Sixth Sunday of the Year 2020

For some time there has been within the Church a robust discussion, if not conflict, between what being a follower of Jesus entails. The two sides seem to speak different languages. It seems, to quote Fr Brian Stoney, that there is a choice: do you want to be good or be a follower of Jesus. There are people who believe that life needs to be rule based, conforming and top down. The status quo needs to be preserved. Others focus on a Jesus-centred, heart-centred approach of mercy and compassion that allows for mistakes and growth.

Fifth Sunday of the Year 2020

God’s vision is revealed in hidden and unexpected places. We have witnessed God’s revealing at the Epiphany, Jesus Baptism and the Presentation. This revealing includes God’s vision, the unveiling of hidden truths in unexpected places, and how we far we have strayed from that vision of God’s ‘Shalom’ – peaceful reign – where humankind and the non-human world are joined.

Feast of the Presentation 2020

Because of this feast, we miss the gospel of the Beatitudes for 4^th Sunday which contain the usual reversals we see in the Scriptures where we are invited to find God’s action/presence/voice in the most unexpected places/people: the poor, the mourners, the persecuted, the peacemakers. However, the readings today show us again how such people hold God’s blessing and transforming power. We go on a journey toward a vision with God at every turn, who upsets our expectations. We are challenged to take deeper steps into the mystery of God’s presence in our world.

Third Sunday of the Year

Robert Ellsberg, in A Living Gospel, writes beautifully about the living gospel written in human lives. He reflects on what it means to read the gospel written in the lives of people such as Dorothy Day, Charles de Foucauld, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Flannery O'Connor, and Oscar Romero. All different yet mostly stories of ordinary people called to extraordinary lives. From conventional beginnings, their contribution to others often extended beyond their lives.

Second Sunday of the Year

Thomas Merton said, "If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for." This intimate question can be terrifying. It forces each of us to articulate our deepest values. Today we are invited by the gospel to join with Merton and ask ourselves what and for whom we live? What do we long for?