Reflections
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, September 17, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 9/15/23
Did you notice how Ben Sirach describes wrath and anger in today’s first reading? He says they’re hateful things; yet, unfortunately the sinner hugs them tight. You know those expressions that have become part of everyday language: “l’ll get even with him,” “I’d be a fool if I let ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, September 10, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 9/09/23
Anyone who doubts that Jesus founded a community (church) after His own heart to which we’re called to belong, should pay close attention to today’s gospel. This gospel passage has been called a “Dissertation on the Church,” meaning that, yes, Jesus wanted to found a Church, organized with set ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, September 3, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 9/01/23
If you want to see how a rock can turn into a stumbling block, look no further than the life of Simon Peter. Last Sunday, the Lord Jesus praised his faith and heavenly intuition. Today the rock turns into a stumbling block and was reproached in the strongest terms: ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, August 27, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 8/25/23
my mother gave me the key to our house, she made it seem as if I was being handed the nuclear code. I was about ten years old. But she handed it to me as though she was giving me a priceless heirloom. Then came a stream of instructions ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, August 20, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 8/18/23
If you felt uncomfortable about today’s gospel, you’re not alone. Despite our love for puppies, no one would like to be called a puppy or a dog, ...or would you? And don’t think that when Jews call a foreigner ‘a dog’ they imply an adorable puppy, like your pet ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, August 13, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 8/11/23
couple of years ago, we took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, the sea on which Jesus walked in today’s gospel. Our tour guide told us a story about a certain tourist from the US who was told by the boatman that the fare for the ride ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for The Transfiguration of the Lord, Yr A, August 6, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 8/04/23
Rarely does a feast take the place of the regular Sunday liturgy as is the case with the feast of the Transfiguration today. Normally, if a feast or even some solemnities fall on a Sunday, they are moved to the next day. Liturgical laws, however, prescribe that when ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, July 30, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 7/28/23
It has been quite a journey through Jesus’ Parables of the Kingdom as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13. The sequence of the parabolic sayings needs to be pulled together as a tapestry in order to connect them with the idea underpinning the sayings, namely, the gift ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, July 23, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 7/21/23
Paul Harvey was a famous radio talk show host, who told stories of famous people in such a way that his listeners won’t be able to predict the subject of his story until the very end. Paul would describe a kid who failed Math class many times, only to ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr A, July 17, 2023
Posted by John Wolf on 7/14/23
I confess that some of the best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was someone else’s wife. That woman was my mother, Priscilla. (I’ll spare you from straying too far in thought). Compared to the soil on which the sower sowed the ... Read More »