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

First Reading – Deuteronomy 30:10-14 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 68(69):14,17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37 ©

Second Reading – Colossians 1:15-20 ©

Gospel Acclamation – John 10:27

Alternative Acclamation – John 6:63, 68

The Gospel According to Luke 10:25 – 37 ©

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

God has made us capable of rising to the demands of conscience, and will not test us in ways that we are not prepared to handle.

If we believe that “the law” has been written in keeping with the will of God, we can only hold this to be true insofar as it promotes love and kindness, mercy and forbearance, compassion and humility…the law is the way, and the way is meant to keep us well; holiness is not its objective, except insofar as holiness is the natural evolution of love.

God’s law is written in our hearts, listen and you can hear the spirit of God preaching on it there.

Be mindful!

God has made us free and will not intervene in our lives, either to help us or deter us…do not look to God for help in this world; you must help yourself, rely on you family, your friends and your neighbors, you may even have to rely on the stranger to help you even though God has given you the strength to persevere any hardship. God has given you hope to lead you through and given you the freedom to do anything…or to do nothing at all.

If your family and friends have turned against you; look inward and ask yourself why.

Understand this.

God desires praise and worship more than animal sacrifices, but even praise and worship are next to nothing compared to God’s desire for justice and compassion, for love and for mercy, patience and kindness.

 Consider the teaching of the apostle; he sees in Jesus the image of the unseen, unknowable and un-nameable God, telling us what the writers of John’s Gospel affirm: that all things are created in Christ, the Word of God, and all things redound to God in the end.

 All things are created through God and made for God’s purpose; all principalities and all powers, all of the poor, all of the alienated and all of those who suffer were created by God and are each of them equally objects of God’s love.

 Know this!

 God does not appoint the princes and powers of the world, God does not lift them up or take them down, God does not assign suffering to any, but nevertheless God transforms all of the free choices made within God’s free creation into alignment with God’s purpose for the whole.

 God holds all things together within the unity of God’s being.

 Be mindful.

 The sheep do not choose the shepherd; the shepherd chooses the sheep, and everything belongs to God in whom all that is, comes to be. The shepherd is God and there is no other, there is one shepherd and one sheepfold…the universe God has created.

 Listen for the voice of the shepherd, and do not trouble yourself with how the shepherd speaks to you, in what language, in what text. It is not your concern how the shepherd speaks to your sister or your brother, to your neighbors or the stranger. The shepherd is speaking to them to, and they are listening as they are willing and able.

 Everyone that is, everyone without exception, all of us walk with God; God walks with everyone, there is no other way.

 Do not trouble yourself if you do not understand the journey another person is on, just know that God is guiding them, as God is guiding you with wisdom and reason and grace.

 If you resist…God will be patient; God will wait for you as God waits for everyone. God will wait for you because God loves you, as Jesus showed us; lovingly, patiently and kindly.

 Have faith.

 God will not lose a single one of us. Neither will any one of us lose the love of God.

 Consider the early church and how it went astray, and many have suffered because it did. Consider the significant ways in which the church deviated from the teaching of Jesus and the lived experience of the way which he taught.

 Think of Saint Peter, who would have us believe that he follows Jesus because Jesus has the secret message of eternal life, as if this were the purpose of the gospel, as if the simple act of “believing” that Jesus is the “Holy One of God” is the key to life.

 The writers of John’s Gospel tell us that God parcels out access to Jesus, and the truth, that God is parsimonious with the knowledge that leads to the reality of life everlasting, allowing some to come to it, while refusing others…none of this scheme is true.

 Here is the gospel, here is the really good news; God loves you, you are saved and that is it.

 You are not saved for anything that you have done, you did not earn your salvation, you are saved because God loves you.

 The promise of salvation is not that you will be spared from suffering and torment in hell, or that when you are judged God will forgive you…God has already forgiven you; you have already been judged and found worthy; the fact that you are is the evidence of it…you are already saved.

 God has prepared you, and everyone for eternal life…believe it!

