SUNDAY 19 JULY 2026: THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME.

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Brassica nigra (black mustard), Cal-IPC 2026.

[Jesus] proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”     Matthew 13:31-32.

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One more time I had to acknowledge my city upbringing and rush to the all-knowing Internet to find out about the mustard bush. It seems to have been chosen by Jesus because of the tiny size of its seeds and the speed and resilience of the plant itself, regrettably now condemned as an aggressive weed in the USA, especially California, but with a glowing reputation in the part of the world where our Savior grew up. Read all about this star-crossed history here. However, it is no wonder that the Savior took this plant to make his point. It can flourish where many others cannot. Dry conditions seem to hold no threat for the mustard plant, one of the principal constraints for many plants. Even poor soil seems to be simply a challenge to this plant. And this is the plant which provides the raw material for that condiment on the dinner table around the world. And Jesus picked this example of hardy life and human benefit (at least in the Middle East) to make his point. And I found that its seed is really tiny:

Tiny mustard seed in between two fingertips, Dreamstime.

Yet another miracle of nature, where so much is contained in so little. And that is what Jesus was talking about. In fact, as he said in today’s gospel, “the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed” and began to speak of the power contained in such an insignificant little speck of life. And you can easily imagine small birds balancing on the branches of the mustard bush in the picture at the top of this reflection. So, then, it is in the field of our mind that this tiny seed is planted, and it is God’s hope (the sower) that it will find a good home there, be productive and become the strong, life-giving source of our activity as a child of God.

And there are parallels with the other examples of hidden life, both bad and good seen in everyday life. Anyone who has made a loaf of bread from scratch is amazed at what the yeast does, on its own with no help from us. How does it do that? And then there is the example of the sabotage inflicted on the farmer who had planted good seed only to suffer an enemy planting weeds where he had just sown. No doubt many of us have suffered at the hands of such people who have ruined something we tried to accomplish for others’ good. Jesus’ disciples clearly had not really understood what the Lord was getting at, and had to have everything ploddingly explained to them – which Jesus did, it seems, without exasperation – and there is another lesson for all of us! And the punishment of those who have wrecked the good intentions of others is also added, including that strange “grinding of teeth” which comes up from time to time in Scripture. What IS that all about? I have to confess even when driven to extremes of anger about something, I don’t think I have ever ground my teeth! It seems so weird if you have never done that.  But it might be an unconscious reaction to a challenging situation I suppose. I once heard the strange squeaking noise of teeth being ground together. I was a Jesuit at that time, and we were on vacation in the middle of nowhere, and one of us had just returned from India (and had caught malaria there, but we did not know at the time). We were six to a room, and that fellow ground his teeth. It was a very strange sound, weird and creepy. But not the result of anger… However, according to AI, “bruxism” as it is called, is “extremely common” when experiencing anger, nervous tension, or frustration. New to me. You?

Well, the Lord goes on to assure us that those malefactors will receive the reward they deserve when “they are thrown into the fiery furnace at the end of the age”. Of course, they will be the ones who don’t even think in terms of regret or sorrow or asking forgiveness. In fact they might even be proud of the suffering they have caused. Consider Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost, for example: “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n,” . Or Gaston (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), a literary and cinematic villain completely unbothered by his cruelty and entitlement. He proudly schemes to kill the Beast and manipulate others, never once questioning his own righteousness. Or O’Brien (from 1984 by George Orwell) the ultimate totalitarian antagonist. He tortures the protagonist not just physically, but psychologically, aiming to strip away reality, individuality, and even the concept of truth itself for the benefit of the Party. And I suspect pride is happily at work in most of these. So today’s readings have a lot to say about right living and its opposite. And the comparison is stark, with the call of the Savior, challenging as it is, clearly the more attractive, the cleaner and, I believe, the more rewarding. But that is one opinion. Evil always has a very attractive side. The thing is, where does it lead and how do you get there? 

 

St. George and the Dragon, Carpaccio 1502, Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Venice, Italy.

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SUNDAY 12TH JULY 2026: THE FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME.

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The Sower (De zaaier), Van Gogh 1888, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterloo, The Netherlands (The Van Gogh Experience).

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow…..”

