Y’all…..I’m about certain that many of you have seen posts and memes and pictures and comments ad infinitum about “we should all get along” and “but they’re your family” and “when people show you who they are, believe them.”  And here lately, families are split, friendships have fallen apart, and there has been a great distancing between people who were formerly close.  And the reasons for this?  Here lately, the bottom cause is political and the basic beliefs behind those political opinions. 

But wait.  What if, just what if this great distancing was, bottom line, about actually being who and what Jesus expects of us?  Coz according to the Gospel reading appointed for today,  Jesus told us it was gonna happen.  Here:

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,  wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  (Luke 14:25-27)

Say what?  Whatever does this mean?  You say to me, you say, “But Jesus taught us to love and respect and honor our parents!  It’s even one of the Ten Commandments!”  And I’d say right back to you, “Yep.”

 So what gives with this?   I believe that what Jesus is saying to us is this:  If we are going to walk with Jesus, we have a price to pay. Sacrifice and suffering and making difficult choices are part of the journey.

Earlier, Jesus has warned His disciples that He had come to bring a sword of division to Israel. This wasn’t a reference to violence or revolution, but to the separations that the gospel can cause. Those who refuse to accept Christ and his message of love and acceptance will hate and persecute those who believe (John 15:18–21). The division will take place even between immediate family members. Fathers and sons will turn on each other, as well mothers and daughters. The issue will be belief in Jesus Himself. Is He the Messiah, the Son of God? Is what he says right and true and good?  Those who refuse to acknowledge Him will reject those of their own family, who put their faith in Jesus and begin to follow His ways (1 Peter 4:3–4).

Jesus is demanding His rightful place in the hearts of His people.  Us.   We must love Him more than all others and demonstrate that  this is true, especially if we are forced to make a choice. This does not change Scripture’s demand that children honor their parents (Ephesians 6:2) and that parents provide for their children (Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 5:8). Jesus does not say “do not love” those other people—what He says is that we ought to love God more.  And in so loving God more, in following his path, will folks be willing to lose connection to their family members, friends,  or political party in order to continue to follow Jesus and acknowledge to others that He is the Christ? 

Loving others is the second greatest commandment, but it is behind the first: to love God with everything we have (Matthew 22:34–40). In making this statement, Jesus continues to make the claim that He is God. Love and obedience to Him must come before obedience to any other person or group (Acts 5:29).

And how do we show that love?  That willingness to sacrifice it all for Jesus?  Be merciful.  Be kind.  Show love.  It’s pretty much one of the key recurring factors of Jesus’s ministry.  Love God.  Love people.  Love God.  Love people.

Jesus tells us in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”    How do we show that love?  Again, Jesus tell us, and again, very specifically in Matthew 25:35-45:   For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’   “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’   “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

The least of these….who then, are ‘the least of these’ in today’s society?   Probably those who make many of us uncomfortable.  The homeless?  People who are of a different color?  Sexual orientation?  Gender identity? Ethnicity? Who are “the least of these” to you? 

Throughout his ministry, Jesus showed that he did, indeed, love everyone, even to the point of dying for their sins, but you know,  he went out of his way to intentionally help specific groups of people — the alienated, mistreated, and those facing injustice. 

We as Christians must recognize that our society today is filled with numerous groups and communities facing systemic oppression, and we must act. We must be willing to admit and address the complex realities within our world that create such problems, and avoid the spiritual laziness that tempts us to rely on generic excuses and solutions.  Loving as Jesus loved us is hard.   Loving Jesus more than anything and anyone is harder.

Christians do a disservice to the gospel message by removing the cultural context from Jesus’s ministry and watering down his message to one of religious platitudes. We like to generalize the words of Jesus and transform his life into a one-size-fits-all model that can apply to all of humanity.  He intentionally, purposefully, and passionately addressed very specific causes. He radically addressed the diverse and complicated conflicts of the time and shattered the status quo.  Are we, as Christians, not called to do the same?  By addressing racism, immigration, gender equality, gender expression, and a litany of other issues, we are following in the steps of Jesus.

