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

First Reading – Malachi 3:19-20 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 97(98):5-9 ©

Second Reading - 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 ©

Gospel Acclamation – Luke 21:36

Alternative Acclamation – Luke 21:28

The Gospel According to Luke 21.5 - 19 ©

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

One thing is not the same as another, there is good and there is evil and there are the intentions behind the actions we take which make those qualities real; the difference between them matters.

While it is true that God loves us no matter what we do, and it is true that the creator of the universe has promised to right all wrongs; the fulfillment of those promises takes place in eternity, apart from day-to-day dilemma of existing in time and space. God has a plan to right all wrongs, and we are called to have faith in that plan, nevertheless, we must still live with the consequences of our actions in the world, for thee good and the evil things we think and do, and for the vast ocean off indifference that swells within our souls.

Be mindful of yourself and your ambitions, your relationships with your family and with your neighbors, with the stranger in your company, even with your adversaries...should you have them.

Do good and avoid evil.

Tend to the sick, heal them if you can, do not cause suffering if you can help it. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked. House the homeless. Shoe the shoeless and give water to the thirty.

Love mercy and seek justice all the days of your life; be humble wheresoever you go.

Contemplate the ways of the loving God; emulate them. This is the way that Jesus instructed us to follow and nothing is more important.

Know this: it is right and good to praise God the creator, because creation is miraculous and its scope is beyond human comprehension. Know this as well: God does not grant victories, God has no enemies, and in God, within whom all things exist and have their being, within God there is no conflict.

It is not God’s justice that is demonstrated through the machinations of human beings, it is human justice. When human justice approximates the justice of God you will know it insofar as it is coupled with mercy, then and only then will justice be in the service of the good and loving God who is kind and faithful to all people…without exception.

Understand this.

God’s power is everywhere, animating the voices that give God praise, as well as those who doubt and cry out against God’s ways, in the song of nature and in the music of the spheres.

If you are placed in the roll of an instrument of justice, judge fairly and judge kindly, remembering that God is love.

Remember this.

Do not treat food as a wage; give to the hungry in the way that Jesus taught us.  

Consider the teaching of the apostle and know that rule he issues can only apply in times of great scarcity, when the whole community is in need, and the food that is available must go to those who are tasked with the survival of the community itself, to those for whom sustenance is necessary, because without their labor the community itself would perish…then and only then can such rule’s apply.

In times of abundance refuse no-one, even the miscreant and the sloucher, give to them that you may be a blessing to them.

Be mindful and weigh the text carefully; there are many places where error has crept in and the teachings of Jesus have been subverted to the shortsightedness of human beings.

Know that God made our world and the universe free and the divine does not interfere or intervene in our lives or the choices we make. The only future we can predict is that which flows naturally from its predictable antecedents, from the choices we make in the present, from the choosing we are doing continuously.

Therefore pay no attention to those who use fear to shape their faith, or yours; they are liars who have pitted themselves against the will of God who would have you live without fear and the things that flow from fear, which are hate, anger, greed and violence.

Consider the Gospel reading for today:

I tell you this, Jesus of Nazareth did not utter these words; they were penned by the gospel writers dozens of years after the Romans had destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, long after the war with Rome that led to that catastrophe and the expulsion of the Jewish people from Roman occupied Palestine.

Jesus was not a fortuneteller; he did not predict the future...nothing is preordained.

Do not be deceived; do not be deceived, these are the best words, this is the best advice for living in the way…do not be deceived.

Many have come and many more will come boasting that they are with Jesus, claiming to speak for Jesus. Every generation has such pretenders. Do not be deceived and do not deceive yourself!

The gospel writers were pretending to be Jesus when they put words in his mouth that he never spoke. They thought they were doing good...perhaps; most of those who pretend to be Jesus think they are doing something good, or at the least they think they are doing something necessary. The gospel writers were no different.

Do not be deceived, and do not be afraid; the world will continue to be a violent and unsafe place. We live in a hard and dangerous world…but the Gospel tells us to have hope.

Teaching that if we dedicate our lives to challenging those in power, we must expect that the powerful will act against us. If we should find ourselves in court simply because we are working on behalf of the poor and the marginalized, do not worry about the defense; our actions will speak for themselves…speak truth at all times, especially to the powerful, they need to hear it most of all…they need to be told to love mercy, seek justice and walk uprightly that we expect this of them all the days of their lives.

First Reading – Malachi 3:19-20 ©

For You the Sun of Righteousness Will Shine Out

The day is coming now, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble. The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, leaving them neither root nor stalk. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 97(98):5-9 ©

The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp

  with the sound of music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

  acclaim the King, the Lord.

The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness.

Let the sea and all within it, thunder;

  the world, and all its peoples.

Let the rivers clap their hands

  and the hills ring out their joy

  at the presence of the Lord.

The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness.

For the Lord comes,

  he comes to rule the earth.

He will rule the world with justice

  and the peoples with fairness.

The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness.

 

Second Reading - 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 ©

Do Not Let Anyone Have Food if He Refuses to Work

You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you. This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.

 

We gave you a rule when we were with you: do not let anyone have any food if he refuses to do any work. Now we hear that there are some of you who are living in idleness, doing no work themselves but interfering with everyone else’s. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we order and call on people of this kind to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat.

 

Gospel Acclamation – Luke 21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

 

Alternative Acclamation – Luke 21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Luke 21.5 - 19 ©

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold…

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

  ‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

‘But before all this happens, men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’

 

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

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)