Fullerton T

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday we hear the Gospel story of the sower who went out to sow the seed. This parable really is about the seed of faith with Jesus the sower and you and me as the soil on which the seed that is the word of God lands. In the First Reading from the prophet Isaiah, the Lord’s word is likened to rain that nourishes the earth, promising that it will accomplish its intended purpose without returning empty. in the Second Reading saint Paul tells us that Current sufferings are minimal compared to the future glory awaiting God’s children. All creation yearns for this liberation and shares in the anticipation of redemption.

In the Gospel Jesus shares a parable about a sower who scattered seeds, symbolizing the spreading of God’s word. The seeds fell on different types of soil, representing various responses to the message. As the early church faced opposition and a seeming lack of success, the parable must have given encouragement to the church at its beginning as a promise of fruit not yet visible to them. Jesus is speaking to a large crowd. They may be listening to what he says, but as it is today some will listen and others will leave what he is saying behind and go their own way. He is realistic as he seems to randomly cast his words out upon the crowd. Often that wee seed of faith may take root many years after it has been planted and today, we see many people returning to the faith or coming to the faith for the first time after someone or some event in their lives planted that first seed with others helping to nourish the seed helping it to grow. Many of the details in the parable are about wasted effort and lost seed. Sometimes, we wonder if all our efforts are worth it when things are falling around us. Very often things that happen in our lives don’t seem to be the way we might want them to be, but when we look at the problems with eyes of faith, we see that things around us are the way they are meant to be for the good of everyone.

Nobody really knows what’s beneath the surface of the soil we cast the seed of the word of God upon. Who knows the potential of good soil? Do good and poor soil both exist in the same person I think that it probably does much in the same way that a person can do good or be bad. Is there something we might say that will land on the interior good soil in a person and bear the “hundredfold, or sixty or thirtyfold” Jesus promises? who knows only God knows. While the gospel parable begins with and spends time on hardships and failure it ends in surprise and abundance. What was the source of this abundance?  We look to what Isaiah told us today in the reading about the fertile, life-giving nature of God’s Word. Our God is a God of surprises, and our faith is also filled with so many surprises as well. Despite any discouragement we might feel because our efforts in many things seem futile and draining, we put our trust in the one who speaks to us a living word who sows the seed. The seed represents the Good News of the Kingdom, so by inference, the sower is Jesus himself. The message of Jesus may not always be welcome especially in our modern world were faith and religion are constantly under assault by those who oppose the faith-based outlook on life. That said we still have to sow the seed of faith by what we do and say and then we leave the rest up to God.

The efforts we make are never wasted and we don’t always see the fruit of the seed that is sown or the work we do. We are reminded that God’s plan is certain. His words nourish us, even when even when there is hardness of heart in life. Through the parables we know that we are being offered something good we could never get on our own, the love of a gracious and lavish God who is not stingy in showing us the signs of that love to his people.

14Th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Well, here we are trying to get into the holiday mood as the school’s close and the people go on holiday. It is a time when things get quieter with less traffic and fewer people around. It is a good time to get things done that we wouldn’t get the chance to do with all the hustle and bustle going on around us. The readings show Jesus as a humble and peaceful king. God cares for the weak and tired. Jesus invites people to trust him and find rest in his gentle way. In the First Reading from Zechariah The prophet says a king will come to Jerusalem. He will be good and bring victory. But he will also be humble, riding on a donkey. He will bring peace to all nations. His rule will reach everywhere. In the Second Reading from Romans, we are told that if God’s Spirit lives in you, you belong to Christ. God will give you life through his Spirit. Do not follow sinful ways. Live by the Spirit, and you will have life.

One of the most wonderful things about Jesus is his special love for ordinary people ­ like us with all our faults and failings. It comes out in a particular way within the two statements that he makes in this Sundays Gospel reading. The first is in his prayer to God: ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.’ The second is in his Invitation to all of us: ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest.’  Why did he say this to us? The answer comes across very clearly so many times in the gospels and may be summed up in one word COMPASSION. We see Jesus’s compassion in the plight and tears of the widow of Nain: ‘Don’t cry,’ he says to her, before bringing her son back to life. He is moved with compassion at the plight of a leper begging for help (Mk 4:41), he shows compassion for two blind men sitting at the side of a road and pleading for mercy (Mt 20:29-34), and he shows compassion for the crowd of people with nothing to eat (Mk 8:2) the feeding of the five thousand then took place. In each case he responds to the suffering people he sees with the love, compassion that shows the compassionate care and love of God the father.