 Let the goodness of God’s promise flow through you now and start living this life as if it you believed God’s promise were true; this is the essence of faith.

 We are not called to believe in the idea that Jesus is this or that, or called to believe that Jesus is the “Holy One of God,” we are called to act on the principles of his faith, to live lives of charity and service to each other, we are called to follow the way.

 Be mindful!

 Today’s gospel calls on us to examine the depths of our conscience; now consider this exchange between Jesus and the lawyer presented here today.

 Jesus’ interlocutor asks him what he must do to gain eternal life.

 This man; a lawyer, was looking to gain possession of something beyond himself, looking to acquire it through some deed, some set of action, perhaps through a “way” of life, or perhaps even simply by thinking about things in the “right” way, having the “right” beliefs, or the “right” doctrine.

 Jesus does not answer his question directly; he does not tell him what he must do to have “eternal” life, rather he directs the lawyer to summarize his understanding of the law.

 The lawyer knows what Jesus is looking for and he recites the Shema, which formed the core of Jesus’ teaching from the beginning of his ministry and throughout. He taught the Shema as an articulation of the way, which is to love God above all things, and to do so by loving your neighbor as you love yourself…Jesus tells him that if he does this he will have life, true life in the here and now.

 The lawyer becomes confused, and so Jesus illustrates his point in the narrative that follows: through the parable that has come to be known as that of the “Good Samaritan.”

 It is the story about a man who is suffering and near death. Two people pass him on the road, one of the men is a priest and the other is a member of a notable tribe, they see him and ignore him; they offer no help.

 The reason for their inaction is not given, but it has been commonly understood that both the priest and the Levite feared something: perhaps they feared violence, or they might have feared coming in contact with his wounds, because contact with blood would have placed them in a state of ritual impurity...whatever the case may be, they feared something and did not help him; they were unable to see his suffering reflected in themselves.

 Then, down the road comes a man from Samaria who stops and tends to the wounded man, then he provides for his recovery at a nearby inn. This man has no connection to the unfortunate one, but he acts on his behalf anyway.

 It is likely that he, like the other two, was also afraid, but the Samaritan was able to set aside his fear in order to serve the good.

 The kindness of the Samaritan represents the essence of true life, succumbing to fear is the road that leads to death…this is a teaching for the ages, it is the constant human struggle between hope and fear...for as long as we are embodied beings it will never leave us, thogh we can master it and when we do we have found the way.

First Reading – Deuteronomy 30:10-14 ©

The Law is not Beyond Your Strength or Beyond Your Reach

Moses said to the people: ‘Obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping those commandments and laws of his that are written in the Book of this Law, and you shall return to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

‘For this Law that I enjoin on you today is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, “Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, “Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance.’

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 68(69):14,17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37 ©

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

This is my prayer to you,

  my prayer for your favour.

In your great love, answer me, O God,

  with your help that never fails:

Lord, answer, for your love is kind;

  in your compassion, turn towards me.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

As for me in my poverty and pain

  let your help, O God, lift me up.

I will praise God’s name with a song;

  I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

The poor when they see it will be glad

  and God-seeking hearts will revive;

for the Lord listens to the needy

  and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

For God will bring help to Zion

  and rebuild the cities of Judah

  and men shall dwell there in possession.

The sons of his servants shall inherit it;

  those who love his name shall dwell there.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

 

Second Reading – Colossians 1:15-20 ©

All Things Were Created Through Christ and for Christ

Christ Jesus is the image of the unseen God and the first-born of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth:

Everything visible and everything invisible, Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers –

all things were created through him and for him.

Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity.

Now the Church is his body, he is its head.

As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he should be first in every way; because God wanted all perfection to be found in him and all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, when he made peace by his death on the cross.