Fred Kaan, the lyricist, has written a hymn that is especially meaningful for today:

Put peace into each other’s hand and like a treasure hold it;

protect it like a candle flame, with tenderness enfold it.

Put peace into each other’s hand with loving expectation;

be gentle in your words and ways, in touch with God’s creation.

Put peace into each other’s hand like bread we break for sharing;

look people warmly in the eye:  Our life is meant for caring.

Give thanks for strong yet tender hands, held out in trust and blessing.

Where words fall short, let hands speak out, the heights of love expressing.

Put peace into each other’s hand he is love’s deepest measure;

in love make peace, give peace a chance and share it like a treasure. 

Let us pray:

God, we pray that Your Spirit may rule over all things.  May Your Spirit rule over kings and presidents over prime ministers and generals over CEOs and party bosses over the legislature and over the bureaucrats over all citizens.  May Your Spirit guide us on the way of peace on the way of honest dialogue on the way of reconciliation between peoples on the way of disarmament and justice on the way of freedom and life for all.

May Your Spirit lead us on the journey of blessings shared with all on the journey of educational  opportunity for all our children on the adventure of research and study that helps all men and women on the road to meaningful work for all people on the path of solidarity and love between all our brothers and sisters.

May Your Spirit help us to speak up with courage to share what we have and what we are to challenge the powers that be to offer a message of liberation and life. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord.   Amen.

Today’s Gospel, from Luke’s fourteenth chapter, is a classic Jesus story. It’s not about a big miracle or a grand sermon. It’s a snapshot of an everyday moment: Jesus is having dinner at the home of a leading Pharisee. But as always, Jesus turns a simple social gathering into a profound spiritual lesson.

He’s watching the guests, and he notices something we’ve all seen, and probably even done. They’re all jockeying for the best seats. They’re trying to figure out who’s the most important person in the room so they can sit next to them. This isn’t just about finding a place to eat; it’s about social status, about being seen, about proving your worth. Doesn’t that sound familiar?

We might not be fighting for the best seat at a banquet table, but we do it all the time. We chase after likes on social media, we seek promotions at work for the title, we want to be seen with the “right” people. We want to be the one who’s honored, to be praised and recognized.

But Jesus tells us, “Do not recline at table in the place of honor.” He’s warning us that a prideful heart can lead to public shame. Instead, he says, take the lowest place. Humble yourself, and if you are to be exalted, let it be by the host—let it be by God. After he gives this advice to the guests, he turns to the host and gives him an even more radical challenge. The host, like all hosts, invited his friends, his relatives, his rich neighbors. He invited people who could repay him with a reciprocal invitation.

It’s the way the world works—a transactional relationship. “I scratch your back, you scratch mine.” But Jesus tells him, “When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.” And here’s the kicker: “You will be blessed, because they have no way of repaying you.”

Brothers and sisters, this is the core of our faith. This is the radical hospitality of Jesus Christ. He’s not just giving a lesson on manners. He is calling us to fundamentally change our way of living. We’re all hosts in some way, whether we’re hosting a party, or simply opening our hearts and our communities to others. Who is on our guest list?

Are we only inviting people who look like us, talk like us, or can benefit us? Jesus wants us to break that cycle. He wants us to be like God, who pours out his love on us not because we’ve earned it or can repay it, but simply because he is love.

We are all here at this Mass, at this table, as invited guests. We don’t deserve this great banquet, yet here we are. This is a gift, and a call to action.

So, as we prepare to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, let’s ask ourselves: Where are we seeking honor in our lives? And how can we better embody the humility of Christ by serving those who have no way of repaying us? Let us pray for the grace to not only open our homes but to open our hearts to the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten.

Today, our Gospel comes to us from Luke, chapter 12, verses 13 to 21, a passage we commonly known as the Parable of the Rich Fool.

The scene opens with a man in the crowd, interrupting Jesus’ teaching. What’s on his mind? Not a profound spiritual question, but a family dispute over money. “Teacher,” he says, almost demanding, “tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Think about that for a moment. How often do we, too, approach God with our earthly concerns, our material desires, before we ever truly consider what He might genuinely desire for us?

Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, sees past the immediate request to the deeper spiritual complaint. He wisely refuses to be drawn into a worldly squabble, reminding the man, and us, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then, pivoting from that specific incident to a universal truth, He delivers a profound warning: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

This isn’t merely a warning against outright materialism, against being a collector. It’s caution against a far more subtle and pervasive mindset. It’s a call to vigilance, to be on our guard against the sinister creep of materialism that can subtly, almost invisibly, reorder our priorities. Here in 2025, we are immersed in a culture that incessantly whispers, and often shouts, the exact opposite message: “Life does consist in an abundance of possessions. Happiness is found in more, in newer, in shinier things.”

To truly drive this point home, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man. His land yields an abundant harvest—a clear blessing from God, let’s be clear. But how does this rich man respond to such a gift? His first thought, and indeed his only thought in the parable, is entirely self-centered: “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” His solution is simple, logical, and entirely focused on one thing: accumulation. Tear down the old barns, build bigger ones, store all his surplus grain. And then comes the chilling self-congratulation, spoken to himself: “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

Think about this man for a moment. He’s not depicted as overtly evil. He hasn’t stolen or defrauded anyone. He’s just a man who worked his land, and it prospered. Yet, Jesus calls him a “fool.” Why? Because in all his meticulous planning, in all his foresight regarding his earthly goods, he has completely forgotten the ultimate reality: the brevity and fragility of life, and the ultimate accountability to God. (I have never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse) He makes no mention of sharing his abundance, of using his blessing for the good of others, or even of acknowledging the divine source of his prosperity. His entire universe revolves around “I” and “my.”

In our own time, we see this played out in countless ways. The relentless pursuit of career advancement at all costs, the accumulation of designer goods, the pressure to always have the latest technology, the constant striving for a larger house or a more impressive car. We meticulously plan our retirements, our investments, our vacations – and to a degree, this is prudent. But like the rich fool, do we sometimes plan as if life on this earth is an end in itself? Do we accumulate, genuinely believing that our security and happiness can be found solely in what we possess?

Then comes the stark revelation, the punch that cuts through all his grand plans: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” All his careful planning, all his grand intentions for a life of ease, are instantly, utterly, rendered meaningless. His wealth, so painstakingly gathered, is now utterly useless to him.

This, my friends, is the timeless truth that cuts through the noise of 2025. We live in an age of unprecedented material comfort for many, yet puzzlingly, also an age of profound anxiety. We are constantly bombarded with messages that equate our worth with our net worth, our happiness with our possessions. But Jesus reminds us, with uncompromising clarity, that this is a dangerous illusion. Our lives are not our own; our time on this earth is a gift, and it is finite.

The parable concludes with the Lord’s powerful summary: “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

So, what does it mean, then, to be “rich toward God”? It means understanding that true wealth isn’t measured in earthly currency, but in spiritual currency. It means recognizing that everything we have—our talents, our resources, our time—is a gift to be stewarded, not hoarded. It means using our blessings to serve God and neighbor, to truly build up His kingdom here on earth. It means prioritizing compassion over consumption, generosity over greed, and eternal values over ephemeral trends.

As Dominicans, we are called to contemplate the truth and to preach it. The truth revealed in this parable is challenging, yes, but profoundly liberating. It frees us from the tyranny of endless acquisition and the gnawing fear of not having enough. It calls us, each one of us, to examine our hearts: What are we truly building our lives upon? Is it the shifting sands of material possessions, or the firm foundation of faith and good works?

Let us pray, then, for the grace to be truly rich toward God. To use the gifts, He has so abundantly given us, not for our own selfish indulgence, but for His glory and for the good of our brothers and sisters. For in so doing, we lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. And that, my friends, is the only true and lasting security.

Amen.

