit Middle Eastern family had many advantages too.  Family was there when you got into a difficult situation.  Family would help you and protect you.  One of the things that makes Jesus so unique is that he taught a new way of living. 

If a person prefers the family of God more than their birth family, it comes with a great cost.  Without your family, you were on your own.  No safety net, no support, no protection from your enemies.  Now we understand why Jesus immediately turns the crowd’s attention to two examples of someone counting the cost to accomplish a task. 

The crowds willingly follow Jesus the great healer, the great miracle worker.  Even the demons come out of people at Jesus’ command.  Jesus is aware that the crowd will try to make him a “King” when he enters Jerusalem.  Because Jesus is considered a great Teacher or Rabbi, the crowds will follow Jesus willingly without understanding what is coming. 

Jesus knows that his Passion is near and wants the crowd to understand the cost of Discipleship.  The suffering and shame that Jesus would endure in his Passion and Crucifixion are weighing heavy in his mind.  We have a radically different understanding of the cross after Jesus’ crucifixion. 

Despite the suffering and agony that Jesus experienced, he still did his Father’s will.  That is what Jesus is calling the crowd to do; obey the Father’s will.  And that comes at a cost. 

Jesus made it extremely clear to the crowd that Discipleship requires total dedication to God.  Jesus used the word “Hate” to emphasize how we must reject everything, even family which was so important to the culture of his day, to follow him. 

There is still a cost to being a Christian, especially a Catholic, today.  The Liberals have targeted us for our stand on the sanctity of the family, protection of our children and sacredness of life.  Are we willing to do what Jesus tells the crowd; love God more than everything on earth and follow him? 

Catholics are known for what we believe and the fact that we will live our lives according to those beliefs and fight for those principles regardless of the persecution that comes our way. 

Some Catholics have turned away from the Church’s doctrine and teaching.  They have even said that Pro Life Law is a sin.  And others have discriminated against Catholics without us even knowing it.  One school administrator said that if he discovered the person he was interviewing for a teacher position was Catholic, he would not hire them because of their faith. 

Jesus is telling us not to get upset with what is going on in the world, not to let family, our pride, our possessions become more important than God.  Jesus endured tremendous evil in his life.  From the Temptations by Satan to his Passion and Crucifixion, to his accepting the sin of the entire world from the beginning of time to the end of time.  My sin and your sin.  Jesus loves us that much. 

Yes, discipleship has a cost.  We need to evaluate the cost and pray for strength to pay the cost of the cross we must bear.  We must examine our willingness to put Christ above everything else in this world.  Jesus told us that we must prefer him more than family, success, fame, and even our lives.  The Blood of the Martyrs has flowed through the millennia because they preferred Christ more than life itself. 

The only way to reach that point in our lives is by praying.  Prayer is crucial to our spiritual growth.  Grace before meals is good but we need time in prayer with God.  A priest once told the congregation that unless they were spending at least an hour in prayer every day, it was not enough. 

WOW! You say.  I understand.  Our lives are so busy. 

How do we pray more?  We start building our prayer life a little at a time.  An extra five minutes a day for the next month, then another five minutes a day and gradually it is a crucial part of our lives. 

It is our source of strength to carry the cross in our lives, the pain and suffering of a spouse or child who has cancer.  The pain of a child who left the church when they got older even though they were raised here at St Joe’s. 

Hard as it is, we must find time to increase our prayer life to help us prefer Jesus even over life itself. 

Am I willing to pay the cost of Discipleship?