PAN DE LA SEMANA

  10 th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) June 9, 2013 GOD CARES; GOD CALLS! We are back to good, old ordinary time, the longest “time” of the liturgical year. But it is anything but ordinary. In these so-called “ferial” days, extraordinary things can – and, in fact, do – happen! Take it from the distraught widow of Zarephath with whom the prophet Elijah was staying. Curiously, the boy grew sick “until he stopped breathing,” as the first reading says. Right on the days when a prophet was in the house, staying as guest! Thw widow complains, “Why have you done this to me, o man of God?” The prophet complains to God in his turn, “O Lord, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?” God knows how many times I have complained to the Lord! How many times I have lamented this or that! It makes for good prayer, I tell you! When one is in front of undeserved suffering, I become prayerful. I don’t know about...

24 th Sunday Year B September 16, 2012 I WILL WALK BEFORE THE LORD,  IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING! The readings today could be a little disturbing. Here is one example of suffering unjustly, as Isaiah in the first reading experienced, so undeservedly and so unrightly, but still finds it in his heart, neither to “rebel,” nor   to “turn back,” but instead takes it all in stride. One hardly hears such stories these days, where instant retribution is the name of the game. In our times, we mean it when we say, “a good offense is the best defense.” Cry out … complain … speak out and rebel … and, when push comes to shove, turn your back and walk away in a huff, never to suffer the same ignominy and shame again! We are, more often than not, all cop-outs. We suffer once, and that’s it! We swear never to come back, never to be subjected once gain to everything equivalent to Isaiah’s “buffets and spitting.” I, too, am one among them, perhaps,...