Today my brothers and sisters in Christ, we come together as the church to commemorate the memorials of three siblings, these being Sts Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were very close friends with our Lord Jesus and were also his followers. Together they hosted Jesus in their home on more than one occasion. Yet, on one such visit from Jesus, they Martha and Mary chose two very different actions, and the way that Jesus reacted to their choices is a very valuable lesson for us today. Let’s review the story (Luke 10:38-42):

Martha is worried

Martha was rushing around here and there, serving and doing her best to make everything good enough for their beloved friend and guest. And where was Mary when Martha needed a hand? She chose to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening to his words as He spoke.

It’s pretty easy to imagine how that made Martha feel. I can imagine she felt very Irritated,  and  deeply frustrated, perhaps even resentful. Why should she be doing all the work? Wasn’t it only right for Mary to be helping out also? In fact, Martha felt so justified in her indignation that she went and talked to Jesus about it. “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me,” she said to Him.

But, instead of backing her up in her demand, Jesus rebuked her! “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

This must have felt like a slap in the face for Martha from her dearest friend and Lord. Here she was, doing everything in her power to be hospitable and make it good for him whilst Mary just sits there, and what she was doing was the right thing?

Does this situation Sound familiar at all?

Getting our priorities right

It can become all too easy for us to get totally wrapped up in all the things we need to do and the things that need to be accomplished that we lose sight of what the most important thing actually is. Isn’t it possible that we can get too wrapped up in the cares of life? Jesus makes this even more clear in the parable He told about the sower. “He who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22.

The highest priority in our lives needs to be choosing the good part, as Mary did: to learn of Jesus so that we can become like Him. It’s a love and devotion to Him that makes everything else of secondary importance. It is to seek the riches of wisdom and understanding that are in Him. If we don’t do this, how can we follow Him, how can we be His disciples? A disciple learns of the Master.

This is not an excuse to be lazy, and not take responsibility for anything. That is another trap entirely. We are to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only! (James 1:22) But what we do has to be led by the Spirit, whose voice we learn to hear by choosing the good part. There is no blessing in running our own lives based on our human understanding of what is important. Mary understood that she needed to learn more of her Master and to seek the things that have eternal value. It’s when we do that that we can be a blessing, because then all of our works are Spirit-driven. Love causes us to listen, to learn, and to keep His commandments. (1 John 5:3)

We need to take heed to yourself.

We can be in  severe danger of falling into the same trap that Martha fell into. We can be so troubled by what we perceive as negative behaviour in other people, and become so self-righteous in our own good works that we start to judge others for not doing the same as what we are doing. Satan is the one who is behind these kinds of thoughts. He whispers to us lies and accusations, and deceitfulness,  trying to create as much conflict and strife for us as he  possibly can muster up. His only aim is to lead people as far in the opposite direction of doing good works, as he possibly can – his mission is to lead us away from our Lord Jesus. To listen to him and agree with satan leads to all kinds of unrest and trouble and worry. We need to slam the door on his deceitfulness!

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you,” it’s written in 1 Timothy 4:16. Only that will do us any good in life. The wrong choice that Martha made wasn’t that she was serving and doing good. It was that in her work she had demands and criticism on Mary, rather than doing what Jesus taught herself! If we are living before the face of God, we have no cause to look around at what others are doing and feel that we have a right to pass judgement on them. We live in obedience to the Spirit’s promptings in our own lives, and what others do is none of our business. We don’t know how He is leading others.

Let’s rise above all the noise and all the unholy pursuits of this world and seek those things which have true eternal value. Like Mary, let’s find that fellowship with our Lord and Master and with those who follow Him so that we can learn of Him and become like Him. Through the Word of God, fellowship, and prayer we become rich in our spirit, and God will give us everything we need in abundance.

 “Finally, dearest brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8.

Let us pray:

Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, you were close friends of Jesus and welcomed him into your home. Please pray for us, that we may grow in faith, hope, and love, and that we may be open to Jesus’ presence in our lives. May we be inspired by your example to serve others, to listen to God’s ord, and to experience the joy of spiritual renewal.

 Amen.”