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“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up….”  Jesus gives us another parable, a very familiar one, and again with a setting which would have been much more familiar to those people listening to Jesus all those years ago, but not to us. The closest experience for us might be, for those who have gardens, carefully planting seeds for those flowers we want to grow – or those vegetables we want to harvest – and then water them and wait. That must be a far cry from today’s parable. For us today, all we can do is try to imagine what it must have been like. But even Van Gogh himself might well have seen such activity in the area around the city of Arles in the south-east of France at the end of the 19th century, where he probably painted that famous scene above. But today all seeding and suchlike is mechanized, so all we can do is to try to imagine what it was like. And for us, it might well become a romantic setting, birds tweeting, sun setting, etc. The reality, of course, must have been much less romantic, sweating in the sun, angry at the birds stealing the seed, exhaustion at walking around the field all day, and so on. Good exercise though! And then there is the reality which Jesus works on in his parable. And each setting, where the seed lands, can easily be transferred into our own life experience. I’m constantly amazed at how clever Our Lord was, translating everyday reality (as it was back then) into insights which we can transfer into our own experience. Then everything becomes real! For example, Jesus says some seed falls into shallow soil where it takes easy root, springs up quickly, but because it lacks good roots, it will quickly wither in the strong sunshine and be parched, and unable to sustain itself. The parallel in real life is the person who is hugely attracted to a new teaching and becomes very enthusiastic about it, but if it becomes challenging in some way and difficult to sustain, then that person will simply give up and walk away, no matter how attractive the teaching was. No roots, no strength to carry on. And each situation is easily paralleled to a life situation, with the finale being the seed falling into good, nourishing soil, the equivalent of hearing the word, as Jesus says, understanding and accepting it and what it demands, and the result is fruit which yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. It is all logical, easily understood, easily applicable even today to our own situation, and causing us to ponder and question our own reality. It is brilliant teaching, unthreatening in its approach and triggers healthy self-examination. And if you look at the Van Gogh quotation in the picture above, he states the same thing in his own way (the missing word being “other”).

But this parable came alive to me a few years ago. A mourning dove couple set up home beneath my bedroom air conditioner, the part that is in the open air (these birds mate for life). They created a nest, eggs were laid, and the waiting period began. Eventually there was much movement under the air conditioner, many flights to and from the nest by both parents, and clearly things had happened. But then two large, fierce-looking crows arrived – and ate the chicks, with the defenseless parents looking on. The crows left. The doves sat looking at the remains of their nest, and eventually moved on, as they say. In Jesus’ parable, this might be the equivalent of “Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it”. I guess the human equivalent could be mixing with the wrong type of people to the extent that your own potential is smothered by being belittled or mocked or scorned, and you not being strong enough to fight it. Until you realize that you are a child of God….. My doves never reappeared.

And the Romans, to whom Paul was writing, were dealing with the same question: “The sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us”. And the passage from the prophet Isaiah carries the same message, strongly suggesting that God’s word will be heard and will take root. We all know what we are asked to do, but do we have the conviction, the strength, the determination to carry on? Perhaps not on our own, but we are the children of God, and have God’s friendship, trust and help. And if we truly believe that, even thorns, crows and the evil around us can be defeated. Hence the parable invites us to transport ourselves into the various situations outlined, and if we recognize them, can understand what is happening, and ask for God’s help to deal with them, and defeat them.

 L.M.Duvall, Duvall Curiosities LLC.

 

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SUNDAY 5 JULY 2026: THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME.

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Walking Humbly with God, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Hector on Palm Sunday.

[Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart…”         Matthew 11:28-29.

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Well, at my age, 81, I always welcome new knowledge which I should have known many years ago. The word “yoke” started it, found in today’s gospel. I have always imagined that this was what looked like a heavy log-like piece of wood carried by a beast of burden as a control, hauling, for example, a plow (plough in British English) through heavy earth before it is seeded for next year’s harvest. Well, yes, as far as it goes. But – it does not go far enough. That “piece of wood”, when made properly, was always contoured to the beasts themselves, a tailor-made yoke used by those beasts and no others. In that way it did not cause any harm, did not rub unnecessarily against the their skin, and stayed in place with relative comfort… (And, moreover, it is a standard element in modern tailoring, to trace the pattern of a customer’s shoulders to get the exact shape unique to him or her: take a look at this). Of course the carpenter-Jesus would have known this from his boyhood. So I therefore conclude that his words in today’s gospel should be seen in a somewhat different light. Yes, hauling a mighty plow will be exhausting, but it will not include unnecessary pain and major discomfort. It will be designed for what God knows we can take, no more, no less. And, note, it is what God thinks, not us… And note Jesus’ promise, again from today’s gospel: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”, though I am certain that some of us would find that somewhat of a challenge to our faith – but there it is. Faith requires trust.