 So, in the here and now of our daily lives are we on the side of Jesus, that is the side of compassion, kindness, help, healing, and mercy? Or on the side of the scribes and Pharisees who are among us even today and they are fierce, fault-finding, heartless, critical, and merciless people without compassion. Will we take our cue from their cruel, insensitive judgments and actions? Or will we take our inspiration from what we see in Jesus, and his compassionate outreach to the poor and the broken: when he said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest’. These words are a clear invitation for us as we are invited to see that God’s care is close and simple. He is faithful and merciful, leading with kindness. This is also an invitation for us to live a life of simplicity. Happiness does not that having more is better instead it means being content with what we have. Jesus invites us, “Come to me!” And He waits for us so let us take up our rest for our hearts are restless until they rest in him.

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time brings us readings that speak about welcome, faith, and commitment. Each passage reminds us that following God changes how we live. It calls us to trust his promises, live the new life he calls us to follow, and place Him in our hearts. We are reminded that faith touches both big choices and small actions. To follow Jesus is to place him at the centre and to live with open hearts. Every gesture of love becomes part of our call as disciples. In the First Reading A woman of rank in Shunem offers hospitality to the prophet Elisha. In gratitude, Elisha promises her a son, despite her husband’s advanced age. In the Second Reading St Paul tells us that through baptism, we join Christ in His death and resurrection, signifying our new life. As Christ is free from death, we too, should live free from sin, and for God.

In the Gospel story, we are reminded that the priority of faith in the early church demanded radical consequences. At that time extended closely-knit families formed the basis of society, a choice for a follower of Christ could mean a rejection of the family’s faith and values. Jesus reminded his followers that the Christian life involved many risks and one could not compromise or hide these risks away a believer could not placate his or her family if the cost threatened faith. The people of the day thought that No, faith could involve such an extreme choice. Either the relationship with family took priority or the relationship with Jesus took the number one slot it seemed that both could not go together.  Even though they had only a vague idea then of what he meant, when the time came, they remembered Jesus words and gladly suffered imprisonment, hardships, and finally martyrdom for Christ.  This shows how the resurrection of Christ, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on them, changed them from worldly weaklings into fearless heroes. They had become convinced that Christ was the Son of God their saviour who had come on earth to bring all men to heaven. Through time they came to realize how unimportant, the few years of the earthly life that we have were compared to the eternal life to follow. 

Today, there are still those who are suffering martyrdom for the faith because they obey God rather than man. We can help them to persevere, by our prayers. We ourselves, who are free from any overt persecution, must show our gratitude to God for being allowed to practice our religion openly and without fear. We have many opportunities in our daily life to reach out to others, to be a welcoming presence and a sign of God’s love in the world especially where we live let us not be afraid to take these opportunities when they arise and show how much our faith means to us right in our time and place.

12th Sunday of Ordinary Time

This Sunday we celebrate the 12^th Sunday in ordinary time. In the first reading, Jeremiah’s lament is about his treatment at the hands of his adversaries. However, since his message comes from God, he is convinced of the rightness of his cause and of God’s ultimate vindication of his servant. In the second reading we hear that Paul was the originator of what came to be called ‘the doctrine of original sin.’ He was writing to Christians of Jewish background who had been brought up to believe it was their obedience to the Law that justified them in the sight of God. But sin ruled the world before the giving of the Law and, Paul insisted, it was faith itself the gift of God rather than the law that justified them, set them free as today it sets us free as well.

The  Gospel message is quite simple Jesus tells us not to be afraid He does not disguise the truth that his disciples will be confronted by those who threaten, bully and intimidate others into submissive agreement. What our Lord said to His Apostles applies to all Christians including you and me in the practice of our faith. So today we think of all of those who have given us an example by living their lives in faith. These may be parents’ family members or people we have known we all have people who have shown us the way of faith. So as faith filled people Jesus teaches us that our only source of freedom and strength is the goodness of our heavenly Father the goodness that comes through Jesus himself. Furthermore, the discovery of this goodness carries with it the solemn obligation to pass on one’s blessings on to the people around us as we show our concern for others. Our world is full of meaningless hype and glitter, but the only truth that will prevail is the truth taught by Jesus passed down to us in faith. The courage ordinary Christians need today is often quiet and steady rather than dramatic and overpowering. Most believers will not face prison or martyrdom, but they do face pressures that test their faith every day.

