Scripture Reflections for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Great preacher though he was, St Paul did not give up his day job — at least that is his claim. And it is a claim he is proud of:..."

"What’s the problem with the way the scribes and the Pharisees go about things? Is it that they claim an authority to teach people and to interpret the law when..."

"Take on a responsibility, and you bless your community – anything from being on a residents’ association (and sitting through all those meetings) or doing the coffee after Sunday Mass,..."

"In the Gospel today we are given the first part of a very harsh polemic which Jesus delivered against the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus’s language shocks people. Is this the..."

“But true religion, Christianity, is not about what we can do for God, but about what he wants to do for us”

"Do you remember the first time a hero failed you? Do you remember the first time that someone you looked up to, someone you tried to imitate, someone who inspired..."

"The Rev’d Dr Ann Edwards is the Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of The Gap in Meanjin (Brisbane) Queensland. Ann serves as the Vice President of the Movement for the Ordination..."

“Christian humility must seek to liberate the oppressed, heal wounds of violence and hatred, and bring hope, reconciliation, justice, peace, and equality for all, regardless of race, status, or religion. In this way we honor God.”

"Some twenty years ago, when I taught basic research methods to college students, I gave my students the assignment to go to a restaurant to people watch. They were to..."

“It’s about what you do when no one’s looking, what you fill your heart with, and therefore choosing to do things the right way anyway, to look to God first and foremost, showing our faith by our example, living life by Christ’s example, and really practicing what we preach”

"Some years ago at Franciscan University, we had Alexandre Havard on campus to speak about virtuous leadership."

"Our readings for this weekend are tough for everyone, but especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the Church. I’ve been a priest for 31 years (and..."

"At its best, religion orients our lives to God and moves us away from the terrible preoccupation with our own egos. But at its worst, religion reinforces the ego and..."

"The problem with the Pharisees is not what they teach. It is that they use religion–the very thing that is meant to take us out of ourselves–as a means of..."