Then today’s second reading takes us a little further into the realm of the spiritual. St. Paul tells the Romans, “you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you”. And, Paul says, this is the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead, hence the all-powerful Spirit. And this same Spirit comes to each of us, should we allow it, and if we do, Paul says, we will live in the spirit. Because if we live only by the flesh, the deeds of the body will result in death. Living in and by the Spirit will result in life, and the choice is entirely ours. Then, looking to the gospel, we can be assured that we are not locking ourselves into something impossible, but rather into a pathway of life, challenges, pain, frustration and all, but with the divine promise of eternal life as a reward. (And, note well, the knowledge that we are fulfilling God’s will induces a profound sense of satisfaction and happiness). And all this to be subsumed under a discrete, humble veil. We are told of the arrival of the king into Jerusalem, “on a colt, the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). Now here was another situation about which I was a little ignorant. The terms horse, colt, foal, donkey, ass and mule were, for me, just lumped together. But to anyone who knows about such beasts they are not all the same: they are almost all very different. (The mule, by the way, is the sterile offspring of a male donkey and female horse). The unnamed king arriving in Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass, means he was riding on a young donkey or ass (they being the same animal, ass coming from the Latin asinus). They are biologically distinct from horses, although nowhere near as magnificent, the point being made by Scripture of course. And Jesus deliberately took that scene from Scripture to ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on an ass, big ears and all. This was a king who had conquered death (Lazarus), but not the one who would conquer the Romans…

So one could say that today’s readings as a whole are about submission and modesty. When talking of God, of course we are – and must be – humble and accepting. But it reminded me of a scene from the nineteenth century. The Emperor of Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm II, in 1898 visited Constantinople, now called Istanbul, the then capital of  Turkey, which was called the Ottoman Empire at that time. They were military allies. Hence the Ottomans catered to his whims. One was that he desired to visit Jerusalem, also then part of the Ottoman Empire. This was duly arranged, and as he wanted to arrive in splendor, the authorities had to enlarge the Jaffa Gate by which he was to enter the Old City. This is it, still present in Jerusalem today:

The gap made for the German emperor in 1898.

Then, on a white horse, the Kaiser rode into the city in style:

Some might say in the completely opposite way as described in Zechariah! The Kaiser however donated two churches (one Lutheran, the other Catholic, both still very much alive) plus a hospital which caters to the Palestinians to this day.

So we have here what might be called two events somewhat opposite in style. We are called as children of God to be obedient and accepting, convinced that God is not asking the impossible of us, but is expecting us to be as completely obedient and accepting as we can be. This is in the knowledge that God has gifted us with sufficient strength, which is to say our unique talents from God, to obey what God desires of us. This will allow us to achieve the best in what is expected of us, and will welcome us fully when called to account. Let us recognize that and respond as fully and whole-heartedly as we can, knowing the Lord is always there to support, to help and to strengthen us. The Kaiser, by the way, ended up losing his throne having been at least partially responsible for starting and being defeated in World War One, and was obliged to live in relative obscurity in the Netherlands until his death in 1941. Certainly an example of pride coming before a fall. Most of us, on the other hand, are usually called to a less exotic standard of behavior (and probably much safer), but will still stand before the same judge with the same yardstick of accountability. Have we responded appropriately to the range of challenges we each face in life with love, sensitivity and Christian awareness which each has demanded? If we can answer “yes” with confidence and truth, then we can hope to be welcomed into heaven as a good and faithful servant. That is the goal now, and ever shall be. And with God’s eager and ever-present help, it will be so.

And this being a Very Patriotic Weekend, let’s end this way:

 

OnSiteStudios, “God Bless America” 2008.

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SUNDAY 28 JUNE 2026: THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME.

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Greed is Good? Linkedin August 2016.

[Jesus said] “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”   Matthew 10:39.