 

Gospel Acclamation – John 10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

 

Alternative Acclamation – John 6:63, 68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Luke 10:25 – 37 ©

The Good Samaritan

There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’

  But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

 

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

Observation - July 10th, 2025, Thursday

darkening clouds

west above the lakes

the air is thick with moisture

A Homily – The Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

First Reading – Isaiah 66:10-14 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20 ©

Second Reading – Galatians 6:14-18 ©

Gospel Acclamation – John 15:15

Alternative Gospel Acclamation – Colossians 3:15,16

The Gospel According to Luke 10:1-12 & 17-20 ©

 

 (NJB)

 

Listen!

 Oh children of Zion, stop what you are doing and do not wait for a savior; your salvation is peace, and the path to peace is reconciliation. You will only fulfill Isaiah’s vision through your commitment to justice and mercy, there is no other way.

 Do not look to aggrandize yourself with trophies, do not continue to hold onto the “promised land” as if it were a kind of idol; you are suffering for it already...worse, you are committing crimes to defend it and visiting pain on others.

 Know this!

 God has forgiven your debts, you have no need to be redeemed; you are loved, even in your calumny

 You are only as holy as you are in your daily life, and the measure of your holiness is the service you provide to your community, your community which includes everyone: the stranger, the Palestinian and anyone with whom you are aggrieved, as well as those by whom you are hurt.

 Forgive them and seek their forgiveness, through service, humility and compassion.

 It is boastful and dishonest to proclaim that God, the creator of the universe has shown or shows, any of God’s children, any family, any tribe, any nation…any amount of favor over and above the favor God shows to anyone else, even the worst of us..

 God does not intervene on behalf of any people or person, God does not alter the course of their lives. God does not break chains or crush rebellions…we do that ourselves. God does not establish kingdoms or promise that they will rule forever, God does not bless the conqueror or curse the vanquished.

 God is not a land guarantor.

 To the extent that faith is rooted in such notions it is failing to keep people in the way. When people express their faith in this way they have substituted their own desires for the will of God and that kind of hubris is blasphemy.

 Consider the wisdom of the apostle; set aside your pride and your fixation with material world, with its honors and insignias, the marks on your flesh that tell you what tribe you belong to, forget the customs of your culture for a moment and the idea that anything important regarding your relationship to God depends on their fulfillment, nothing depends on our insular customs and they will all be forgotten.

 So…forget about the importance you place on how you cut your hair, what clothes you wear; forget about that.

 What matters most is what you carry in your heart, the service you give, the peace you bring, what you endure for the sake of others, especially those weaker than you, less fortunate and those in need…that is the way.

 Give up the fetishes and idols you have made yourself subordinate to; give up your sacred books, set down the bible, stop pretending that God has made you a land grant, or given you special permission to do anything…God did no-such-thing.

 Give-up all such pretenses,  do it for the sake of the way.

 Remember this!

 The greatest commandment is love; love is the whole of the law. To love one another, to give of one’s self to another in love, there is no greater gift.

 The love that we are called to is not the love we call desire, though to desire and be desired is an experience of great joy.

 We are called to move past the love we have for family and friends, because to love in that way is only a short extension of the love we have for ourselves, seeing ourselves in the faces of our mothers and fathers, we see our ambitions as tied to the ambitions of our friends. We are called to love in a greater capacity than merely to love them., though it is great to have such friends

 We are called to love to the point of selflessness, to love even those who stand against us, to love our enemies, to forgive those who have hurt us and done us harm, to feed the stranger and protect them…and to do so out of love.

 To love and exercise compassion; to manifest goodwill toward all of your sisters and brothers, this is the way. Allow the way to harmonize everything you do, including your faults and failures, let love and compassion proceed you as a servant of God.

 Be mindful.

 The way is not easy, a life of faith needs support and nourishment from others around you. We discover ourselves in community, through our relationships we find the path to serve God.

 Consider the Gospel reading for today: it has a quality that reminds of me a recruitment manual, there are heavy notes of propaganda and it is filled with dishonest mythology.

 The reader has no choice but to regard it as a false narrative.

 The propaganda begins with the formal address of the “Lord,” an appellation given to Jesus, who was not a lord or a king of any kind, and never coveted such titles.