It takes courage to remain honest in a dishonest environment, to forgive when resentment feels easier, to defend the dignity of the poor and forgotten, to remain faithful in marriage and family life, and to continue praying when God seems to be silent. We also need the courage not to be ashamed of the faith we profess. In many places, we are tempted to keep religion private, avoiding any mention of hope, mercy, justice, or the Gospel for fear of criticism or rejection. Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid,” are spoken precisely for moments like these. He reminds us that we belong to God and are precious in God’s sight. Our world often admires power, success, and self-sufficiency. But Christian courage will always be different. It is the courage to remain compassionate in a harsh world, truthful in a dishonest world, hopeful in a despairing world, and faithful in a distracted world. Jeremiah’s words from the first reading become our prayer: “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor.” The believer’s faith finally rests not in human strength, but in confidence that God remains faithful through every trial that may be thrown at us. May we remain faithful in every situation we may find ourselves as God remains faithful to us.

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

I am sure many people out there reading this are aware of what happened in Belfast at the beginning of this week. I live just a few minutes’ walk from where this attack took place and as I was leaving home on Tuesday morning there was a heavy feeling of hopelessness in the air. But there is also a sense of we must do something to stop this happening again and we must ask ourselves how many times this will happen before we do something to rectify the situation. This is a problem that the politicians and the governments need to solve and they really should stop and listen to what the people are telling them as many feel that they are being left behind. It is the people on the ground politicians and local people who need to come together to sort out the problems of our time which include immigration and all the associated issues that arise from it. We pray for Stephen Ogilvie, who sustained devastating injuries in the brutal and horrific attack on Monday evening as well as praying for his family and for peace in our country.

The Scripture readings for this Sunday are all about the great compassion Jesus has for the crowd who were his followers. In the first reading the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai, where God speaks to Moses and tells him to convey a message to the people. God reminds the Israelites of how He delivered them from slavery in Egypt and declares that if they obey His commands and keep His covenant, they will be a treasured possession and a kingdom of priests. In the second reading, Paul tells us God showed His love for humanity by sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins while we were still sinners. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we can be reconciled with God and receive the gift of eternal life. In the gospel, we hear how Jesus cared for the people and sent his disciples to do the same. Jesus wanted to bring the Kingdom of his Father to them, so he set out to heal them, and sent the apostles out to do the same in his name. His aim was to bring them the peace of God, to help them by healing their worries, their sickness, their embarrassment at being lost sheep without a shepherd as God was always the shepherd in Israel. When he called the twelve apostles he was making a New Israel, a new set of twelve tribes, as a permanent healing body, to make sure that the Kingdom of the Father and its peace and generosity would always be available to everyone everywhere.  He was not setting up a group of leaders, instead he was appointing his own helpers in spreading God’s Kingdom.  Do we make it our business to spread the Kingdom of God? Are we labourers in the vineyard, trying to bring God’s peace and healing to all the people of God? All of us are made in the image of God, and he gave us the task of following on his creative work. And then we are all called to follow Jesus, we are all called to make his message known to all people, those around us as well as the people at large.

Like the chosen people of Israel, we are counted a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation. We are called to minister to the people in our own time, taking responsibility for our own mission.  No one can tell us exactly where and when we are to respond to Jesus’ call. We will just have to look out and see and hear the way Jesus did. And through our baptism, that is what we are being prompted and empowered to do. As Blessed John Henry Newman wrote: He called us first in baptism; but afterwards also; whether we obey his voice or not, he graciously calls us still… Abraham was called from his home, Peter from his nets, Matthew from his office, Elisha from his farm, Nathanael from his retreat. The call that Christ makes to us takes us onwards, It is a call to be the church of the future just as the Apostles were called to be the Church of the future at its beginning. Jesus’ mission is to the lost sheep. It is his desire and endeavour to bring together, those he pities, those he looks on with love.

Today we pray for each of us: “Help us see what you want of us, help us not settle on being just occasional Christians, but “full time Christians.”  Give us sensitive sight, your eyes, for the world. Through the words of the Gospel may we hear again our own call to be emissaries of God’s love and bearers of Good News. May we allow the kindness and compassion of God to touch our own lives and the lives of those around us wherever we are.