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If ever you are tempted to object to the claim that the Lord was counter-cultural, just look above and see what your reaction is. Would Jesus and Gordon get along together like old buddies? Er, I suspect not. But today’s world, I think, would more likely follow Mr. G. and his school of thought rather than the penniless preacherman from Galilee if left to themselves. After all, isn’t a great three-storey mansion a better deal than a one-room apartment anywhere? So, is Gordon Gekko, the star of the famous movie “Wall Street” as played by Michael Douglas, a new style Savior of the World or not? Well, perhaps we should begin with a definition of the very word “greed”. Firstly, it derives from the early English word grædig, meaning voracious, hungry, or eager (modern German, gier). This developed into meaning an overwhelming urge to acquire or consume more than is needed. And the word “more” is the key. I believe each one of us has inbuilt limits – how much we eat until full, then stopping; taking up available space for “things” where we live until no space is left and then stopping, and so on. Having the discipline to know when enough is enough is key. And I think we all have that, and that going beyond is unnecessary and can be unfortunate, if we are able to stop. So what is the Lord saying?

I believe the Lord is saying we should carefully balance out what is necessary for each of us to have a decent life, yes, but to note most carefully that there will always be the less fortunate ones who do not even have that foundation. Jesus did say that we would always have the poor with us,  (Matthew 26:11, also Mark 14:7, and John 12:8), so we can be pretty sure of that. But that places an obligation on us, which I suspect Mr. Gekko would say is nonsense, and he would respond with the likes of “Let them get on with it, get an education, get a job”, and so on. Yes, true, but that may not be a possibility for many, especially in the poorer parts of the world. And many labor under mental conditions which, I suspect, many of us would simply not understand. And if you look at the rest of the gospel in that light, I believe we can grasp the Lord’s point. “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me”, for example, suggesting self-sacrifice and discomfort. But this is a necessary burden, because it would allow us to understand those less fortunate. Our burden, of course, will be making sure as far as we can to decrease the burden on others, make it less heavy, even as we carry our own particular cross. Why? Because we are all one family under God, glancing at today’s first reading from the Second Book of Kings, where a kindly family tried to make a holy man more comfortable when he came to stay, even though that meant increased expenses for them. That good deed did not go unnoticed. The Lord notices everything, rest assured. Our second reading simply confirms everything: “If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him”. And that implies the same thing, sacrifice for the sake  of others (making modest allowance for ourselves of course). From today’s gospel: “And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple — amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Pretty clear….

Knowing Jesus, Luke 14:27 (& Matthew 13:21).

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SUNDAY 21 JUNE 2026: THE TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME.

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[Jesus said] “….do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna…” 

This is a photograph I took in 2018 on a visit to the Holy Land. In the foreground is the dome of the Gallicantu Church, where the cock crowed and St. Peter recalled Jesus’ words that he would deny even knowing him! And in the background is the (possible) Valley of Gehenna, the side of which I walked up in the baking heat to the Zion Gate (you can see the wall of the Old City). I had no doubt that this was, indeed, pretty close to hell…. Peter’s denial of Jesus just confirmed the horrible nature of the whole place.

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[Jesus said] “…Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

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The destruction of both body and soul that Jesus mentions in the gospel today uses the image of that valley pictured above. It is thought that child sacrifice was carried out there (to forbid which was the very reason I believe that God entered human history at all) and it eventually became the city garbage dump, though today it appears to be the place of thousands of stone burial places. So its history is, perhaps, somewhat negative. So Jesus used its image of a place of utter death and rejection to make his point: beware of those who can lure you into total death and destruction. Yes we may be confronted with such a situation that may mean life or death, but if we stay true to the Lord that means a pathway to heaven, not hell. Maintaining complete trust in the Lord, even though it might mean pain and disgrace will be acknowledged as such by God and our reward will be great. But if it includes our own betrayal before God, then we have to expect the worst. And tying those two possibilities in the picture above (Peter’s denial and Gehenna) completes the picture. Except – except – God forgives, Jesus forgives; all we have to do is confess our guilt, ask forgiveness and God’s help to remain real and true and hopefully wiser.

