St Clement of Rome Catholic Church

We must keep in mind that the original setting (Luke 14:1, 7-14) depicts an itinerant rabbi by the name of Jesus, who is invited to a formal dinner into the house of a prominent and influential Pharisee to honor him as equal and as equal to the other invited guests. What ensues, instead, is something so appalling that it goes a long way in explaining why Jesus had to be eliminated from the religious and political scene of that time.…

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. (Matthew 11:29) Contrast it with the opening statement of our gospel passage for this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! (Luke 12:49) Or take “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your…

One morning, the disciples must have gotten up earlier than usual and observed Jesus from a distance while he had been in intimate conversation with the Father. That sight must have been more magnificent and more awe-striking than any sight they had ever seen. Unable to contain their wonderment, they eagerly asked him: “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1) Incredible as it sounds, due to our inability to pray, we have a lot to…

In Luke 10:42, the Lord tells us all: “There is need of only one thing…” Hence, let us attempt to find that ONE THING which we all need. For as long as we do not find that ONE THING, or we get sidetracked looking for many other things, inexorably, we can expect anxiety, restlessness, tension, agitation, in a word: a substandard type of life. By substandard I mean a way of life that is far from what Jesus died and rose from death to give us. We can…