 The first paragraph concludes with a statement of need, telling the reader that there is much work to do, but not enough people to do it. The movement needs people, but not just any people; it needs people who are able to work covertly, to pass as lambs among wolves. It needs people of the utmost discretion; people who are able to work without drawing attention to themselves.

 The new movement needs special people, and it tells the reader that they might be one of them.

 The people are told that those who carry out this mission will be taken care of, they are given the promise that they will be fed, that they will be housed. These missionaries are told through the gospel to stay with those who are willing to give, when they find those people to remain with them.

 The third paragraph promises special powers; the extraordinary ability to cure the sick, to cast out demons, and the ordinary power to bear witness against the inhospitable.

 In the fourth paragraph, the promise of special powers are confirmed; the reader is told that if they accept the mission, they will not only be able to cure and condemn, but that even devils will bow to them, and that neither serpents nor scorpions can hurt them; they are told that their names will be written, like those of the heroes, their names will be written in the stars.

 These promises take us far from the way, because they are false.

 The way is love, the way is service, the way is compassion, the way is justice…and there is no other way; to follow it is to accept a life of humility in the furtherance of grace.

First Reading – Isaiah 66:10-14 ©

Towards Jerusalem I Send Flowing Peace, Like a River

Rejoice, Jerusalem, be glad for her, all you who love her!

Rejoice, rejoice for her, all you who mourned her!

That you may be suckled, filled, from her consoling breast, that you may savour with delight her glorious breasts.

For thus says the Lord:

Now towards her I send flowing peace, like a river, and like a stream in spate the glory of the nations.

At her breast will her nurslings be carried and fondled in her lap.

Like a son comforted by his mother will I comfort you.

And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.

At the sight your heart will rejoice, and your bones flourish like the grass.

To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm  65(66):1-7,16,20 ©

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Cry out with joy to God all the earth,

  O sing to the glory of his name.

O render him glorious praise.

  Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

‘Before you all the earth shall bow;

  shall sing to you, sing to your name!’

Come and see the works of God,

  tremendous his deeds among men.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

He turned the sea into dry land,

  they passed through the river dry-shod.

Let our joy then be in him;

  he rules for ever by his might.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Come and hear, all who fear God.

  I will tell what he did for my soul:

Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer

  nor withhold his love from me.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

 

Second Reading – Galatians 6:14-18 ©

The Marks on My Body Are hose of Jesus

The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.

I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen.

 

Gospel Acclamation – John 15:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

I call you friends, says the Lord, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.

Alleluia!

 

Alternative Gospel Acclamation – Colossians 3:15,16

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts; let the message of Christ find a home with you.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Luke 10:1-12 & 17-20 ©

Your Peace Will Rest on that Man

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.

‘Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.

‘Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’

The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’

 

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

A Homily - The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

The Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul

 

First Reading – Acts 3:1-10

First Reading - Acts 12:1-11

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 18(19):2-5

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 33(34):2-9

Second Reading – Galatians 1:11-20

Second Reading - 2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18

Gospel Acclamation- John 21:17

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 16:18

The Gospel According to John 21:15-19

The Gospel According to Matthew 16:13-19

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

 God does not intervene in the lives of human beings; this narrative is false. The events described in the Book of Acts never happened, and the use of such stories by the early church indicates that sensationalism had become the bulwark of faith.

 Know this!

 God is indeed the creator of all that is, the entire universe and us in it.

 If you intend to seek God, look to your heart. You will find God in loving; in loving you will be blessed.

 Praise God through works of love; serve God through the service you give to your fellow human beings.

 Find glory through humility as Jesus did when he took his place on the cross and know that God is great because God cares.

 Listen to your neighbors, rescue them from fear, reflecting the divine light through hope and love.

 Be mindful.

 With God there is no shame; God is no respecter of station, class or wealth. God loves everyone the same.