Jesus goes on to relate how important each one of us is to God. We are, each one of us, precious in the eyes of God. God made us; God trusts us, God has graced each of us with unique gifts, and we are sent out into the world to make it a better place. And in that journey to heaven, we are not alone. Just as mothers and fathers cheer on their children at whatever it is they are interested in, so God delights in us doing what we should be doing. I recall a mother and father whose son was a football-mad fan – and he was a little person; he had dwarfism. Before school began that year he came and tried out for the football team. I remember his mother and father yelling support for him as he did his best to get into school’s football team. The team made him their manager… But that sight of his parents encouraging him, supporting him and urging him on, has stayed with me for years. It was so right! That’s God yelling for us! We may be – are – weak in many areas where we should be strong, but any effort to do better and we’ll hear God yelling encouragement, shouting out what we should do. Our biggest fan!

And that thought can be applied to today’s first reading: “…for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” Despite the terrors which might threaten to overwhelm us, we have Almighty God on our side! “They [terrors] will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion” we are promised. And then there is the fulfillment of it all, as today’s second reading says, “for if by the transgression of the one [Adam] the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many”. So, if we allow it, the superabundant grace of God waits for each of us; all we have to do us acknowledge such, ask for divine support, respond appropriately and it is ours.  

You are Loved Beyond Measure, Higher Ground Studio US, Etsy.

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SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2026: THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME; FRIDAY 12 JUNE: THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS.

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The Sacred Heart of Jesus, CatholicsStrivingForHoliness.org.

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but  the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”     Matthew 9:36-38.

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One of the most familiar Catholic pictures of the Lord is as the Sacred Heart, a heart literally burning with love of us, his sinful followers, even as we stumble and trip on our way to eternal salvation. That image of Jesus is quite old, dating back to the crucifixion itself, when the Roman soldier pierced the side and heart of Jesus with his lance. But in the Middle Ages a deeper devotion appeared, encouraged by Bernard of Clairvaux and Gertrude the Great, which meditated on his heart and awareness, even on the cross itself, forgiving his murderers and promising salvation to the repentant thief crucified with him. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was the one who received visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and formulated devotions, under Jesus’ guidance, which survive to this day. We will celebrate the Sacred Heart on Friday 12 June this year.

And the gospel for the 11th Sunday in the “A” Cycle of readings at today’s Sunday Mass, which highlights the gospel of Matthew, has the statement written above, “Jesus’ heart was moved with pity…” at the sight of so many people desperate for hope and looking for a message in which they could trust. And so it is today, even more so with Jesus’ second thought: “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few…”  as true today as it was 2000 years ago. And so, as the gospel states, he called 12 of his disciples and gave them authority and power over the devils of suffering of every kind. And so the Christian mission began, continuing today and will do forever. And then there is the first reading today. It ends with the strong statement, God speaking to the Hebrew people: “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation”. Translating that to us today, it states quite clearly that God expects each of us Christians to be the absolute best that we can be, implementing our God-given gifts. And with the clear teachings of Christ we are to use those gifts for the good of others to the best of our ability. And that thought can be clearly carried over to the gospel today. Here we have a list of the names of the first disciples of the Lord. Note that a “disciple” is one who learns from another, probably older and wiser, teacher. An “apostle” is one sent forth with a message to spread once everything has been learned as a disciple. So today’s gospel seems to have focussed on that moment when they became apostles, now trusted by the Lord to preach the Good News as they had themselves received it. And so, down through the centuries until today, when it is up to each of us to spread the message of salvation and hope in the way we act and speak, to the very best of our ability. And looking at those first apostles, it was a very random bunch of characters. Mostly not well educated, except perhaps Matthew the tax collector. Certainly they were skilled, but in the trades they had been born into, or had adopted. But now their affiliation with Jesus had given them an entirely new outlook way beyond the fishing nets and counting desks, the ploughs and the grape picking, They had entered into the world of souls and salvation. Clearly they were up for it, except Judas. Once emboldened by God’s Holy Spirit, they became fearless propagators of the Word even unto a violent death, all of whom, save John, were destined to suffer.

