Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 23, 2014

"Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow." At first glance, we might think this instruction refers only to money or possessions. Jesus would surely want us to be generous with our finances, and in the spirit of today's Gospel, to give without seeking to receive. However, the principle also applies to our time and our talents. Most likely, some of the people God has placed in our lives are "asking" for our time: children in need of care; elderly parents; neighbors or friends experiencing sickness. Serving our families, parish and communities frequently requires a change in our normal program of life. Oh by the way our Fish Fry can always use some extra hands. When such interruptions occur, do we share our time and attention freely, handing over our "cloak" as well without a grumble or a grudge?

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 16, 2014

In today's Gospel, Jesus takes the Ten Commandments to a deeper level. Instead of focusing merely on external actions, like murder or adultery, Jesus wants us to examine what is in our hearts, like anger or lust. These internal tendencies are the root cause of the outward sins. Jesus is teaching us to take responsibility for our attitudes as well as our actions.
Some may say that we cannot control our internal thoughts and feelings, or that it is unrealistic to expect us to eliminate anger or lust from our inner selves. But, as Saint Therese of Lisieux put it, Christ would not command the impossible. So it must be possible to purify our hearts and control our thoughts. But we don't have to do this on our own power. Jesus expects great things of us, but he doesn't expect us to do them alone! Through the presence of his Spirit in our hearts, we have divine assistance to accomplish this task.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 9, 2014

"You are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world." Being a Christian is not supposed to be boring! On the contrary, Jesus gave us the mission to bring flavor to the world, and to brighten things up when they seem dark and dismal. Joy and gratitude are really meant to be at the heart of the Christian experience. Our loving Father has given us the gift of salvation and the hope of heaven as free gifts. Because Christ has conquered sin and death, we can exult with Easter joy all year long! This is the good news we proclaim. It is not news that is meant to be whispered in a private corner. Jesus tells us to be like a city set on a mountain, and a lamp radiating light from a lamp stand. We have a mission to energize the world with the hope, the happiness, and the fulfillment found in Christ.