The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 

October 27th 2013 – 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 18:9-14 

Today we are invited to peer into the hearts of two people who are praying to God. The content of their prayer says something about who they really are. Genuine prayer reveals our honest self. After all, who’s kidding whom? God sees right into the center of our hearts. And how we pray reveals to God and to ourselves exactly who we are. Today’s gospel shines the light on two pray-ers. One is proudly occupying the first pew in the local house of worship. He feels he’s in exactly the right place. Right up front. Meanwhile, the second kneels just inside the back door. His basic feeling is unworthiness before God.

To those who know the mind of Jesus, we immediately understand who “the worthy one” in this story really is. The puffed-up fellow in front is filled with himself. Or, as we sometimes say today, he is ego-centered. He may seem very religious, but inside there’s not much substance. The prayerful one in the back is a tax collector. He hopes that God is listening to someone like himself. He’s not sure. He is less filled with himself.

Now notice their prayers. Mr. Front Row uses prayer to build up his ego while he puts others down. The humble man in the shadows offers God his sincere thoughts and feelings. He asks for forgiveness. The first focuses on his accomplishments, which he attributes mostly to himself. The other was emptied of ego, which left plenty of room for God to enter his being. He asked for help because he knew that he deeply depends on God for forgiveness and survival. Sounds a bit like Pope Francis, doesn’t he?

Somewhat foolishly, our culture and society tend to praise those who accomplish great feats, especially if they do it alone. We teach our kids to be independent. We praise them for everything, from their first steps to getting high grades and eventually to securing great jobs. Congratulations, we say. You did it all by yourself. Really? Is that the way it is? Or do we always need God’s help.

One of the blessings of family life is that we often have to depend on each other. When we ask for help, we do so without apology. We gladly help each other – well, most of the time. We are truly members of God’s family. And guess what?” God wants to help us.

©David Thomas, PhD ([email protected])

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method of Review of Life.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home

October 20th 2019 – 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 18:1-8 

For those who take every word of Jesus literally, they will find what Jesus says in today’s gospel what might seem an impossible command. Jesus invites us to “pray always.” Always is never easy. How can we be praying always with our busy and often distracting lives?

“Impossible,” responds the mother of three children who are all under six years old. “It can’t be done,” says her friend who has a full-time job and is caring for her ailing mom. “Great idea, but not practical,” she adds. “Not today,” says the teen whose life is filled with school, sports and friends. “Besides, I have homework to do.”

So how can we even approach the ideal of praying always? First, it’s important to notice that Jesus did not request that we “say prayers” all the time. He simply said to pray. Maybe we can be helped by recalling a traditional description of prayer which is “the lifting of the mind and heart to God.”

Here are some images that may assist us in thinking of how to “pray always.” Imagine prayer as background music while you work. Imagine prayer as the star-filled night sky as you journey to the grocery store for milk and bread. Think of it as the smell of pine as you walk along a forest trail. Think of it as the hum of your motor as you drive. In other words, it’s possible to be conscious of more than one thing at a time.

Remember that Jesus was not a hermit or a recluse. In fact, he was a very busy man, a man often “on the road.” He traveled widely, interacted with and helped both friends and strangers. Yet he remained aware of God’s presence “in the background.” Occasionally, he would focus only on God. The gospels mention this.

While we can be very busy, it’s sometimes helpful to stop for a moment, catch our breath and just be present to ourselves (even that is a challenge) and to God‘s presence. God likes that kind of prayer. Like teens calling home to let parents know that they are okay, that’s often enough contact. Parents ask their children to “stay in touch.” It’s like prayer, which is simply staying in touch with God while all the rest of life happens.

©David Thomas, PhD ([email protected])

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method of Review of Life.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home

October 13th 2019 – 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 17:11-19 

When traveling from Galilee to Judea (north to south), one could travel through safe territory (generally recommended) or one could take the scenic route through mountainous Samaria. Most good Jews took the safer route. Especially because Samaritans were considered “fallen away” Jews. But Jesus occasionally preferred the unconventional. So on one occasion he took the more adventuresome way through Samaria. You can almost overhear the disciples grumbling. “I wished he’d go another way. That place gives me the creeps. You never know who or what you’re going to meet there.”