5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

In this weekend’s first reading, we see how human the first Christians were. Some were Palestinian Jews, while others were gentiles of Greek origin. When food was distributed to the widows, those of Greek origin complained that they were often passed over. Tensions were bound to arise since each group had different ways of thinking and acting.  The second reading, from the First Letter of St. Peter, uses the image of “stone” or “rock.” Peter, referring to Isaiah’s prophecy, tells us that God the Father long ago had established His Son, Jesus, as the “cornerstone, chosen and precious in his sight.” Peter, with warm and welcoming tone, urges us to come with hope and trust to the living stone of salvation, and there to become ourselves a holy temple. Of course, there’s a price to pay. Through our own sufferings, we offer sacrifice and praise to the Father along with the Son. All of this happens through our Baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit. Then comes a warning. Just as many have rejected this rock of salvation to their own condemnation, so too, if we attempt to bypass Christ, then we will ourselves stumble and fall. Peter quotes Isaiah as his authority for referring to Christ as a stumbling block to those who reject Him.

This Gospel Reading is about Jesus and the disciples. He is helping them get ready for his suffering and death. For the apostles this was a huge reversal from the adulation of the entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the despair of the Cross on Good Friday. Remember when he asked them whether they would leave him, along with the rest of the crowd? Now it is he who is leaving. They are stunned. Peter’s reply at that time might even be appropriate now. “Where will we go? You have the words of eternal life” Jesus tells them as he tells us now. “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You have faith in God, have faith also in me.” The straightforward meaning of this directive is, you know how to trust, you do it with God. Use that same trust with me. This trust in Jesus and in God is also what we are called to these days.  There is much division within the world community and there is also a lot of division within the lives we lead as people who follow along the way the truth and the life that we are called to by Jesus. Jesus speaks to us not at us.  His presence is in the word proclaimed in the Assembly of the people of God gathered together.  His word is proclaimed to us in the readings from scripture as well as in lived example of others in the community where we live.  We come to Church week in week out to hear the Word.  We come to share the joys and sufferings of all the community gathered together.   We make a spiritual communion with Jesus; risen from the Tomb We don’t stay in Church all the time as the hard pew might well become the soft bed.  

All of us have duties and obligations to family, work and the communities where we live.   When we’re confused about the decisions we should make, Jesus Himself will show us the Way. When we don’t know what is true and what is right and what is wrong, the Holy Spirit through the Church and the faith of its members will enlighten us. And when we are drawn into false pleasures that promise us life, Jesus will bring us back to real life and the joy of that life through the power of His love.  As we walk along the roads of life let us take up the call of Jesus in the gospel to trust in him and he will not let us down as we follow him.

4Th Sunday of Easter

This weekend we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday and the annual Day of Prayer for Vocations. We remember our call to follow Christ and the beauty of vocations to the ordained ministry and the consecrated life. As members of His flock, we are entrusted with fostering and supporting new vocations. Let us pray to the Lord of the harvest to send holy and generous laborers into His vineyard shepherds after the heart of the Risen Christ, who gave His life for the sheep. In the 1st reading continuing his address to the crowd near the Upper Room, Peter boldly proclaims that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah, and that salvation comes only through conversion and baptism. in the 2nd Reading Peter describes Jesus’ heroic love as the Good Shepherd, who endured great suffering and even gave His life so that His flock could come to eternal salvation and peace.

In this weekend’s Gospel we hear about Jesus the “Good Shepherd” who tends his sheep and the “Gate” through which they enter eternal life. The idea of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is a lovely thought because it is a well-known fact that the shepherd never leaves his sheep outside the sheepfold. If any are outside the sheepfold the shepherd will seek the lost sheep until they are found.  The wandering figure of the shepherd, anxiously tending his sheep to the point where he is willing to surrender his life for them, is the image Jesus uses about himself in this Gospel Reading. The good shepherd is not an image of religious authority that is involved with its own importance. The authority of the shepherd costs the shepherd, not the sheep. The image of the shepherd cannot be separated from how the shepherd cares for his own sheep. When we see how Jesus behaves as a leader, we see his tenderness and courage.   The parable of the Good Shepherd has many consoling truths and promises for people of every century, including ourselves in 2026.  All of us know people who have wandered away from the Church, who have lost their sense of belonging, who feel they have no faith community to belong to. How will they know they are welcome back if no one tells them? How will they be helped back if no one offers to make the journey with them? 

The good shepherd asks us to make the journey with them as people who have listened to his voice calling us to follow him. Jesus the Good Shepherd is for all of us, and we should listen to his voice amidst the trials of our daily lives. Many of the voices we listen to in so many places in the world claim to speak for the good of everyone, but they lead us astray and disappoint us but our Faith and Hope in Jesus does not disappoint. With Jesus’ life becomes richer and that with him it is easier to find meaning in everything. The Gospel of the Good shepherd is a hope filled call for us to follow Jesus the loving shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep and rejoices when they are found.