So, does the Lord look on any one of us and have his heart moved with pity? Is there any one of us troubled and abandoned, alone and unloved? Many of the saints have experienced that, so if you are victim of this, you are not alone. Dorothy Day, the Catholic activist who founded the Catholic Worker Movement, even called her autobiography The Great Loneliness. But in a strange way, such a state almost sets us up for an encounter with God. Just look at the opening words of today’s gospel. By its very nature, if we open up to God at such a time, there is no telling what the result might be. But the key word is “open”. If we are in such a state, we have no reason, or even right, to set up barriers of any sort. Maintaining a stable frame of mind and a balanced attitude, then we can anticipate or even expect to receive the Divine into our lives. And picking up from that, we should allow ourselves to undertake whatever it is that God wants from us. And just as God gave Jesus the courage to undergo his Passion, and Dorothy her mission, and any number of saints their vocations, it should become clear what it is God expects from each of us, namely our vocation, singularly based on the gifts we have received from God, enabling us to do exactly that. Then it is up to us to implement such insight, and embark on a life of a Servant of God, as countless individuals have done before us, obeying the call of God. And God will be there at all times to help and support us. We are never alone!

Maiestà with Angels and Saints, Duccio c.1312, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena, Italy.

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SUNDAY 7 JUNE 2026: THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST: CORPUS CHRISTI.

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Blessed Sacrament Procession 2026, Lincoln. Nebraska, Southern Nebraska Register.

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[Jesus said] “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”         John 6:53.

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During the course of the centuries as recorded in the Hebrew Bible, God became clearer and clearer as to who and what the Divine Presence meant. One of the first revelations was power (without which, of course, no-one would have taken divine revelation seriously). But look at the way God revealed divine power: One very old, barren lady, Sarai/Sarah, actually giggled at the prophecy that she was to bear a child (Genesis 17). But she did! God’s power is unlimited! And through the course of the centuries, God gradually revealed the meaning of divine presence. And perhaps the culmination of that gradual revelation was the invitation to become God’s friend, God’s intimate. It began with Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai (Exodus 3). Why friendship? Because, for the first time, God  revealed the Divine Name to Moses, “YAHWEH”, or “I AM WHO AM”. That established a relationship between God and humanity forever. It carried with it a fundamental intimacy, a trust and a hope each placed in the other. Then the whole Hebrew people at Mount Sinai solemnly pledged allegiance to God, and God agreed to be their God through thick and thin. So the life of God and the life of the people were  symbolically linked together, symbolized by the blood of slaughtered animals sprinkled over a stone altar (symbolizing God), and over the people, establishing the Covenant between them and God. And that provided the model for Jesus at the Last Supper. There the blood of animals was replaced by none other than the blood of the Savior of the World, and the consecrated bread becoming his flesh. And today’s gospel is, as it were, a premonition of what was to come – and the challenge it represented to all who heard it. And note the gradual intensity of this linkage of God to us: A verbal covenant between Abraham and God; the intimacy of Moses, representing the people, and God, symbolically linked by the blood of sacrificed animals. And then the ultimate: Jesus inviting all of us to take himself, literally and figuratively, into ourselves. Remember the words of the Mass at the consecration: “This is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the New and Eternal Covenant which will be poured out for you….” – as opposed to the old and now surpassed Covenant. God now invites us to join him as he becomes part of us as we consume his very self. The progression could go no further! Jesus raised the old Covenant, established at Sinai, to the actual union between us humans and the Almighty Godhead at the Last Supper. And remember his words: “Do this in memory of me”, and we do, each time Mass is celebrated.

And so, on this day in many parts of the world today, the consecrated bread, Jesus himself, is displayed throughout the local neighborhood in a grand procession. Usually with incense before the Host, the host contained in a glorious monstrance, under a grand canopy, for the Lord of the World to be seen by all, as the Lord of All walks among his people. And note the words of the first reading today: “not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord”. These were the very words of Jesus fighting off the temptations of the Devil as he grew hungry on the 40-day pilgrimage in the desert after his baptism. Yes, food keeps you going day after day, but it is the spirit which keeps us alive throughout all times, bad as well as good. Are we hungry or full up physically? Spiritually alive or despairingly dead? Alert to those around us, or clueless in dealing with the world? Like the Lord, we should interact with those around us positively, lovingly, generously, as all Christians should, setting an example which would make the Lord happy.

So today is a joyful feast day, literally getting us out of the house one way or another. We may be walking hand in hand with the Lord through familiar streets, demonstrating our devotion to The One, or attending Mass, uniting ourselves with God intimately though Communion and emerging strengthened with the love of God which is without limit. And we give thanks for the generosity Jesus shows both in the totality of his sacrifice for us, and his promise to be with us until the end of time. All we have to do is agree, and walk with him as our friend, our support and our surest guide. May God bless us all!