In Luke’s gospel Jesus actively sought out outsiders and outcasts. He had a reputation for seeking those whom others avoided. Samaria was filled with people that “good” Jews avoided. His apostles continued to murmur. “They don’t even have the right kind of priests here. Their worship is fraudulent. ” As usual, Jesus was leading them to think in new ways.

Now the story. They came upon some lepers. Back then leprosy was considered the number one contagious disease. Jesus walked straight into their midst. Horrors! Ten he approached and ten he healed. They were told to undergo the traditional ritual of cleansing. Later, one (just one!) returned. Lepers can’t run. Their sores are too painful. He ran right up to Jesus who embraced him. “Thank you, thank you, and thank you. A thousand times, thank you.” His tears darkened the dry dirt they stood on.

A smile spread across the weathered face of Jesus. “I welcome your gratitude. That’s what God truly wants. That’s what most of us want. Good for you. Good for me. Good for all of us.”

Gratitude is one of the most powerful of human responses. We all need reminders of this. So if you are a parent, thank your children. Maybe just for being yours. Be generous in giving thanks to all you meet. Being alive, being healed, redeemed and forgiven by God deserves our constant gratitude. So above all else, express gratitude, proclaim and celebrate Eucharistic (grateful) moments. Polite children learn to say “thank you.” Learn from them. Remember that this and the next moment of your life is a gift from God.

©David Thomas, PhD ([email protected])

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method of Review of Life.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home

October 6, 2019 – 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 17:5-10 

Jesus knew that good seeds were important. During his lifetime food was always in short supply. Israel was mostly barren desert. Good seeds ensured survival. Even today, one of the most important ways our world is being made better is through the acquisition of good seeds especially in impoverished areas. Help people grow grain and other seed-based foods and hunger can be overcome. Don’t underestimate the value of tiny seeds.

Jesus was always trying to find effective ways to explain deep and complex truths. He was an excellent teacher. So he searched for “teaching aids” to assist him. One day he found a mustard seed lying on the ground. This is perfect, he thought. So he put it in his pocket and carried it with him wherever he went. One day he would need that seed.

After dinner one evening, his apostles were feeling down. Not much was happening that indicated that Jesus was enjoying much success in his ministry. So they asked Jesus to increase their faith and confidence. They needed a boost to their spirits.

Jesus reached into his pocket and pulled out that tiny seed. It took a while for him to find it. It was very small. Pinching it between his thumb and forefinger, he showed it to them. “See how small this seed is? That’s a measure of the faith that’s needed to make that tree over there uproot and be planted in the sea.” Such an example really got their attention. In other words, a little goes a long way.

Another way to think about this seed image is to believe that God can work miracles with just a little help from us. It’s good to remember (very good sometimes) that if we do our best, however little that might seem, it will be enough. So take comfort, you parents and anyone who is trying to make things better, that it’s not always necessary for us to be fully in control with lots of power at hand. Do what you can -- and know that in God’s Kingdom, that may be quite enough. Do your tiny bit, and let God add the rest.

The gift of our lives, Jesus reminds us, is filled with paradox. Small can grow large, weakness can become strength, and even death can result in fuller life.

©David Thomas, PhD ([email protected])

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method of Review of Life.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

September 29th, 2019 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 16:19-31

Years ago, I heard a very interesting play on words. Maybe you too are familiar with it. It goes like this. “Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Perhaps these words came to the mind of a poetic person after reading today’s gospel about the Rich Man and Poor Lazarus. One was described as quite comfortable in this life and one was very afflicted. They both died as we all do. And you know the rest of the gospel story. Once you hear it (even as a child), you don’t forget it.

Also of interest is the gospel’s conclusion. The rich man thought that if his rich friends knew what God expects them to do during their lives on earth, and additionally, if they knew that divine judgment awaits them after death, they might change their ways. They would share their wealth with the poor. Or maybe they wouldn’t. The gospel implies the latter response.

This gospel is one of the foundation stones for the Catholic Church’s social teachings. Popes for the last hundred years have been pointing to the needs of the poor and the duty of those more well-off to share their wealth with the poor. Some, of course, do this with a generous heart and helping hands. Many don’t.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

September 22nd, 2019 – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 16:1-13

Today’s gospel is about people who had to change their lives because of new circumstances. We learn about a fellow who was given a pink slip by his employer, but before he cleaned out his desk, he made some deals with people who owned his master (the boss) some money. Since he still had the key to the employee’s bathroom, he still had some clout so he decided he would befriend those who owned money to his company, so he lowered their debt. He might need them later. He wanted to make the best of the change he was about to experience, namely unemployment.

