PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: August 22, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then the king said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen.” Reflection We continue the theme of things being not the way we think they are. This is a parable, not a real story. Symbolic. Those who think they are worthy, are set against those who are unworthy. And the worthy do not receive the kingdom, and the unworthy do. But the thing that's hard about this parable is the fact that when the unworthy are called, it's not that they're unworthy and therefore received, but they're a recognition that those that are unworthy are worthy. And so what we see in this figure that seems unfairly treated by being thrown out because he didn't have a wedding garment on, it seems the wedding garment is about a transformation that when the unworthy are called by God to be partners with him, their life, their sense of self is completely changed and they're celebrating their connection with God with a beautiful wedding garment. Closing Prayer Father, over and over again we see you presenting things to us that are different than what we thought they were. Open our heart over and over again to every illusion, every half truth, every false teaching we have. And continue to purify us with truth. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: August 21, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.' So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o'clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.' When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Reflection This parable that Jesus teaches exposes something about human nature that’s frightening, in a sense, it's our arrogance. Human beings do not seem to have any problem in determining who God is or how God should act. When you think about that, it's ludicrous. Who are we to tell God who he is? Yet people feel that they have a just reason to do that, because it's what they believe, and they impose that on others. It terrifies me about the role of ministry in the church, because you're the one up there telling people who God is, and if your not surrendering to the reality of who he is, you are dangerous. Closing Prayer Father, make us aware of what we really say and what we really think at times about God. Make us question whether or not we really are deciding who he is. Nothing is more important than an open heart that simply says everyday, God teach me who you are. Show me who you are and let me learn. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: August 20, 2024 === Gospel  Matthew 19:23-30 Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." Then Peter said to him in reply, "We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Reflection In the first part of this gospel. Jesus is correcting something about the teaching that they have heard from the temple. If you follow all the regulations and rules of the temple, you will be rich. And that's a sign that God is pleased with you. You'll have prosperity. But then he reminds them that this whole idea of what it is to be called into the Kingdom of God, to become part of the work of building the kingdom is not something that you earn, it's something that is given to you. It is done through you, by God. And so we see then, what is at the heart of this work, of being able to do what God calls us to do. And that is it's about giving things up, about putting everything second to this one most important thing, to build the kingdom of God. So he's saying, be careful. It's not about what is in it for us. It's about what is in it for the work to be accomplished. Closing Prayer Father, everything it seems that you ask us to achieve is something that you will accomplish for us. With us, in us. Help us to step away from the sense that we are the center of our lives. But you are the center, and you are asking us simply to allow you to be our God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: August 19, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 19:16-22 A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went’ away sad, for he had many possessions. Reflection The man asked Jesus a question and in a sense you can feel that he knows what the answer will be. What do I need to be good? What do I need to be perfect? Jesus said, well, you need to keep the commandments. And he said, well, I have done that. And so he said, well wait a minute. You are looking for perfection, and I'm not interested in perfection as much as I'm interested in you being connected to people. When you make yourself better than other people, you're disconnecting. He was into that perfection mode. So Jesus says, well look, let go of all these things you think you should be. Let go of all your sense of perfection and then come and follow me. That's the heart of the message of Jesus. Not that we be perfect, but that we be connected to one another and work together to find this secret kingdom that he’s promised to each of us. Closing Prayer Father, we are all working together for the kingdom. We are never perfect. Bless us with patience as we grow in our understanding of what it is you ask of us, so that our part in forming the kingdom of God will be effective. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY - The 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Original Airdate: August 16, 2020 Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 | Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 | Matthew 15:21-28 Opening Prayer Oh God, who has prepared for those who love you good things, which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love so that loving you and all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen. Closing Prayer Father, your goodness, your love, your mercy is so far beyond our expectations that we need your help in grasping the fullness of being loved unconditionally like you so generously do.  Bless us with the freedom from shame and from a distance that we create over our weaknesses, knowing that you are there, filled with mercy, filled with understanding, filled with compassion, which brings us great peace and hope and life.  And we ask this through Christ our Lord, amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]