PAN DE LA SEMANA

16 th Sunday Year C July 21, 2013 SERVICE. SMILES. SERIOUSNESS. STUDY Abraham was not one to miss an opportunity. Seeing three men on their way towards some place else, Abraham saw the chance of a lifetime to offer some welcome and winsome service with a smile. And then some … rolls and some meat; curds and some milk … The guests surely were well provided. Martha and Mary sure knew their places. Both did not pass off an opportunity as it came their way … in the person of their friend Jesus, whom Martha, by the way, called “Lord!” The “Lord” merited some five-star quality service. This, Martha gave “gratis et amore.” The same “Lord” surely was worthy of some serious attention and personal care. This, Mary did, by sitting down right next to the Lord’s ottoman chair, gracious and generous with her listening ears, as she was gracious and winsome in her heart. Abraham and Sarah did their best to offer service and hospitality to the unex...

Catholic Homily/Sunday Reflection 16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) July 18, 2010               I take my cue for today’s reflection from our response after the first reading: “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.” Traditional scholastic philosophy that reached its apex in the writings of St. Thomas speaks of justice as based on what is “due,” from the Latin word “debitum,” that is, what is “owed” to someone else. Biblical tradition as a whole, and the readings today, in particular, going far beyond what the scholastic treatise on justice demands, show us what this “due” is all about, and to whom it is owed – to widows, to the poor, to strangers, and to orphans … everyone who has no one else to rely on. God’s justice shines best in His compassion, His mercy, His loving-kindness. Today’s liturgy offers us a whole lot more on this issue of the “debitum.” It refers to a state of healthy tens...