While I would not advise doing what this so-called wise steward did, I have to admire his desire to make the best out of his new situation. He wasn’t going to move ahead by just sitting around. He looked in the mirror, admitted to what was ahead and make the appropriate moves to survive. For him, times were changing.

Jesus used this story to remind his followers, then and now, that each new day brings on new possibilities. The wise person does not live in the past, but more in the present and the future. We might call this approach “Christian realism.”

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

September 15th ,2019 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 15:1-32

We have all had the experience of losing things, like keys or a wallet or even a child in a crowded department store. Or having that feeling of being lost in an unfamiliar place. Where I live in the open spaces of Montana, it is not unusual to go for a hike in the woods and suddenly finding oneself “lost.” In today’s gospel, we read about three instances of being lost. There is the story of a lost sheep who was suddenly missing from a large herd. There is the story of a woman who had ten coins and lost one of them. And finally, there is the memorable story of the lost son who left his family, took his share of the family’s wealth and selfishly squandered it.

But if we reflect on these stories, we realize that these are not narratives about being lost, but rather about being found. The good shepherd temporarily leaves his large flock of sheep and finds the lost one. The woman cleans her whole house and eventually finds that lost coin. And the irresponsible son eventually returns to his family and his father arranges a celebration in his honor because his lost son is now found.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

September 8, 2019 – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 14:25-33

If you have been reading my gospel reflections for a while, you know that I view family life as very important. There are times when the needs of my family come first. For example, I pass on buying that new shirt, which I really want, because one of our children needs something more pressing. And I believe this valuing of family life is totally in line with my role as a follower of Jesus.

Thus, when I read the words in today’s gospel about hating one’s family, I was perplexed. Was Jesus serious about this? Is not Jesus pro-family? Shouldn’t social obligations within one’s family be first on the list of “things that must be done?” Doesn’t family come first?

What was Jesus thinking? A knowledge of history might help. In his time, people were not so much viewed as individuals, but more as members of groups. Family connection was all-important. Thus, Jesus was occasionally addressed as “Son of David” or people thought of him simply as “the carpenter’s son.”

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

September 1, 2019 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 14:7-14

Luke’s gospel is filled with meals. It’s said he was a physician, but maybe he was a chef on the side. In his gospel there are at least ten stories of Jesus eating with others. But, as today’s gospel suggests, meals (especially those involving guests) were not just about satisfying hungry appetites. They were also about creating or recognizing social standing.

Jesus warns about taking a place at the table above your social position. If that’s recognized by the host, he will likely tell you to take a less-esteemed position, like the seat right next to the noisy kitchen. In that sense, Jesus was simply offering what might seems to be common sense advice. So why is this story included in the gospel? Is there a deeper truth being offered to us?

I think it might have to do with how God rates us. We might wonder whether God has favorites, a first, a second, a third and so forth. We know that secular society rates people all the time. It positions people according to all sorts of things: looks, background, education, accomplishments, financial holdings, appearance. Even religious affiliation. Lots of calculations are being processed about all of us. That’s the way the world works.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

August 25, 2019 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 13:22-30

I once thought that it’s very important to know everything. It was part of my religious responsibilities. I knew enough to know, however, that this was not possible, but I still believed that I should at least try to know everything that I could. So, I diligently went to school for most of my young life. I listened to what teachers said and took a lot of notes. I read the books I was assigned to read and many more besides. After completing formal education, I became a theology professor and kept listening and learning and reading. Deep down I believed that my daily life and my eternal salvation were tied to what I knew and what I did. Lifelong learning contributed to my belief that I was in charge.

As I read the gospel for today, I became a little uncomfortable. Especially the concluding words of Jesus that the last will be first and the first will be last. Of course, this makes little sense in our world (and my own) which values position and accomplishment and all sorts of criteria about who will be truly best of God’s Kingdom, both now and forever. I want to think that I will be at least near the front of the line, reserved for those who did a lot for God. I thought about all the books I had read, all that I had written and all the good things I did during my life. Surely, that qualifies me for earning “early boarding” on to that final ‘airplane’ flight to heaven.