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, as we gather for this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our readings invite us into a profound reflection on prayer, persistence, and the boundless generosity of our God. We hear the familiar story of Abraham bargaining with God in Genesis, the spiritual liberation recounted in Colossians, and most powerfully, Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray in Luke’s Gospel. As your Dominican priest, a son of St. Dominic, who himself was steeped in prayer and preaching, these readings strike deeply at the heart of our spiritual lives.

But let’s be honest. For many of us, hearing these ancient texts might lead to a natural question: “What does this mean for us, some 2,000 years after it was written? How does this apply to my life, right here, right now, in San Antonio, Texas, in 2025?”

Let’s begin with Luke’s Gospel. The disciples ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” And Jesus gives them what we now call the Our Father. This isn’t just a formula; it’s a blueprint for relationship. He then tells them parables – the persistent friend knocking at midnight, and the father who gives good gifts to his children. “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

This teaching on prayer isn’t about manipulating God, or about God being reluctant. Rather, it reveals the nature of a loving Father who wants to give us good things. The persistence isn’t for God’s benefit, but for ours. It trains us in humility, in dependence, in faith. It teaches us to discern what is truly good, and to trust that God’s answer is always for our ultimate well-being, even if it’s not exactly what we initially asked for.

Consider Abraham, boldly negotiating with God for the righteous in Sodom. This is not irreverence; it is profound intimacy. Abraham knows God’s justice, but he also trusts in God’s mercy and willingness to listen to the cries of His servant. This same God, the God of Abraham, is the God who listens to us, His children. This ancient story teaches us that our prayers, even when they seem audacious, are welcomed by a God who desires conversation and relationship.

And then, Colossians reminds us that we have been “buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” It declares, “and even when you were dead in transgressions… he brought you to life with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” This is the ultimate answer to our prayers, the ultimate good gift: redemption, forgiveness, and new life in Christ. This radical act of God’s love underpins all our petitions; it reminds us that we approach a God who has already given us everything.

So, what does this mean for us, here in 2025?

First, in a society inundated with instant gratification, these readings call us to cultivate the virtue of patience and persistence in our spiritual lives. We live in a world of quick fixes, where we expect immediate responses to our texts, emails, and online orders. Prayer is not a vending machine. It’s a relationship that deepens over time, through consistent effort, through showing up even when we don’t feel like it, and through trusting in God’s timing, not our own. Are we as persistent in our prayer life as we are in pursuing our earthly desires? Do we give God the same time and attention we give our social media feeds?

Second, these readings challenge us to re-examine the content of our prayers. Jesus teaches us to pray for daily bread, for forgiveness, for deliverance from evil, and for the coming of God’s Kingdom. This is not just about personal needs, but about alignment with God’s will, about seeking justice, mercy, and the spread of His reign on earth. In a world often marked by self-interest and division, our prayers should be expansive, embracing our families, our community, our nation, and indeed, the entire world. Do we pray for the conversion of hearts, for an end to violence, for peace in our city and across the globe, for those struggling with mental health, for the marginalized and the forgotten?

Third, these passages remind us of God’s unfathomable generosity in an often-cynical world. We are living in times of economic uncertainty, social unrest, and rapid change. It’s easy to become disheartened, to feel that resources are scarce, or that goodwill is in short supply. Yet, our God is the God of superabundance. He gives us the Holy Spirit, the ultimate good gift. He has already given us His Son. If God has given us these immeasurable gifts, how much more will He listen to our earnest petitions for what is good and necessary? This truth should infuse our lives with hope and inspire us to be generous ourselves, reflecting God’s giving nature to those around us.

As a community, St. Michael’s, let us take these lessons to heart. Let us pray with persistence, not as if we are twisting God’s arm, but as a demonstration of our faith and trust. Let us broaden the scope of our prayers beyond ourselves, interceding for a world desperately in need of God’s light and love. And let us always remember the boundless generosity of our Father, who delights in giving good gifts to His children.

For when we ask, seek, and knock with a sincere heart, God always answers, always opens, always gives. And the greatest gift He gives us is more of Himself.

May God bless you all.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.