Matthew 16:21-27, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Sting sang a little-known, but heartbreaking song at the Oscars last February. The song is called “Empty Chair,” from the film, “Jim,” which is about the journalist James Foley, who had been beheaded by the Islamic State three years ago. The lines go: “And when the winter comes and…
Riddle – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 16:21-27, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Riddle: the more you hold on to it, the more you drop it. The more you keep it, the more you lose it. Answer: life. That seems to be the gist of God’s word to us today. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but…
What About God Are You Not Yet Ready For? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
Matthew 16:13-20, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time “He strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ” (Matthew 16:20). In our Gospel today, Simon Peter correctly identifies who Jesus is – he is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. But then Jesus forbids Simon Peter and the other disciples to…
Careful the Christ you Choose – Johnny Go, SJ
Matthew 16:13-20, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Here are two images that created some controversy a few years ago: The first, of course, is the poster for the movie “Da Vinci Code,” based on Dan Brown’s best-selling novel. The second is a fragment of a 1,700-year old papyrus that some scholars claim is the last…
Only Our Hearts can Answer – Willy Samson, SJ
Matthew 16:13-20, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time In our Gospel reading today, Jesus suddenly asked the disciples two questions. The first one was easy, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered with ease, “‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” But the second question…
Being Present – Ron Rolheiser, OMI
Matthew 16:13-20, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Shortly after his conversion, St. Augustine penned these immortal words: “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unlovliness I plunged…
A Saving Faith – John Foley, SJ
Matthew 16:13-20, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus is roving and curing people. An odd thing happens in each case. He tells them, “Your faith has saved you.” Quite obviously Jesus does the healing, or they wouldn’t be asking for cures, so why does he say their faith did it? Why didn’t he just say…
Scraps of Love – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 22:34-40, Friday in the 20th Week of Ordinary Time As soon as the Uber driver knew that it was a seminarian who hopped into his car a few months ago, he started telling the Josefino his story. The Josefino told me the story from the Uber driver’s persona, so I’ll do the same with…
God is Fair – Willy Samson, SJ
Matthew 20:1-16, Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time It’s Unfair! We cried out, “It’s not fair” when we are at the disadvantage. But we are silent when we enjoy all the blessings while others are not. Envy is one of the root of our unhappiness. Sometimes, we are unhappy not because we lack…
A Paradigm of Encounter – Mark Aloysius, SJ
Matthew 15:21-28, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Never in my life has the question of race featured so much in public discourse as it has in the last week. Aside from the usual racist rhetoric, which reveal deep currents of prejudice within our society, what has been worrying is the normalisation of hatred directed towards…
Son of David – John Foley, SJ
Matthew 15:21-28, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday’s Gospel can give a headache to preachers and to regular Catholics both. Jesus refuses to heal a woman because she is, in his metaphor, one of the “dogs.” Whaaaaat? You know the story. The woman cries out for help, and Jesus will not even talk to her….
Behind – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 15:21-28, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Allow me to briefly explain tonight’s troubling Gospel. According to the commentaries, the Matthean community had two voices: the particularist and the universalist. The particularist voice in the community taught that Jesus came to the world to save first “the children of Israel”; so Jews first, then the…
One Lost Sheep 