Reflections

Pray continually and never lose heart The message of today’s Gospel (Luke 18: 1-8) is clearly expressed in the opening line. Pray continually and never lose heart.  We are prepared for this lesson by the First Reading which gives us a picture of Moses at prayer.  A battle was being fought and as long as…

Gratitude is the heart of prayer Luke, more than the other writers, is the evangelist of prayer. This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 17:11-19), the story of the healing of ten lepers, instructs us on having trust in our prayer of petition and returning to God in thanksgiving.  Asking and thanking. “Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.”…

  The Unadorned Table There are ten meals in Luke’s Gospel and each one is not only a table of food but also a table of the word … just as we have in the liturgy of the Eucharist.  Each meal is the setting for some important teaching.  We are familiar with the Last Supper,…

Dives and Lazarus Luke, more than the other evangelists, portrays Jesus as being on the side of the poor.  In last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus referred to money as tainted with temptation.  Today’s Gospel (Luke 16:19-23) is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  Although he is commonly called Dives, the rich man is not…

  In the past I often heard people complaining that too many Sunday sermons were about money.  I don’t hear it nowadays, probably because the parish newsletter and parish council publicize the financial needs.  This Sunday however the Gospel (Luke 16:1-13) suggests that the preacher should talk about money, dealing with its wrong use and…

  One is important to God While the First Reading and Responsorial Psalm are chosen to connect with the Gospel of the Day, it occasionally happens that the Second Reading touches on the same theme.  The mercy of God to sinners features in each text this Sunday. In the First Reading (Exodus 32:7-11.13-14), when the…

The Cost of Discipleship Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. “If anyone comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:1-2). The size of the crowd did not impress Jesus.  He could…

  The art of listening to God Saint Luke seems to have been fascinated by food!  Even the Risen Lord asked the stunned disciples, “have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:41).  Luke recalls ten meals, each with a distinctive setting and a special message.  The last supper and the welcoming banquet for the return…

The Good Samaritan saw, felt compassion and acted On the road to Jerusalem Jesus taught the way of discipleship.  The spiritual life has been compared to a tripod supported on the legs of prayer, study of our religion and practical action.  Today’s Gospel, the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 15: 10-37), is about love…