 Do not look for God to save you from your troubles. We are all like Job, each in our own way; have faith in God and you will understand how transient your troubles are. Look to your neighbor if you are in peril and need to be saved.

 Know this!

 All pain is temporary, but love lasts forever; therefore do not fear, speak the truth, avoid evil and do good. God see all, hears all and knows all, even your innermost thoughts and secrets, desires and motivations…even those things you keep from yourself.

 Keep your mind in the present and do not focus on the good things that may or may not come to you. Listen to those who deal in hope, ignore the fear-mongers…this is the way to peace.

 Remember.

 Paul did not write the Book of Acts, it was written in community, possibly under the direction of Paul’s principle follower, the evangelist we know as Luke. This community was eager to mythologize the work of the apostle, to propagandize his narrative and to see in his accomplishments the unfailing hand of God…this is false, and has no place in the scriptures.

 Dwell for a moment on the teaching of Timothy and know that God will rescue you whether you are pure and without flaw, or soiled by corruption.

 God will delivery you from this world, though you do not deserve it. God is with you now, waiting for the right moment to touch you with holy fire, not on account of your personal righteousness, not because you have earned it, but because you are beloved by God who has claimed you for God’s own.

 Know this.

 You will not wear a crown of glory earned through righteous-perseverance; instead you will burn hotter and brighter than gold…liquified in the refiner’s fire, you will be reborn through love.

 Do not shun God’s gift to you…return it. Do not devalue God’s love for you, magnify it.

 Do not think less of God’s love for you when you see those who once persecuted you, and those who had abandoned you, receive the same blessing, when those who did not listen to you, when those who ignored you are present with you on the great pilgrimage to the source of all being.

 Consider this:

 Who is a Christian?

What does it mean to be a member of the body of Christ?

Who is a disciple?

What does it mean to be a student in the school of faith?

How do you keep to the way?

 In today’s reading from John we are presented with miracles and visions, there are portents and prophecies, but most significantly, toward they end, there is a moment of instruction.

 We see Jesus with Peter (Simon by his given name); they are sitting together after having a frank discussion. Jesus knows that he is handing over the leadership of his movement to a man with whom he often disagreed.

 Jesus had rebuked him severely; calling him Satan, the enemy. And Peter had abandoned Jesus when he was arrested, he denied knowing Jesus before of crowds of people (many of them knew exactly who he was). Despite those failings, or perhaps because of what Peter had learned from them; Jesus spoke to him in a loving manner, beseeching Peter to in turn be just as loving toward the community that would grow from the seeds of his faith…the seeds of trust that the two of them had planted together.

 In the same way that Jesus had rebuked Peter three times, in the same way that Peter had denied Jesus three times, Peter now confessed his love for Jesus three times, and Jesus responded by issuing the following commission three times, saying to Peter:

 Feed my lambs. Look after my sheep, Feed my sheep.

 Jesus gave Simon a new name; calling him Peter, the rock, indicating the expectation that Peter will establish the foundation of the church…the mission of which is found in caring, feeding and loving...whoever does these things has found the way to follow Christ.

 Now consider Matthew’s Gospel, which was written roughly one hundred years after Jesus was executed, and know that it was Paul, not the disciples who called Jesus “Christ,” Kyrios, the anointed one; this was not a term his disciples used of him, nor was it a term Jesus used of himself.

 Jesus and his disciples did contend with a messianic title: “Son of Man,” which people did apply to Jesus believing that he represented humanity as humanity was meant to be, and they couples it with the hope that he would also free the children of Israel from the grip of foreign rule.

 The title, “Son of Man,” had been circulating among the Hebrew people for about two-hundred years prior to Jesus’ birth; it is most closely associated with the books of Daniel and Enoch, in the Hebrew scriptures. Apart from scripture, the “Son a Man” was a wildly popular figure in Hebrew literature, in a time known as the “inter-testamental” period, among non-canonical and apocryphal writers.

 The authors of Matthew are doing a couple of things: they are connecting the ministry of Jesus, and so by extension their own ministry, to this wider body of literature, including the very popular writings of the apostle Paul.

