Finding Your Spiritual Direction

Isaiah 5:1-7 Philippians 4:6-9 Matthew 21:33-43 The image of a vineyard features prominently in today's first reading and gospel. In both readings the owner of the vineyard is seen as representative of God. But Scripture scholars offer a variety of interpretations about the other parts of the readings. In the gospel, the warning implied is often seen as directed to the religious leaders of the day. The Scriptures, especially the parables, are multivalent. They disc

Ezekiel 18:25-28 Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-32 (Photo by: David Kohler - Unsplash) Today's gospel parable presents us with two sons. A father asks one son to work in his vineyard and is answered with a "no". Later we hear the son changed his mind and did as his father asked. When the father asked another son the same thing, this son agreed right away but never followed through. Jesus asks the chief priests and elders to decide which of the sons did the father

Isaiah 55:6-9 Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a Matthew 20:1-16a I remember the time I first heard this gospel in church. I must’ve been in junior high. At that stage in my moral development I was focused on fairness. And everything in me sided with those workers who complained that the vineyard owner was unfair! I had not yet developed an adult sense of justice. As you know in the story, the land owner of the vineyard hires his first batch of workers at dawn and agrees wi

Sirach 27:30 -- 28:7 Romans 14:7-9 Matthew 18:21-35 Let me tell you how I usually go about writing this column. I read the scriptures aloud slowly and then kick back in my recliner, close my eyes and listen for what the Spirit may say to me… what images, what memories are evoked? What have I read that comes to mind now?. Today's readings were different. As soon as I closed my eyes I felt the challenging words, "How dare you…! " Oh, they were said with love and tender

Ezekiel 33:7-9 Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20 There is a thread that runs through American history called “rugged individualism”… The belief that there is some heroic figure, a John Wayne-type or a caped crusader who will save the day at the end! Today's scriptures paint a different picture. They emphasize that we are all connected and that we are responsible to and for one another. From today's first reading in which God tells the prophet of his responsibility to

Jeremiah 20:7-9 Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16: 21-27 The connection between our first reading and today’s gospel is direct. In the first reading, the prophet, Jeremiah, is lamenting his challenging role as a prophet. However, while he complains to God, wishing he did not have to deliver this difficult message (and suffer the consequences at the hands of the people) - he is compelled to do so. Jesus performs a similar role for the people of his era, and every era. He preaches

Isaiah 22:19-23 Romans 11:33-36 Matthew 16:13-20 In today’s gospel, Jesus asks his disciples a profoundly important question. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They reply with a litany of the many different titles and names they are hearing from his various followers. This is Jesus’ way of introducing the question he really wants to pose specifically to the disciples. “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter, often the first to respond, (I suspect he was a gre

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15:21-28 Today we are presented with a series of sometimes complicated readings, that all point to one conclusion: The message of Jesus Christ is for all people, not just the Jews. Personally, I am most intrigued by the gospel passage, where Jesus has the following conversation with a Canaanite (not Jewish) woman: Jesus says: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replies: “Pleas

1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:22-33 In today’s first reading, Elijah experiences God’s call to him - not in a violent wind (think hurricane or tornado), not in an earthquake, not in a raging fire, but in a whispering sound. Isn’t it interesting that God does not need bombast, God does not need to bolster his ego or to reassure himself that he is the greatest, the strongest and the most powerful. Of course, God is all of those things, but does not desire

Isaiah 55:1-3 Romans 8:35, 37-39 Matthew 14:13-21 I love today’s readings! Each one contains a powerful message of reassurance and, collectively, they indicate God’s providential love and care for each and every one of us. St. Paul’s passage from Romans 8, for example, is one of the most powerful passages in all of sacred scripture: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, no

1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 Romans 8:28-30 Matthew 13:44-52 They say that Carl Jung, the famous psychoanalyst, had this wisdom posted in his office: “Voctus Atque Nonvocatus Deus Adheret.” For those of you without benefit of four years of high school Latin… that means, "Called or not called, God comes.” The first two short parables in today's gospel give that wisdom flesh and blood. The man plowing his field, just minding his own business, serendipitously discovers a hidden tre

(My apologies. This entry is late this week because I was on a trip and did not get it posted in a timely manner.) Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Romans 8:26-27 Matthew 13:24-43 I suspect most of us have seen the poster that reads "Be patient with me. God isn't finished with me yet!” Wise words. We are all just a work in progress. Still growing. Still intentionally working to eliminate faults, correct foibles, strengthen weak places. That is who we all are… part wheat, part wee

Isaiah 55:10-11 Romans 8:18-23 Matthew 13:1-23 Like many other people I have kept a prayer journal over the years. To be completely honest, I use the term “kept” rather loosely. Sometimes I look back and see writing day after day, week after week, for several months before the entries become sporadic and the empty pages more frequent… I stop. Then, after some time, I start again. Looking back over those journals I see traces of today’s gospel played out in my own life.

Zechariah 9:9-10 Romans 8:9, 11-13 Matthew 11:25-30 “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened. “ Today's reflection is for all those who feel overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the pictures of apartment buildings and hospitals and schools reduced to rubble in places like Gaza, southern Lebanon and Ukraine. Overwhelmed by TV footage of body bags carrying victims of Ebola in Africa. Overwhelmed by the number of Ohio families who will soon see their healthcare premiums skyro

2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16a Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 Matthew 10:37-42 Today's second reading is probably my favorite Pauline scripture. For twenty years I had the privilege of walking with catechumens on their journey to baptism. At twenty Easter Vigils I heard this reading. Sometimes I saw baptisms in which the catechumens leaned over a large bowl and had water poured over their heads. At other times the catechumens, one by one, stepped into a wading pool, and knelt down as pitcher

Jeremiah 20:10-13 Romans 5:12-15 Matthew 10:26-33 Examining the readings today, we should note that there are some striking similarities between what Jeremiah endures in the first reading and what the disciples are being prepared to endure in today’s Gospel. Jeremiah remarks that he hears “the whisperings of many, terror on every side!” Jeremiah was trying to warn the Israelites to change their ways - to honor the covenant they had made with the Lord - or they would sure

Exodus 19:2-6a Romans 5:6-11 Matthew 9:36-10:8 There is something about today’s readings that reminds me of part of a prayer I often say. It is a prayer of my own making, to the Blessed Trinity. During the part of the prayer that I specifically address to Jesus, I praise him as the Son of God and as my brother. At that moment, I think of him as a close friend and a sort of older and very much wiser brother. I think of him as my primary and most important teacher, helpin

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 John 6:51-58 I once heard a story about a mother who was cooking dinner for her children. The family was of modest means, but the mother was careful to purchase and prepare food that was nutritious and included all the major food groups. One one occasion, when the young ones were complaining about what was being prepared for dinner, mom got a bit flustered and blurted out: “Look here now, I work hard to feed you good whol

Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 John 3:16-18 I was the kid who asked a lot of questions. And when the grown-ups answered, “That is a mystery, “ I thought they just didn't know the answer… or they just wanted me to stop questioning! Now that I am an adult myself, I realize that there are things one cannot wrap one's mind around try though we may. There is such a thing as mystery. Today we celebrate the Trinity. And we are presented with a couple of m

Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 Today the church celebrates our birthday, the feast of Pentecost, the day the church was born! Our scriptures record the gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. The reading from Acts begins with a picture of the disciples “all in one place together. “ The gospel from John records the disciples gathered behind locked doors out of fear. They seek support and comfort from one another but they are inw