The Grandest Corpus Christi Procession in the World! Valencia, Spain, 2023, Festival Universe.

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SUNDAY 31 MAY 2026: FEAST OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.

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The Holy Trinity, Hendrick van Balen the Elder 1620s, Sint-Jacobskerk, Antwerp, Belgium.

“A bell is no a bell ’til you ring it –

A song is no song ’til you sing it –

And love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay –

Love isn’t love ’til you give it away!”

Although that is not in today’s readings, you might say it reflects the truth the painting above is trying to convey…

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I know those words above are not to be found in today’s Scripture readings, but I contend they could have been! Oscar Hammerstein II wrote that verse in a song in the musical The Sound of Music. Maria von Trapp sings it to Lisl, a daughter of the widower Maria had just married. Lisl has fallen for a young man in the town and was eager to act on her feelings. Maria cautions patience and care, and the song suggests what Lisl should be looking for. Has the truth in the song actually happened yet? That’s the question. So: what has all this to do with today’s feast? Everything! God the Father had guided the Chosen People through centuries of turmoil, betrayal, trust, adventure, conquest and defeat over and over again. And God had clearly decided that they were ready for the ultimate truth, the overwhelming revelation from the lips of his own Son. And the message was simple, pure and direct: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34-35). God had approached Abram/Abraham at a time when children were being sacrificed as the price to be paid, as they thought, for divine protection. That was taking place in Canaan, where God wanted Abram to go, and that, I believe, was the main reason God intervened in human life at all. Over the centuries, God managed to alter that mindset into one of appealing for divine assistance, allied to good lives and obedience to God’s will as revealed over hundreds of years and as stated in the Hebrew Bible. And, clearly, God had decided that now was the time for the ultimate revelation: the Holy Trinity. And at the heart of the Holy Trinity is love. That is the divine power which never fails. It is eternal, and can be relied upon through anything and everything. St. Paul says today: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you (with which every Mass begins). And ultimately, the proof beyond all telling: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” How much more proof do we need? Rather than deny that, Jesus was prepared to undergo ultimate suffering as a proof of that reality. Each one of us is the focus of God’s love – that’s how important we are to God! And remember, never say “How can God feel that way because of me – what about the millions of others? So don’t forget: we are dealing with God, all powerful, all loving and able to show it to each and every one one of us! And, as is the nature of love, God wants it returned! It is then true love, alive and healthy.

And logically, love demands at least two conscious beings able and willing to do exactly that. So clearly God had decided that the Chosen People were now ready for the revelation. But God has made us all with a profound freedom to say yes or no. On the whole, the Chosen People said “No” to the Messiah (“a murderer they save, the Prince of Life they slay”), and the Christian Church was born, claiming the divine reality of Three Persons in One God. And at the heart of  this new divine revelation was love. There are three realities within One Godhead. They are so united in love that two things happen: Complete unquestioned dedication to each other, and with a love so strong that it must be shared. Within human reality, the union of two results in three, echoing the Trinity itself. Here (and I am assuming much) the Father and Spirit unite so profoundly and eternally that the Son is always and always has been and always will be the reality of that love. I think that we humans reflect God, who made us. It is said that all artists incorporate something of themselves in their work. This is called automimesis, a concept the result of the Renaissance. Well, it’s possible. Vincent van Gogh certainly seems to have achieved that. Self-portraits are very frequently found even among the greatest painters (Rembrandt?). God is the greatest of all artists who gifts us with our own talents with which we are make our way through life. And within all of those, the light of God should flow, author of all. So no matter who or what we are, God is present as a matter of love for each of us, and so we are expected to respond and reveal the divine within each of us in what we do, what we say and what we believe. And I repeat my strong belief that the feminine reality must be present in God for such to become reality. It seems to be unthinkable without it. And the Spirit is the feminine principle. This is seen in the mundane – the gender of almost all of the Aramaic/Hebrew words relating to the Spirit are feminine (including the word Spirit itself) – and the numinous union of the Father-Spirit is expressed in the Son eternally. And it is our greatest privilege to be invited into the very heart of love itself by God Godself! It is the nature of love to be given away, and it is our privilege to return it when it comes, with humility, gratitude and joy. And, in the end, for us to be taken up into that very source of all love and life – forever.