 The claims they made were intended to redirect the popular understanding of who the “Son of Man” might be; the “Son of Man” was not John the Baptist (some said he was), neither was Jesus, John the Baptist returned (as some claimed).

 The “Son of Man” is not Elijah or one of the other prophets, neither is Jesus the second coming of one of them.

 The “Son of Man” is Jesus, who Paul called the Christ, a man who was uniquely able to claim the mantle of sonship in relation to the living God.

 The leaders of the church were moving the imagination of the people in this direction, and it is pure propaganda…it propagandizes the ministry of Jesus, the ministry of the disciples, and the faction of the church most closely associated with Saint Peter.

 There are no cosmic truths being disclosed here, there is only the struggle of the church to claim an identity that both carries on the most popular traditions in and around the early church, and differentiates itself from those traditions at the same time.

First Reading – Acts 3:1-10

I Will Give You What I Have: In the Name of Jesus, Walk!

Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.

 

First Reading - Acts 12:1-11

'Now I Know the Lord Really Did Save Me From Herod'

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

  On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 18(19):2-5

Praise of God the creator

Alleluia, Alleluia

Blessed are you, Lord, in the vault of heaven.

The skies tell the story of the glory of God,

  the firmament proclaims the work of his hands;

day pours out the news to day,

  night passes to night the knowledge.

Not a speech, not a word,

  not a voice goes unheard.

Their sound is spread throughout the earth,

  their message to all the corners of the world.

At the ends of the earth he has set up

  a dwelling place for the sun.

Like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

  it rejoices like an athlete at the race to be run.

It appears at the edge of the sky,

  runs its course to the sky’s furthest edge.

Nothing can hide from its heat.

Alleluia

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 33(34):2-9

The Lord, the salvation of the righteous

Those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

Alleluia, Alleluia

I shall bless the Lord for ever:

  my mouth will proclaim his praise.

My soul will glory in the Lord:

  let the meek listen and rejoice.

Join me and proclaim the greatness of the Lord:

  together let us exalt his name.

I sought the Lord and he listened to me:

  he rescued me from all my fears.

Look to him and he will shine upon you,

  and you will not be put to shame.

This poor man called, and the Lord answered him

  and saved him from all his many troubles.

The angel of the Lord will build defences

  round those who fear the Lord:

  he will come to their rescue.

Taste and see that the Lord is kind:

  happy the man who hopes in him.

Revere the Lord, his saints:

  for those who fear him are never destitute.

The rich are hungry and in want,

  but for those who seek the Lord

  there is no lack of good things.

Those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

Let peace be all your quest and aim.

Alleluia, Alleluia

Come, children, listen to me:

  I shall teach you the fear of the Lord.

Who is the man who desires life,

  who wants to live long to enjoy good things?

Do not let your tongue speak evil:

  let your lips not utter deceit.

Avoid evil, do good:

  seek peace and follow it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the just

  and his ears hear their cries;

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil:

  he wipes their memory from the earth.

The just cried out, and the Lord listened

  and freed them from all their many troubles.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted:

  the crushed in spirit he will save.

Many are the troubles of the just,

  but the Lord will free them from all of them.

He will protect all their bones:

  not one will be broken.

Their own evil destroys sinners:

  those who hate the just will be punished.

The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants:

  those who put their hope in him will not be punished.

Let peace be all your quest and aim.

Alleluia

 

Second Reading – Galatians 1:11-20

God Specially Chose Me While I Was in My Mother's Womb

The Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

  Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have written is the literal truth.

 

Second Reading - 2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18

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 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- John 21:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord, you know everything: you know I love you.

Alleluia!

 

Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 16:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.

And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to John 21:15-19

Feed My Lambs, Feed My Sheep

Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

‘I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.’

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’

 

The Gospel According to Matthew 16:13-19

You Are Peter and on this Rock I Will Build My Church

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

 

A Homily - The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

The Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul