14th Sunday - A (July 9, 2023)

 

God’s Gracious Will

Matthew 11: 25-3o

 

In this Gospel passage, Jesus gives praise to the Father, "Lord of heaven and earth," for having revealed to us, "the little ones," the mysteries of God's love in Jesus Christ. 

 

Who are we but God’s creatures.  On our own, we cannot know God.  It is God who, out of love, creates us and reveals to us God and the mystery of God’s love. 

 

That is God's "gracious will," which we can never fathom. 

 

Yet, imitating Jesus, let us give God praise and thanks for God’s love, and for calling us to share in Jesus' mission of making God known.    

 

 

14th Sunday - C (July 3, 2022)

 

The Peace of God’s Kingdom

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

 

Jesus commissions his disciples to preach.  Two parts of what they are to say seem intrinsically connected, “peace” and “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” 

 

Jesus today is sending us to continue his mission.  We must do the same.

 

In order to preach and witness to others that “the Kingdom of God is at hand,” we must people of peace.

 

May our thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions preach God’s peace.

 

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14th Sunday - B (July 4, 2021)

 

“Is He Not?”

Mark 6: 1-6

 

In this passage, the reaction of Jesus’ neighbor is strange, to say the least. 

 

They have heard of Jesus’ power in his healing and preaching.  Why are they not proud that one of their own is doing such amazing things? 

 

Is it because they are jealous?  Is it because they have such low opinion of themselves that they cannot think that one of their own would have such power and wisdom? 

 

Or is it because they cannot see the hand of God in a carpenter?  The Gospel reports that “they were scandalized by him” or that “he was a stumbling block for them.”  (The English text used for our reading translates, “They took offense at him”).

 

Does my way of seeing or treating some people prevent me from seeing God’s presence in them, and respecting them as children of God?

 

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14th Sunday - A (July 5, 2020)

I am Meek and Humble of Heart”

Matthew 11: 25-30

Jesus describes himself as “meek and humble of heart.”

And he reveals God and God’s mysteries to “little ones.”

That is the way of God who is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. 

Such a contrary to the way of our world. 

What’s going on in our society these days challenges us to be radically different if we want to remain “little ones” who have been drawn to the mystery of a God who is meek and humble of heart. 

And let us not be deceived thinking that being meek and humble is weak.  In fact, it takes inner strength, courage, and self-control to be meek and humble. 

Only the power of love, which is the power of God, can give us the strength to be meek and humble. 

Image source:  Josefa de Ayala, The Sacrificial Lamb.  

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14th Sunday - C (July 7, 2019)

The Kingdom of Peace

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

“Peace to this household” and “The kingdom of God is at hand for you.”

These two messages that Jesus sends the seventy-two to proclaim remind us that the presence of the Kingdom of God is the presence of peace.

Thus, the proclaimers of the Kingdom must also be the proclaimers and builders of God’s peace.  

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14th Sunday - B (July 8, 2018)

"Is He not …?"

Mark 6:1-6

The people from Jesus’ native place think that they know who Jesus is, but they don’t. 

How about me?

If I want to know Jesus, I first have to spend time with him.

I can also let him tell me more about him.  And one way of doing that is to read, reflect on, and pray with Scriptures.

I cannot really say I don’t have time to read the Bible. 

To put things in perspective, a news article averages 500 – 800 words.  A novel has between 50,000 to 110,000 words.  For example, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone is about 77,500 words total.

A biography on the life of so-and-so has an average of 80,000 to 200,000 words.

Meanwhile, the Gospels are not just Jesus’ biography or some stories about him.  Jesus reveals himself to us through those words. 

And the entire Gospel According to Mark has 11,304 words, which is about 22 single-space typed pages. 

That should put things in perspective if I think I don’t have time to read the Bible and let Jesus speak to me.  

14th Sunday - A (July 9. 2017)

Commentary

Matthew 11: 25-30

Revelation to the Little Ones

We might be fascinated with superheroes.  World affairs are in the hands of the powerful.  Yet, the Father reveals to the little ones the greatest wisdom – God’s love for humanity.

Superheroes are in movies.  World affairs, at times, do not seem too encouraging.  Those with power do not always improve the lives of others.

May we learn the way of Jesus’ “meek and humble” heart and lighten the burden on the shoulders of God’s children. 

 

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14th Sunday - C

Commentary

Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20

The Kingdom of God is at Hand

Last Sunday, at the end of Chapter 9 in Luke, we heard of Jesus telling some people the first priority in life is to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Today, at the beginning of Chapter 10, Jesus sends out 72 disciples to do that.

And Jesus gives them the content of the message they are to proclaim:  "Peace" and "The Kingdom of God is at hand."

Jesus today continues to call and send us, his disciples, to proclaim the same message: the Kingdom of God is peace.

And this is a message we are to proclaim not just by words, but also by attitude and actions.  We are to reach out to people and accept who they are and what they have to offer.   We are to cure the sick and transform people's lives with the peace of God.   

Mother Teresa puts it well, "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness, kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."  

14th Sunday - C (July 3, 2016)

Readings

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14th Sunday - A

Commentary

Matthew 11: 25 – 30

The Father’s Gracious Will

By this point in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry, Jesus has encountered opposition from the religious leaders of the time.  In Chapter 9, they questions Jesus when he tells a paralytic that his sins are forgiven.  They also challenge Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners.  These leaders are regarded, and probably see themselves, as “the wise and learned.”  

And immediately prior to these verses, Jesus has called Capernaum to task for its pride, “As for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’” (11: 23)

It is the “gracious will” of the Father that the Son reveals the Father not to the wise and learned, our the proud, but to the little ones.

The word gracious comes from the word grace, which Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online defines as, “the unmerited gift of divine favor.”

Let’s spend a little time reflecting on what Jesus is telling us:

It is the Father’s gracious will that Jesus came to reveal God to us, the little ones.

14th Sunday - A (July 6, 2014)

Readings

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14th Sunday - C

Commentary

Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20

Peace

Today’s Gospel passage picks up where we left off a week ago.

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.

He “resolutely determined to journey” there, where the cross awaits him (9:51).

From the beginning of this journey, as we learned last week, some people did not welcome him.  In response, James and John want to destroy those people with fire from heaven (9:54).

Yet, true to his identity as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5), the message Jesus asks his followers to proclaim “first” “into whatever house [they] enter” is, “Peace to this household” (10:5).

14th Sunday - C (July 7, 2013)

Readings

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