The Holy Trinity, Attributed to Francisco Caro 1627, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

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SUNDAY 24 MAY 2026: THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: PENTECOST.

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The Descent of the Holy Ghost, Titian c.1545, Church of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy.

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“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit….”               Acts of the Apostles, 2:1-4a.

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Consider the following: 1. The followers of Jesus were terrified that they might suffer the same hideous fate as their master, and end up crucified. 2. The gospel of St. John mentions twice that they cowered behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. 3. There were crowds of Jewish pilgrims crammed into Jerusalem at that time for the feast of Pentecost (the original Jewish-Greek name for the feast, 50 days after Passover. (The Jewish name became so confused with the Christian name that today it is called Shavuot or Weeks). In other words, the entire Christian church was cowering in a single room, traditionally the “Upper Room” or the “Cenacle”. So if the Holy Spirit had not descended upon them that day, all would have been lost. We would not live within a Christian ethos, our laws would be radically different, and almost certainly more brutal and unforgiving. Our world would be unrecognizable (see this recent thinking on what the world owes to Christianity). Jesus had promised some kind of gift, but no-one had a clue what he meant. They just waited for the fateful banging on the door and being marched away to torture and death. Then it happened.

But first, one strange thing about this feast day is that it has more names than any other in the entire Christian and Jewish year:

Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Passover: Greek: 50th πεντηκοστός pentēkostós) – The Birthday of the Church – The Descent of the Holy Spirit –  Shavuot (“Weeks”) – The Feast of the Law – The Feast of Weeks – The First Fruits of the Harvest.

And in the old days, all the Christian Sundays following this feast were “Sundays After Pentecost” (which is perhaps a little bit more poetic than “Sundays in Ordinary Time”). Our Jewish friends by tradition say that 49 days or seven weeks after the original Passover, the Hebrew people arrived at Mount Sinai where God gave them the 10 Commandments  (hence the Feast of the Law). They also count the “Omer”, the first barley crop, a handful each day from Passover to Shavuot and present that to God in the Temple in Jerusalem, the First Fruits of the Harvest.

And so, in that crowded Upper Room, suddenly “there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak”. At which moment they all became highly animated, went flying out into the crowded, Shavuot-celebrating crowds and began to proclaim the arrival of the Messiah in every language to be heard in that crowd of pilgrims from all over the Roman world (and thereby symbolically annulling the curse of Babylon with all the mixed languages. Genesis 11:1-9). The paralyzing fear of crucifixion was, it seems, banished forever. The Age of God’s Holy Spirit had begun!

And please recall my words from a few weeks ago. In Hebrew, the words Spirit, wind, tongue, fire, are all grammatically feminine, as is dove (Jesus’ baptism). Although theologians argue over the significance, or not, of that, it is my opinion that it is not accidental. I maintain that our Trinitarian God, through which we were all conceived, has indeed a feminine principle contained within the spiritual heart of the Trinity. Each one of us can therefore identify with the Holy Trinity completely and without question. We can all be totally at home within its life-giving strength. Even in the opening of the Book of Genesis, the verb used to describe the Spirit “hovering” (merachefet) is in the feminine form, which can be interpreted as “the Spirit of God… she was hovering” (Genesis 1:2). And of course there is also the Book of Wisdom, that word also being feminine in gender, and throughout that book, “she” is used to refer to Wisdom and her works. So there is a strong case to be made that in name the Holy Trinity encompasses the feminine strongly and is at its heart. And today we celebrate that most mysterious and challenging heart of Christian belief, the Holy Trinity. The Trinity created each one of us in the profoundest love and hope, offering to every one of us the hope of eternal joy and happiness, as is found in the heart of the Trinity. It is communal (the Three Persons), open as we are all invited in, and is life-giving, the heart of love itself. So we cry out “Alleluia” (remembering that the “a” at the end of the word stands for “Yahweh”, hence Allelui-Yahweh” – “Praise God”), and we enter the living heart of life itself and are invited to remain there now and forever: Praise God!

Pentecost: The Descent Of The Holy Spirit,  Emperor Nicholas 1 Illustrations, Paris 1841, France.

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