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Month: July 2025

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Christian Witness, Homilies,

Reflection for the 15th/24th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025

Note: In order to not repeat the Gospel of the Good Samaritan twice in one year, the Readings, Gospel, and Propers for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time are used for the 15th Sunday.

God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

The Ministry of Reconciliation, as described in the Bible refers to the Divine mandate given to believers to help others be reconciled to God. 

What a wonderful mandate for us to accept and engage in. 

This ministry is rooted in God’s act of reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus Christ and entrusting believers with the message of that reconciliation.

We saw in our First Reading Moses’ intervention of behalf of his people. God’s anger had flared due to the Israelites unfaithfulness. They didn’t just make a mistake or mess up. Rather, they utterly turned their back on God Who had just saved them from the Egyptians. As soon as they got a little bored waiting for Moses, in reality waiting for God, they decided to take their future into their own hands.

The Israelites were telling God that they were in charge, and He was not.

Moses determined to plead before God for them. It wasn’t that he was happy with them, or that he wasn’t disappointed in them, perhaps righteously angry, but he saw reconciliation as more important.

The shepherd in the Gospel, the woman in search of a lost coin, and the prodigal son’s father are all Jesus’ examples of people who placed healing, seeking, and reconciliation ahead of all else.

Jesus tells us that this is His will for us, His Father’s will, that we be ministers of reconciliation.

We could easily place anything involving ministry in the hands of the clergy or a select few professionals, but that would be a mistake.

It is incumbent that we take up the ministry of reconciliation daily. St. Paul regarded himself as the foremost of sinners, and therefore an example of Jesus’ forgiveness offered generously.

We are called to examine our conscience, taking account of the times we received reconciliation, and our duty to share in Jesus’ ministry.

We have Good News to proclaim which has brought us and entrusts us with bringing others back to Jesus.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, ,

Reflection for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025

When you see this, your heart shall rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass; the LORD’s power shall be known to his servants.

Imagine you are in Galilee, the seaside area where Jesus did a lot of His teaching. It is much like this place, where we are, at Kurs. There are hills, rivers, lakes, an abundance of life.

We are there with Jesus and He is sending us out, out of His immediate protection, out into the world. Even more than that He is asking us to take nothing, to simply trust that God will take care of us.

Can you imagine going on a trip without a change of clothes, I’m sure you have a few here at our encampment. I’m sure you’ve brought some money for snacks and other stuff. Jesus asked them to take no money, nothing.

Jesus asked them to head out without even making friends along the way. You will certainly make friends here.

Jesus was asking some incredible things – and they did what He asked. A little secret not in today’s gospel – they were very successful.

We find it very hard to trust, to expect things to be great. Yet, that is what God promises. He will take care of us. He will see to our needs. Beyond that, He will do it in ways that are abundant.

I ask that you think of something you really like. It may be a food, a game, a time shared with friends, a time with family. Then imagine that thing times ten thousand. 

That is the abundance the Prophet Isaiah was talking about. That is the abundance that God promises – and provides.

With God nothing is lacking. With God, no risk is without backup. If we are doing His will, He is there with us and He has our back.

We often doubt. We often wonder, will God take care of little ‘ole me. Jesus is showing us in a very practical way that He will take care of us. The disciples experienced God’s care, and they’ve passed it onto us.

It is essential that we take the time to trust in Jesus. That means a lot. It means doing as He asks without fear. It means stepping out of our comfort zone and simply saying yes to God.

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